Clean-water toilet overflow is Category 1. Sewage backup through the toilet is Category 3. Our IICRC-certified Portland crews know the difference and the protocol.
Here's what to do — and what not to do — in the next 5 minutes. The window between the loss starting and significant structural damage is short.
Toilet overflows trace to four common scenarios. First three are Category 1; fourth is Category 3.
Most common. Category 1.
Fill valve fails to shut off. Category 1.
Flexible supply line fails at house pressure. Category 1.
Blockage downstream causes sewage to back up. Category 3 — IICRC S500.
Our crew arrives with extraction equipment, full PPE, structural drying gear. In the first 60 minutes: water category confirmation, extraction, moisture mapping, documentation.
Category 1: drying, antimicrobial, moisture monitoring. Category 3: full demolition of unsalvageable porous materials, decontamination, antimicrobial, structural drying, surface sampling.
We bill your insurance carrier directly so your out-of-pocket cost is typically just your deductible. We work with every major Oregon carrier including PEMCO and Country Financial — and high-net-worth specialty carriers for custom-home losses.
Same-hour dispatch to all of these Portland-area cities. Our crews are local — we know the neighborhoods, the watersheds, the construction patterns, and the carriers.
From clog/tank failure/supply burst = Category 1. From sewer main backup = Category 3.
Standard homeowners covers sudden and accidental discharge. Sewage backup typically requires the specific rider.
Category 3 protocols require full PPE, containment, HEPA filtration, EPA-registered disinfectants, demolition of all porous materials.
Clean-water: 3-7 days mitigation plus 1-2 weeks reconstruction. Sewage: 7-14 days mitigation plus 3-5 weeks reconstruction.
Clean water: limited DIY possible. Sewage: do not DIY.
Same-hour IICRC-certified crew dispatch. Direct insurance billing. Free on-site assessment.