On Command crew providing emergency sewage backup cleanup across Metro Vancouver
24/7 Emergency Restoration

Sewage Backup Cleanup Across the Lower Mainland

Rapid 24/7 dispatch across Metro Vancouver

Category 3 sewage extraction, disinfection and structural drying for homes and businesses across Metro Vancouver.

IICRC Certified30+ Years of Experience24/7 Emergency

Rapid dispatch across Metro Vancouver, with arrival timing confirmed when you call.

IICRC Certified CrewsCategory 3 water protocol
Rapid Local Dispatch24/7 emergency response
30+ Years of ExperienceFull-service restoration
Insurance CoordinationCertified and insured
On Command technician in a Tyvek suit extracting sewage with a shop vac on a wet basement floor
Sewage Backup Cleanup in Metro Vancouver

Why a sewer backup needs immediate action

A sewer backup is not ordinary water. It is category 3, the most contaminated class in the IICRC S500 standard, and every hour of delay lets it spread further and cost more.

Category 3 contamination

Sewage is category 3 water, the most contaminated class in the IICRC S500 standard, and it can carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause serious illness.

Mold in 24 to 48 hours

Mold can begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure, according to Health Canada, so every hour of delay lets it spread into drywall, subfloor, and framing.

Costs climb fast

Every hour the contamination travels adds materials to the scope: another room of flooring, another wall cavity, another run of cabinetry. Containing it in the first hour keeps the job small.

A health emergency

Contact with sewage, or breathing the air near it, can make people sick. Keep everyone, especially children and pets, out of the affected area.

It spreads by the hour

What starts as a contained floor-drain backup can turn into a gutted room as moisture and contamination move deeper into the structure.

Do not wait and see

A backup is category 3 the moment it happens, no matter the colour or smell, so it is never safe to wait. Call first and read the rest later.

Bright restored Metro Vancouver basement with a kneeling On Command crew member in uniform and blue air movers after a sewage cleanup

Sewage cleanup services we provide across Metro Vancouver

Our crews handle every stage of a category 3 loss across Metro Vancouver under one roof, so nothing gets handed off half-finished.

Sewage extraction and removal

Safe pump-out and removal of sewage, sludge, and contaminated water from basements, crawl spaces, and main floors.

Toilet backup cleanup

Full toilet backup cleanup, including the floor, walls, and cabinetry the overflow reached.

Sewer backup in basement cleanup

The most common Metro Vancouver call: contamination cleared from finished and unfinished basements alike.

Drain backup cleanup across Metro Vancouver

Floor-drain and fixture backups cleaned, disinfected, and dried to a sanitary standard.

Disinfection and antimicrobial treatment

Hospital-grade disinfection of every surface the sewage contacted.

Structural drying

Commercial dehumidifiers and air movers to bring the structure back to a safe moisture level.

Mold prevention and removal

Treatment and monitoring so a water loss does not become a mold job.

Reconstruction and repairs

Rebuild of drywall, flooring, and finishes we had to remove, so your home is whole again.

Common Causes. What We See.

Common causes of sewage backups across Metro Vancouver homes

Metro Vancouver properties face coastal rain, mixed building ages and dense urban construction, from older cores on aging combined sewers to low-lying areas that depend on pumps. These are the triggers we see most across the region.

Coastal winter storms

  • October to January atmospheric river systems bring the region's highest risk of heavy rain
  • Roof and yard runoff arrives at the same network that has to keep moving wastewater
  • An overloaded system surcharges, and that pressure has to go somewhere

Aging sewers and older service lines

  • Older cores still run aging combined sewers that surcharge in heavy rain
  • The buried service line from the house to the city main is the oldest pipe on most properties
  • Joint separation, sags and cracks slow that line long before it blocks completely

Tree roots in the buried line

  • Roots enter through cracked joints and small failures in older buried pipe
  • A rooted line catches paper and grease, so it slows before it blocks completely
  • Mature street and yard trees sit directly over many older service lines

Basement floor drains and sump pits

  • Sewage surfaces at the lowest opening first: the floor drain, the laundry standpipe or a basement toilet
  • A sump pump that fails or loses power in a storm stops moving groundwater out
  • Finished basements put living space directly in the path of that water
Our 7 Step Cleanup Process

Our category 3 water damage cleanup process

We follow the IICRC S500 protocol for category 3 water, step by step, so the space is not just dried but decontaminated.

On Command crew member in branded gear running the category 3 cleanup process in a flood-damaged basement

Emergency response and safety assessment

We arrive in protective gear, shut off affected utilities if needed, identify the source and contamination boundary, and make the area safe before any work starts.

Containment

We seal off the affected area with barriers and negative air so airborne contaminants cannot spread to clean parts of the home. Category 3 losses are contained before drying begins, never after.

Sewage and water extraction

We pump out standing sewage, sludge, and contaminated water with truck-mounted and portable equipment.

Removal of porous contaminated materials

Porous materials that soaked up sewage, such as drywall, carpet, underlay, and insulation, cannot be fully disinfected, so we cut them out and bag them for proper disposal.

Cleaning and disinfection

Every salvageable surface is cleaned and treated with professional-grade disinfectant and antimicrobial, including framing, subfloor, and hard contents.

Structural drying

We set air movers and dehumidifiers and monitor moisture daily until the structure reaches a documented dry standard.

Verification and clearance

We confirm the space is dry and sanitary with moisture meters and a final inspection, document the readings, and only then hand it back or move to reconstruction.

