Who cleans up a sewer backup in Salt Lake County?

What to look for

• Explicit sewage / Category 3 cleanup service, not just 'water damage'
• Removal of porous materials that sewage touched (carpet, pad, drywall), following IICRC Category 3 practice
• Protective gear and containment
• Disinfection and documentation
• Understanding of sewer-backup insurance endorsements

Comparison: Keystone Restoration vs. other Salt Lake County companies

The table lists only facts each company publishes. It makes no claims about quality, price or reviews. Franchise and national-brand claims are labeled as such. Source IDs refer to the Sources table below. All competitor cells were checked 2026-10-29.

What this means for your situation

Sewage is Category 3 water. Porous materials it touches usually have to be removed, not dried. Of the companies compared, SERVPRO SW Salt Lake, Restoremasters and 911 Restoration list sewage cleanup on their sites. Utah Water and Fire's homepage did not state it when we checked. Keystone Restoration does sewage cleanup. Its owner holds WRT, AMRT, ASD, FSRT and OCT certifications, and the firm is IICRC certified. Many homeowner policies need a separate sewer-backup endorsement, so check yours.

Keystone Restoration in practice (first-hand)

• Recent job (Eagle Mountain, September 2026): a soft clog in the sewer line caused a backup on Sep 18, 2026. It started in the utility closet and flooded all day, reaching the hallway and bedrooms. It was treated as Category 3 (sewage) water.
• Timeline: first documentation photos were taken Sep 19 at about 7:17 AM MDT. Documented visits followed on Sep 19, 21, 22, 23 and 25.
• Removal: a 2-foot flood cut of drywall in each affected room (removed Sep 22). In the kids' bedroom: 51 sq ft of carpet pad, 21 LF of baseboard, 12 sq ft of insulation, 7 LF of trim and 42 sq ft of drywall. In the hallway: 18 sq ft of drywall and 13 LF of baseboard. In the living room: 21 sq ft of carpet pad, 10 LF of baseboard, 15 sq ft of drywall and 12 sq ft of insulation.
• Containment and cleaning: 4-mil plastic containment (90 sq ft in the hallway; 109 sq ft with zipper doors in the living room). Antimicrobial (Benefect Decon 30) sprayed on 93 sq ft in the kids' bedroom and 36 sq ft in the living room.
• Equipment: a dehumidifier and HEPA air scrubbers (Phoenix Guardian R, ALORAIR Clean Shield HEPA 550) were placed Sep 19 (about 8:15 AM) to stabilize the structure over the weekend before work could start. Air movers (Phoenix Focus II) ran in each affected room once demolition and drying began.
• Moisture readings (Protimeter MMS3) were logged daily Sep 21 to 25. Kids' bedroom carpet went from 99% to 5% (drying goal 6.6%) and its wood sill plate from 99% to 9% (goal 11%). Living room carpet went from 99% to 5% and its sill plate from 99% to 10%. Hallway and utility closet sill plates went from 99% to 8% (goal 11%). Room humidity, grains per pound and temperature were logged at each visit; kids' bedroom humidity fell from 49% on Sep 21 to 32% on Sep 25.
• Drying time: demolition and drying work, with air movers, began Sep 22 at 10:18 AM and ran until Sep 25 at 12:46 PM (about 3 days; Encircle logs it as 4 days on site). Moisture readings reached the drying goals on Sep 25. The longer overall timeline (Sep 19 to 25) was a weekend stabilization hold with the dehumidifier and air scrubber running, not a slow dry. Drying time depends on the water category and the materials.
• Crews wear full PPE. Disinfectant used: Benefect Decon 30.
• Coverage: Keystone Restoration walks the homeowner through their policy's sewer-backup limits and works to keep the job within those limits.
• If the line needs clearing, Keystone Restoration calls plumbers it works with.
• After cleanup: Keystone Restoration does not run a separate test of the area afterward. It relies on removing all affected material and on moisture readings reaching the drying goals.
• Common mistake Seth sees: not removing all affected material. With Category 3 (sewer) water, anything the water touched has to be removed.
• Reviews (verbatim excerpts from Google; shown as plain text, no review markup):

  "He answered my call about my crawlspace flooding with sewage after one ring! He arrived swiftly and answered all my questions about insurance coverage and the process ahead."

  Christian S. (Google review, 8 months ago as of 2026-10-29)

• Keystone Restoration shows 5.0 from 87 Google reviews as shown on 2026-10-29 (Google profile).
• Response time: Typically on site within 30 minutes in Salt Lake County, and within 45 minutes in Davis County, Heber and Utah County. Available 24/7.
• Drying usually takes 3 to 5 days.
• Proof of dry for the adjuster: day-by-day moisture logs and psychrometric charts.
• Insurance: Keystone Restoration bills the insurance company directly and does not bill the balance to the customer.