Flood cleanup?

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

We had a sewer backup in the condo building which resulted in flooding in our shared basement.  Got an estimate from Service Master to clean it up but it was really high ($2700) and involved haz/mat suits and HEPA filters and rebuilding of the partitions between storage spaces -- basically everything but the kitchen sink.  I am not sure we need to do that much remediation but have no idea if this is standard or not. 

I looked through posts back to July 2007 but saw nothing about this.  Anyone have a recommendation?  Thanks in advance.

Comments

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time that would have been excessive; it's now pretty standard (we did a similar remediation project at work about a 3 years ago after a similar flood (we're in the basement) and were equally stunned at the price). But given concerns about mold, etc., I would recommend spending the money, especially when thinking about resale value-it will be worth it to be able to show prospective buyers you went full boat on remediation, and they won't have to worry about mold later.

[chaiya.livejournal.com]

We had a flood last year from a broken water main, and Service Master cleaned it up. They did an excellent job. If you're talking sewage, you definitely want someone to do it thoroughly and asap. Even with just water at our house, it was growing mold very quickly, and that causes problems in its own right.

[whodameg.livejournal.com]

shouldn't this be billable to your insurance company?

[marphod.livejournal.com]

Get a second or third bid. There's no reason to go with the first company.

On the other hand, I'd believe the cost isn't too bad. If I were cleaning up sewers, I'd want a hazmat suit. And the wood is soaked with sewer water; they should be replaced.

Was the backup due to you or something else? It is likely the Condo association's insurance policy may cover some of the cost. And if not, your homeowners might cover some of your share.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

or say, how about the city?

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[winterhill.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Yes, this was due to a blocked line in *our* part of the sewer, and we already had the DPW folks come by -- the city is not responsible for this event. Also, this is considered a "flood" and we don't have flood insurance in the Master policy, we've checked. The association will pick up a portion of the cost, I'm just trying to get recommendations of reliable companies who do this kind of thing, as it's not something that comes up every day. Thankfully. Ick.