First 60 Minutes

What happens in the first 60 minutes

Time matters most in the first hour. Here is what happens from the moment you call until our crew is on-site across Metro Vancouver.

0 to 5 min
You reach a real person

You reach a real person, any hour. We take your address, confirm it is safe to stay in the home, and dispatch the nearest available crew right away.

Dispatch
Crew en route

While the crew is en route, we walk you through what to do now: keep everyone clear of the sewage, do not run water or flush, and shut off power to the area only if you can do it safely and dry. Our dispatcher confirms the nearest available crew and gives you an honest arrival window based on traffic and current calls.

On arrival
Contain and stop the spread

The crew assesses the source, sets up containment, and stops the spread before it reaches more of your home. From there we move straight into extraction and the full category 3 process.

We are ready 24/7

Your call is answered 24/7 so you can get clear guidance and the next steps started right away.

Metro Vancouver and Surrounding Areas

Local sewage cleanup across Metro Vancouver

On Command dispatches across Metro Vancouver from our Surrey headquarters at Unit 1, 5508 Production Blvd. We respond across the region, including Surrey, Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster and Langley, plus the surrounding Fraser Valley, 24/7.

  • Rapid dispatch across Metro Vancouver
  • 24/7 emergency response
  • Fully equipped and certified team
15 communities covered
Dispatch baseSurrey, 5508 Production Blvd
What Our Clients Say

What Metro Vancouver homeowners say

Customers trust On Command during stressful situations because our team communicates clearly, works safely, and helps guide the next steps.

Certified. Trusted. Proven.
IICRC Certified
Certified & Insured
Canadian Owned
★★★★★
We presented Manny and his team with a real challenge in dealing with asbestos insulation contamination in a building more than 70 years old. Not only was the contaminated vermiculite mixed with old fiberglass...
David DewarGoogle review
★★★★★
Had a great experience with Manny and his professional crew. Very quick response, they came to site the next day fully equipped and ready. They got the job done right, safe, and on time. Totally recommend.
Amin BehradGoogle review
★★★★★
We had an excellent experience with On Command Services. Manny was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the entire process. He took the time to explain everything clearly and eased our concerns...
Sophia SandhuGoogle review
★★★★★
This company has attended and completed several jobs in my building, my unit included. I was very impressed by their efficiency, communication, thoroughness, and general manner. Not only are they great at what they do,...
Melissa DGoogle review
★★★★★
Manny and his team did a great job helping me do some repairs around my property (replacing rotted wood in deck, waterproofing deck, and some minor interior fixes with doors that wouldn't close properly). They were...
Katie SanfordGoogle review
★★★★★
Manny and his team were a pleasure to deal with. They were professional, thorough, detail oriented and timely. Highly recommend to consumers and insurance providers alike!
Mark ManuelGoogle review
★★★★★
The best place to deal with... they are so professional and loved their customer service....manny and his team did great. gonna recommend to my friends and family. Thank you !!
Kritika VermaGoogle review
★★★★★
We had a mould issue in our bathroom, Manny and his crew came out for an assement and removal mannys crew took care of the job fast and clean. Highly recommend ONCOMMAND, very professional and friendly great company!
Josh McdearmidGoogle review
Why Choose Us

Why Metro Vancouver homeowners call On Command

When sewage strikes, you need more than just cleanup. You need a certified local team you can count on.

IICRC-certified crews

Trained in the category 3 water and sewage protocol, not a general handyman crew.

30+ years of experience

Handling Metro Vancouver basements, crawl spaces, and older sewer laterals.

Lower Mainland coverage

Surrey-based crews and equipment serve the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

24/7 emergency line

Answered by a person, every day of the year.

Full-service, one crew

From extraction through disinfection, drying, and reconstruction.

Certified and insured

With insurance coordination on every job.

On Command service truck and equipment trailer parked at dusk with the North Shore mountains behind
Testing First in Older Homes

Renovating an older Metro Vancouver home after a backup?

If your home was built before 1990, the drywall or flooring we need to remove after a category 3 backup may contain asbestos, which most pre-1990 BC homes still do. When that is a possibility, we arrange third-party hazardous materials testing before disturbing those materials, so demolition is done safely and to code.

Questions? We've Got Answers

Sewage backup cleanup in Metro Vancouver: common questions

Get quick answers to common questions about sewage backups, our response time, and our cleanup process.

Yes. Sewage is category 3 water and can contain disease-causing organisms. Keep people and pets out, avoid touching affected materials and call a trained cleanup crew. Professional containment prevents foot traffic and air movement from carrying contamination into clean rooms while extraction, disinfection and structural drying are completed.

On Command truck-mounted extraction and drying equipment staged for a Metro Vancouver sewage cleanup
Further reading

Before you call your insurer

Sewer backup is commonly a separate endorsement rather than part of a standard BC policy, which is the gap most people find mid-claim.

Sewage backing up in your Metro Vancouver home? Call now.

Do not wait, and do not clean it yourself. Call On Command for 24/7 emergency sewage backup cleanup across Metro Vancouver and we will confirm the nearest available crew and arrival window when you call.

24/7 Emergency Line604 445 2726

Rapid dispatch across Metro Vancouver

  • Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Local team, fast response, real results
  • We handle everything, you focus on healing

Request Emergency Callback

Tell us where you are and we will call you back within minutes, 24/7.

Call 604 445 2726Metro Vancouver sewage emergency? 24/7