Make two calls, in this order

The City of Greensboro: 336-373-2033. That's Water Resources Construction and Maintenance, the city's published number for sewer backups and overflows. They check whether the blockage is in the city main. This call also starts the paper trail you'll want later.
A restoration company. City crews clear blockages; they don't decontaminate your hallway. Cleanup of what's already inside the house is on you regardless of whose pipe failed, and it's specialized work (below).

When the city pays, and when it doesn't

Under Greensboro's published Sanitary Sewer Backup Policy, you may be reimbursed for damages when the backup was caused by a blockage in the city sewer main, not when the blockage sits in the service line connecting your home to the main. By that same criterion, the policy leaves the lateral's problems with the homeowner. Don't assume either way: report it, let the city inspect, and document the damage while you wait.

Why sewage cleanup has different rules than a burst pipe

The industry standard (ANSI/IICRC S500) puts sewage squarely in Category 3: "grossly contaminated," capable of carrying "pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents." The classification changes the work. Under S500, Category 3 losses get decontaminated before structural drying begins, with containment and worker protection. The EPA's mold guide says flatly that sewage-contaminated water damage calls for a professional experienced with contaminated buildings, and CDC documents the health stakes: wound infections, skin rash, gastrointestinal illness. Anything porous the sewage soaked (carpet, pad, wallboard, insulation) gets removed and discarded, not dried; NDSU's guidance calls contaminated wallboard "a permanent health hazard."

What the cleanup involves

Containment first: the affected area sealed off so contamination doesn't track through the house on feet and airflow.
Removal: sewage and solids extracted; saturated porous materials cut out and bagged. This is where the "flood cut" band above the contamination line comes from.
Decontamination: hard surfaces cleaned and disinfected to the S500 protocol before drying equipment runs, not after.
Drying and verification: commercial dehumidifiers and moisture readings until wall cavities and subfloors read dry. One more reason not to wait: S500 notes a loss's category can worsen with time and temperature. Clean water becomes gray, gray becomes black, and the price follows.

The insurance fact most Greensboro homeowners learn too late

Sewer backup is not covered by a standard homeowners policy, and not by flood insurance either. It's a separate endorsement, typically cheap to add. If you have it, the claim process runs like any water loss, per NC Department of Insurance guidance: photograph before touching anything, temporary repairs only, receipts for everything, no permanent repairs until the adjuster agrees. If a claim goes sideways, NCDOI's Consumer Services line (855-408-1212) can compel a response from the insurer.

Cost, briefly

Category 3 is the most expensive water to remove: roughly $7-7.50 per square foot nationally versus $3-4 for clean water, plus the cost of what must be replaced rather than dried. Full numbers and the questions worth asking any estimator: the cost guide. On well-and-septic properties northwest of the city the who-pays question works differently; see the NW Guilford guide.

Sewage backup cleanup in Greensboro