INDEPENDENT CLEARANCE TESTING · TDLR ACO1245
Mold Clearance Testing in Houston
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Mold clearance testing in Houston is your independent proof that remediation worked. Selling a home? Closing an insurance claim? Moving back in after remediation? Texas law requires an independent, TDLR-licensed assessor to verify the work, separate from whoever performed it. Mold Testing Houston tests, analyzes, and delivers your written result in as little as one business day.
TDLR-licensed Mold assessor taking a temperature and humidity reading at a ceiling air vent during a post-remediation clearance test in Houston.
What Is Mold Clearance Testing?
Mold clearance testing is an independent inspection and lab analysis that confirms a remediation actually worked and the space is safe to re-occupy. It is also called post-remediation verification or post-remediation testing. Rather than trusting that an area “looks clean,” a clearance test documents what is actually in the air and on the surfaces, then compares your indoor results against the outdoor baseline and the clearance criteria in your mold remediation protocol.
Clearance testing is a measurement, not a judgment call.
A passing result means the space has returned to what the IICRC S520 standard calls Condition 1, or Normal Fungal Ecology: indoor mold levels back in line with the clean air outside. That is the line between assuming the problem is solved and proving it.
Texas requires that this verification come from a TDLR-licensed Mold Assessment Consultant, and from a different company than the one that performed the removal. That separation is what makes the result mean anything.
What clearance testing confirms:
- ✓No visible mold or moisture damage remains in the treated area
- ✓The containment and work area are clean, with no leftover debris or settled spores
- ✓Moisture readings are back within a normal range, so mold cannot simply regrow
- ✓Airborne mold spores indoors match or fall below the outdoor baseline
From Sample to Certainty in As Little as One Business Day
One visit, one day, and a signed clearance certificate in hand, here’s exactly what happens.
Pre-Test Walkthrough
We review the original remediation protocol, confirm the work area is dry, ventilated, and ready for testing, and verify no new contamination is visible.
Air & Surface Sampling
We collect calibrated air samples inside the remediated area and one outside as a baseline. Surface swabs are taken anywhere the protocol calls for verification.
Accredited Lab Analysis
Samples go to EMSL Analytical, an AIHA-LAP EMLAP-accredited microbial lab. Spore types and concentrations are identified and compared against the outdoor baseline.
Report in As Little as One Business Day
You receive a written clearance report (pass or fail) in as little as one business day after lab results, formatted for your insurance company, lender, or buyer.
Can a Mold Remediation Company Do Its Own Clearance Test in Texas?
Most people don’t realize the company that removes their mold legally can’t be the one that clears it. That isn’t red tape, it’s a consumer protection, written to keep you from having to accept a “pass” from the same company you just paid to make the problem go away. It’s the same reason you wouldn’t let the dealer selling you a used car be the one to inspect it: when someone has a stake in the result, only an outside check carries weight. That separation is the whole reason independent testing exists, and the whole reason your result can be trusted.
Texas Law Requires Separation
Under Texas Administrative Code Chapter 295 and the Texas Mold Assessment and Remediation Rules, the company that removes the mold cannot also perform the clearance test on the same project. The roles are split on purpose, to remove the conflict of interest.
Only a Licensed MAC Can Sign It
Texas requires that mold assessments and clearance testing be performed by a TDLR-licensed Mold Assessment Consultant. Our clearance reports are signed off under MAC1839. A cleanup crew's own sign-off is not a clearance, no matter what the paperwork is called.
We Have No Financial Stake in the Outcome
Mold Testing Houston (TDLR ACO1245) is barred from performing remediation, and we don't sell cleanup. So when we say the air is clear, it isn't a setup for another invoice. Your insurer also gets what it usually requires: a third-party clearance certificate rather than one written by the remediator.
