Few plumbing emergencies are as stressful — or as hazardous — as sewage backing up into your home. Beyond the mess, sewage carries bacteria and pathogens that make a fast, careful response essential. Here is what to do, and just as importantly, what not to do.
Stop adding water to the system
The moment you notice a backup, stop running water anywhere in the house. Do not flush toilets, run the dishwasher or washing machine, or take showers. Every gallon you send down adds to what is coming back up.
Keep people and pets away
Sewage is a biohazard. Keep everyone out of the affected area, turn off HVAC to avoid spreading contaminants, and if water is near electrical equipment, stay clear and do not enter it. Ventilate the space if you can do so safely.
Why basements back up here
In Oakland County and across Metro Detroit, backups usually come from one of a few causes: a blocked sanitary line (often tree roots in an aging clay lateral), a failed or overwhelmed sump system, stormwater surcharging the sewer during heavy rain, or a sump pump improperly connected to the sanitary sewer. Bloomfield Township specifically warns that sump connections to the sanitary sewer can contribute to backups when the main blocks.
The only way to know the true cause is to look. Our sewer inspection and repair team runs a camera to see exactly what is happening — roots, a crack, a collapse, or a surcharge — before recommending anything.
When it is beyond a cleaning
If the camera shows a collapsed or badly root-choked lateral, clearing it is only a temporary fix. In those cases sewer line replacement — often trenchless — is the permanent solution. We show you the footage so you can see why.
This is a common call in older, tree-lined communities like Royal Oak, where 1920s–40s clay laterals are a magnet for roots. Wherever you are, we diagnose before we dig.
After the emergency
Once the line is clear and repaired, ask about backwater valves and sump improvements to prevent a repeat. Document everything for insurance, and ask your carrier specifically about sewer-backup or water-backup coverage — it is often a separate endorsement that standard policies do not include.
From our licensed plumbers
Why the same basement keeps backing up
When a homeowner tells us their basement has backed up more than once, we already know the last plumber probably cleared the clog without finding the cause. A cabled main that runs clear for a month and then floods again is not fixed — it is postponed. The real answer lives on a camera: roots feeding through a clay joint, a bellied section that traps solids, or a sump improperly tied into the sanitary line. Until you see which one it is, you are paying to clear the same blockage on repeat.
The honest tradeoff we walk homeowners through is clearing versus correcting. A one-time cabling is cheap and sometimes all you need. But if the camera inspection shows a failing lateral, spending on another clearing is throwing good money after bad — a spot repair or liner ends it. We also check the sump discharge and backwater protection, because in low-lying spots around Royal Oak a storm surcharge, not a blockage, is often what pushes water back through the floor drain.
Frequently asked questions
Often only if you carry a sewer-backup or water-backup endorsement, which is usually separate from standard coverage. Ask your insurer directly, and keep photos, invoices, and a written repair scope to support any claim.
Small amounts can be handled with proper protective gear and disinfection, but significant backups are a biohazard best left to professionals for extraction, cleaning, and drying. The plumbing cause should be diagnosed and fixed first.
Have a plumbing problem right now?
Our licensed Bloomfield Hills plumbers answer 24/7 and quote the price before any work begins.
Call (831) 290-4327
