Disaster Recovery & Restoration,
Services in Chicago, IL

Water damage, fire and mold restoration for Chicago properties

ServiceMaster Restoration Services provides water damage restoration, fire and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, biohazard cleanup and cleaning, with 24/7 emergency response from our headquarters in west suburban Lisle. Our core service area is DuPage and Will County, so Chicago owners should call to confirm we can reach their address.

Chicago's housing is among the oldest in the region

The numbers are striking. According to the ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, the median Chicago home was built in 1953, nearly 39% of the city's housing units date to 1939 or earlier, and about three in four were built before 1980. For comparison, in 26 of the 28 suburbs with town pages on this site, the median home was built in 1971 or later.

Chicago is also a renter's city. Only about 46% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and just over a quarter of housing units are single-family detached houses. Two-flats, courtyard buildings, condos and apartments mean a single leak or fire often affects more than one household, and more than one insurance policy.

Why do Chicago basements back up during storms?

The City's Department of Water Management explains it plainly on its basement flooding page: during intense storms, sewer mains fill up, and additional water pushes into basements through the private sewer drains. The City notes that its sewer system was designed decades ago, when storm patterns were very different, and that there are 4,400 miles of sewer main in Chicago.

Older buildings add to the problem. According to the same page, City code once required gutter downspouts to connect to a house's private sewer drain, the same line that carries wastewater to the street. That sends roof water straight into the sewer at the worst possible moment. The City recommends disconnecting downspouts and directing the water onto the lawn instead, and it places restrictors called Rain Blockers in catch basins to slow how fast street water enters the sewers.

Brick bungalows and two-flats

Much of Chicago's pre-war housing is brick, with full basements that were later finished as apartments, family rooms or storage. A sewer backup in those spaces reaches drywall, flooring and belongings that were never designed to get wet.

Seepage, sewer backup or overland flooding?

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago separates basement flooding into three types, and knowing which one you have changes the cleanup:

• Seepage is usually clear water coming in through cracks in basement walls and floors.
• Sewer backups usually come up through floor drains and plumbing fixtures in the basement. This water is contaminated.
• Overland flooding happens when heavy rain makes local flood water rise and enter through windows and doors.

MWRD explains that your municipality owns and operates the neighborhood sewers your home drains into, and that those sewers flow into MWRD's larger system. Chicago residents can report flooding by calling 3-1-1, through 311.chicago.org or with the CHI311 app. Reporting helps the City see where problems are concentrated.

Cleaning up after a sewer backup

Sewage-contaminated drywall, carpet and pad generally can't be saved. Workers remove it, then clean and disinfect the hard surfaces left behind before any drying or rebuilding begins.

Lead paint and asbestos in older Chicago buildings

With roughly three-quarters of the city's homes built before 1980, lead and asbestos are routine considerations here, not edge cases.

Homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to disturb paint in that housing to be certified and follow lead-safe practices. Landlords should note that, according to the EPA, the rule also applies to owners who rent all or part of their home and do the work themselves.

For asbestos, the Illinois EPA states that friable asbestos-containing material is present in many houses and apartment buildings built before the mid-1970s. Old pipe wrap, floor tile and textured wall or ceiling finishes are worth testing before they are cut out after a flood or fire. The agency recommends a qualified inspection before any renovation or demolition.

First hour after a sewer backup in a Chicago basement

1. Stop adding water. Don't run showers, dishwashers or washing machines while the sewer is surcharged. Ask upstairs units to hold off too.
2. Keep people and pets out. Backup water carries sewage. Stay out unless you have boots, gloves and eye protection, and never stand in water near outlets or appliances.
3. Report it. Call 3-1-1 so the City knows where sewers are overloaded, and tell your landlord or building association if you rent or own a condo.
4. Photograph the damage. Capture the water line, the floor drain and damaged belongings before anything is moved.
5. Arrange cleanup and disinfection. Porous materials touched by sewage are usually removed, and the space needs drying within a day or two to keep mold from taking hold.

How our services apply to Chicago properties

Our main service area is the western and southwestern suburbs, and Chicago jobs depend on location and scheduling. When we can take the work, these pages describe what's involved.

For backups, burst pipes and storm water, see water damage restoration for Chicago properties and our water damage restoration hub. Multi-unit and business losses are covered under commercial water damage restoration.

After a fire, fire damage restoration in Chicago deals with soot that can spread between units through shared walls and stairwells.

Older masonry basements are prone to musty odors, and mold remediation for Chicago buildings addresses both growth and moisture.

Biohazard cleanup in Chicago covers trauma scenes and sewage-contaminated spaces, and cleaning services for Chicago homes and offices handle the final cleanup.

A backwater valve lets sewage out but not back in

The Insurance Information Institute describes a properly installed and maintained backwater valve as one that allows sewage to go out but not come back in. It is installed by a plumber on the building's sewer line.

Insurance, prevention and our suburban base

Sewer backup is a common gap in coverage. The Insurance Information Institute's guide to protecting your house from sewer backups notes that problems arise in systems that combine storm water and sewage in the same pipe, and that the sewer lateral is owned and maintained by the property owner. Backup coverage is usually a separate endorsement, so check your policy. Our insurance claim assistance covers documentation and adjuster meetings, and our guides on sewage backup cleanup and water damage insurance in Illinois explain more.

Our headquarters is at 924 Ogden Ave in Lisle, and nearby service-area towns include Oak Brook and Elmhurst. Contact us with your address and we'll tell you what's possible.

For a Chicago property, call (630) 241-1111 first, any time 24/7, and we'll confirm whether we can help.