Documentation That Holds Up
Our reports are built for insurance adjusters, real estate closings, and legal disputes: lab-analyzed results, a licensed assessor's sign-off, and the outdoor baseline comparison that holds up under scrutiny.
| MOLD TESTING HOUSTONIndependent assessor | THE OTHER WAYRemediation company testing its own job | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the test | A separate TDLR-licensed assessor with no stake in the cleanup | The same company being paid for the cleanup |
| Texas law | Meets the rule | Not allowed. A license holder may not perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same project (Texas Occupations Code §1958.155) |
| What you get | EMSL lab results and a written report you can hand to an insurer, buyer or lender | A conflict of interest a buyer, lender or adjuster can question |
| Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation | Our passing clearance test lets the licensed remediator issue it | No independent clearance, no certificate |
Do You Even Need Clearance Testing?
Mold clearance testing isn’t always necessary, and we’ll be the first to tell you when it isn’t. Whether it’s required comes down to your situation. Here’s the breakdown.
- A licensed company remediated 25+ sq ft. Once mold covers 25 or more contiguous square feet and you hire someone to remediate, Texas regulates the project, and a separate licensed assessor has to verify the work. (16 TAC §78.140)
- You're filing an insurance claim. Most insurers require a third-party clearance certificate before paying a mold claim, and that certificate depends on a passing post-remediation assessment. (16 TAC §78.150)
- You're selling or buying the home. Texas requires sellers to give buyers copies of any mold remediation certificates issued in the past five years, so clearance documentation directly affects the sale. (16 TAC §78.150)
- A lender, landlord, or contract requires it. Not always a state mandate, but enforceable in practice, and a common reason clearance gets ordered.
- You did the work yourself, in your own home. A Texas homeowner can remediate mold in their own residence with no clearance mandate, regardless of square footage. (Occ. Code §1958.102; 16 TAC §78.30)
- The affected area was small. Under 25 contiguous square feet, mold can be cleaned without a licensed protocol or certificate. "Contiguous" means connected, so three separate 10-square-foot spots don't add up to cross the line.
- No one's asking for proof. No insurance claim, no sale, no lender or contract requirement means clearance is optional.
| IF MOLD IS SUSPECTEDMold Inspection & Testing | WHEN MOLD IS CONFIRMEDMold Remediation Protocol | AFTER REMEDIATIONClearance Testing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When you need it | You suspect mold: a musty smell, a leak, visible spots, or you’re buying or selling | Mold is confirmed and needs professional removal | Remediation is finished and you need proof it passed |
| What it answers | Is there a mold problem, and where is the moisture coming from? | Exactly what has to be removed, how, and where | Did the remediation pass? |
| What’s included | Full visual inspection, moisture and humidity readings, photo documentation | Everything in the inspection, plus a written remediation plan and work analysis (1 area included) | Pre-test walkthrough and visual inspection, indoor air samples of the remediated area, outdoor baseline sample |
| Samples and lab | Two samples included: one indoor air sample plus the outdoor control, or two surface samples. Lab analysis by EMSL (spore types and counts) | Same two samples and EMSL analysis as the inspection | Indoor air samples plus an outdoor baseline, analyzed by EMSL (AIHA-LAP EMLAP accredited) |
| Report | Written report in as little as one business day | Protocol delivered in as little as one business day after lab results | Written clearance report in as little as one business day, signed by a TDLR-licensed assessor |
| Price | $550 flatUp to 2,500 sq ft. Extra samples $85 each, only with your approval | STARTING AT$7501 area included. Additional areas quoted upfront | STARTING AT$750Single remediated area. Pricing scales with the number of areas |
| Required in Texas? | No, but it’s the first step to knowing what you’re dealing with | Yes, for mold contamination of 25 contiguous square feet or more | Yes, to issue the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation |
| Book Inspection | Book Protocol | Book Clearance |
What Happens After Your Clearance Test
Two outcomes, and a clear next step for each. A failed clearance test isn’t a disaster; it just means the work isn’t finished yet, and you’ll leave with a plan for exactly what’s left.
Clearance Achieved
Indoor spore counts in the remediated area are at or below the outdoor baseline. The remediation worked, and you receive a signed clearance certificate to submit to your insurance company, lender, buyer, or attorney.
