Right now

A toilet overflowed with waste. That is Category 3. Do not clean it yourself.

Sewage is grossly contaminated water under IICRC S500 and can contain pathogens; the longer it sits in flooring and drywall the more has to be cut out.

Keep children and pets out of the room. Do not touch the water bare-handed. If it reached an outlet or a floor heater, stay out and kill the breaker from a dry spot.

What is probably happening

A clog below the bowl, in the toilet's own trap or the branch line, sent the bowl contents over the rim.
IICRC S500 classes toilet overflow containing feces and any sewage as Category 3, grossly contaminated water that can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents.
Porous materials that sewage touches (carpet, pad, drywall, particleboard vanities) generally get removed rather than cleaned.

Do this in the next five minutes

Close the valve behind the toilet.
Close the bathroom door and put a towel along the bottom to keep pets out.
Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles if you must go in. The CDC's rule for sewage cleanup.
Open a window and turn the bathroom fan on. Turn the HVAC off so the air handler does not spread it.
Photograph the room from the doorway.
Wash your hands and any skin that touched the water with soap and clean water. Clean any cut immediately.

Do not

Do not use a household vacuum or shop vac on sewage. It aerosolizes it.
Do not mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. The CDC warns it makes poisonous gas.
Do not try to save the bath mat, rug or anything absorbent that it soaked.

Who to call

A water damage restoration company that handles Category 3 loss

Sewage cleanup is contaminated-water work with protective equipment, removal and disinfection. A plumber clears the clog; the restorer decontaminates the room.

Also: Plumbing. If the toilet backs up again after plunging, or a second fixture gurgles, the clog is in the line and a plumber has to clear it before anyone cleans. Questions for that call ›

Get a free shortlist The seven questions for this trade

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What it should cost

$2,000 to $3,000

Sewage cleanup, small spill in a single room. Larger backups run $3,000 to $7,000.

Source: HomeGuide, sewage cleanup cost, 2026. View source

National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the water damage page.

Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out

Tap each one as you ask it.

Are you treating this as Category 3 under S500, and what does that change in the scope?
What comes out (flooring, baseboard, vanity base) and what gets cleaned in place?
What disinfectant are you using, and will you document it?
Will the room below or next door be checked for migration?

End the call if

A company that says they will just steam clean the carpet.
No protective equipment on the crew.
An Assignment of Benefits pushed at you before the scope is written.

Insurance. Toilet overflow is covered as a sudden loss by most policies (Texas Department of Insurance). Backup from the sewer itself is different: only some policies cover water or sewage from outside that enters through sewers or drains, often as an added endorsement.

Where this comes from

Not my problem, tap through instead Every water damage answer