What happens next: The space is cleared to reoccupy. Keep the certificate for your records and any future disclosure requirements. In Texas, you may need it when selling within five years.
Clearance Not Achieved
Indoor spore counts are still elevated, or new contamination turned up. The remediation didn't fully resolve the issue. But a fail is not just a fail: your report lays out exactly what is still present, where it is, and a step by step plan for what needs to happen to reach clearance.
What happens next: You receive a detailed corrective plan, effectively an updated protocol, that is usually shorter than the original since most of the work is already done. Your remediation contractor uses it to address the specific areas flagged, typically under their warranty, and then we retest against the same independent standard. We tell you what the data shows and hand you the plan to fix it. We do not recommend a remediation company, that stays your choice.
What Clearance Testing Costs
No hidden fees, no vague “it depends.” Here’s exactly what an independent clearance test costs, and what’s included for that price.
Includes:
- ✓Pre-test walkthrough and visual inspection
- ✓Calibrated indoor air samples of the remediated area
- ✓Outdoor baseline air sample for comparison
- ✓Independent lab analysis by EMSL, an AIHA-LAP EMLAP-accredited laboratory
- ✓Written clearance report in as little as one business day
- ✓Signed by a TDLR-licensed assessor (MAC1839), company license ACO1245
- ✓Documentation formatted for insurance, real estate, or legal use
Why Houston Trusts MTH
Anyone can claim to be independent. Mold Testing Houston (MTH) puts the license numbers, the accredited lab, and the years of experience behind it, right here in writing, because a result is only as good as the people and standards behind it.
Licensed, Named, Accountable
Your clearance test is performed and signed by Ran Bozaglo, a TDLR-licensed Mold Assessment Consultant (MAC1839), under company license ACO1245. A real, licensed name on your report, not an anonymous technician.
An Accredited, Independent Lab
Samples are analyzed by EMSL Analytical, an AIHA-LAP EMLAP-accredited laboratory, completely independent of MTH. The accreditation is the mold-industry standard; the independence is what makes your result defensible.
Nine Years, Assessment Only
MTH has tested Houston-area properties since 2017, and has never performed remediation. Nine years of doing one thing, verifying whether mold is actually gone, with no cleanup business pulling the result either way.
Tested Against the Standard
Every clearance test is measured against the IICRC S520 standard the State of Texas points to, comparing indoor spore levels to the outdoor baseline. The same objective benchmark, every job.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Mold Clearance Testing FAQs
Clear answers to the most common clearance testing questions, from cost and turnaround to what a failed test means.
The on-site visit usually takes one to two hours, depending on the size of the remediated area and how many samples are needed. Your samples then go to the lab, and Mold Testing Houston delivers your written clearance report in as little as one business day after testing. That turnaround matters when a closing or an insurance claim is on a deadline.
The CMDR is the document that proves a remediation job was completed correctly under Texas law. It's only issued when (1) the work was done under a written protocol, (2) the contractor followed the protocol, and (3) clearance testing passed. Only a licensed Mold Remediation Contractor can sign the CMDR, but it's the clearance test from a Mold Assessment Consultant like us that allows them to sign it.
So no, you can’t get a CMDR without clearance testing. No clearance, no certificate.
Visual, procedural, and analytical. Visual: no visible mold growth and no wood rot in the work area. Procedural: the contractor followed the written protocol, containment was maintained, and materials were removed correctly. Analytical: air and/or surface samples show fungal levels at or below outdoor baseline, with no flagged spore types present indoors. All three have to pass for clearance to be issued.
You'll have a problem when you sell the house. Texas Occupations Code §1958.154 requires sellers to disclose any mold remediation in the past 5 years and provide a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation. Without clearance testing, no CMDR exists, and you're disclosing remediation work without the document that proves it was done correctly. Buyers and insurance companies treat that as a red flag. Spend the money on clearance, get the CMDR, protect yourself at sale.