Before You Book
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about pricing, turnaround, testing, and Texas mold law, from an independent, TDLR-licensed Houston team. Grouped by topic so you can jump to where you are. If your question is not here, call 832-838-9387 and a real person will answer it.
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Mold Inspection
What a mold inspection actually involves, who should do it, how long it takes, and what to expect when an inspector walks your Houston property. Start here if you suspect mold but haven't booked an inspection yet.
Our standard mold inspection is $550. That covers the on-site visit, visual assessment, moisture mapping, photo documentation, lab analysis of up to 2 samples, and a written report within one business day. Valid for properties up to 2,500 sq ft. Any additional samples are $85 each and are only collected with your approval. Larger properties or commercial buildings are quoted separately. We are upfront about pricing because most competitors are not.
For most Houston homeowners, yes. A $550 inspection is minor next to the $1,500 to $9,000 a remediation job can run, and catching a problem early is what keeps it from spreading into that range. On a home purchase, an inspection can save you from inheriting someone else's mold problem or give you room to renegotiate. Even when the result is good news and the air is clean, you get documentation and peace of mind. The one time it is not worth it is a tiny, visible, already-explained spot under 25 square feet that you can simply clean.
It is not legally required, but in Houston it is one of the smartest pre-purchase moves you can make. Houston's flood history, humidity, and older housing stock mean a home can have hidden mold from past water damage the seller may not even know about. A pre-purchase inspection finds it before you own it, gives you documentation for the transaction, and gives you leverage to negotiate repairs or price. The inspection cost is small next to a remediation bill you inherit after closing. This is why real estate agents routinely recommend one on flood-prone or older Houston homes.
The most common triggers are a persistent musty smell, visible staining or growth, past water damage from a roof leak, plumbing leak, slab leak, or flooding, and allergy-type symptoms (congestion, headaches, irritation) that ease when you leave the house. Any Houston home with a flood history or a recent leak is worth checking even without visible mold, because the humid climate lets mold grow inside walls and under flooring where you cannot see it. When something feels off, it is cheaper to confirm than to guess.
Most residential inspections take 1 to 2 hours on-site, depending on the size of the property and how much we need to investigate. Your written lab report follows within one business day.
Three things. First, a visual walk-through of the property looking for visible mold and water-intrusion clues like staining, warping, or musty odors. Second, moisture readings using meters and thermal imaging to find hidden wet spots behind walls or under flooring. Third, air and surface sampling sent to an independent lab. Then we write up everything in a report you can act on or hand to a real estate agent, contractor, or insurance adjuster. Full breakdown on our services page.
Often yes, especially in Houston. Visible mold is one piece of the picture. The lab work tells you what species it is, how concentrated it is, and whether spore levels indoors are above outdoor baseline. That information is what determines the remediation protocol scope, what your contractor has to do, and what your insurance will cover. Skipping the inspection usually costs more later because contractors will scope conservatively without it.
No, and that's intentional. Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 and TDLR §295.307, the same firm cannot inspect and remediate the same property. The rule exists to prevent conflicts of interest, the inspector recommending more work than necessary so their remediation crew can charge more. We've been a testing-only firm since 2017, which means our findings are always honest.
Same-day appointments are often available, especially for water damage and real estate transaction deadlines. Otherwise we typically book within one business day. Book online or call 832-838-9387.
Yes. We're licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as a Mold Assessment Company license ACO1245, and we carry the $1 million liability coverage Texas requires. You can verify our license directly on the TDLR website.
Most homes don't need annual inspections unless there's a reason to suspect a problem, like water damage, a roof or plumbing leak, recent flooding, or symptoms that started after moving in. The Houston climate (humid subtropical, long AC season, hurricane exposure) makes us a higher-risk market than most, so when something feels off, get it checked. Don't wait for visible mold to act.
The lab report tells us the species and concentration. From there, depending on the size of the affected area, we either write a remediation protocol for your licensed contractor to follow, or we tell you the area is small enough to handle without a formal protocol. We'll also recommend clearance testing after the work is done so you have documentation that the property is safe.
Sometimes. Many Texas homeowners policies (often HO-A) cover mold testing if it's tied to a sudden, accidental event like a burst pipe or storm damage that's already a covered claim. Ongoing leaks, gradual moisture, or general "I think there's mold" inspections are usually not covered. We can provide documentation that helps you submit a claim, but we don't bill insurance directly. Worth calling your carrier before you book.
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Mold Testing & Lab Results
The lab science side. What gets tested, how to read your report, and why MTH's outdoor baseline samples matter. Useful if you've already had an inspection or you're trying to make sense of test results from somewhere else.
A mold inspection is the on-site visit, the visual assessment, moisture mapping, and the decision about what to sample. A mold test is the lab analysis of the samples we collect during that visit. They're not separate services we sell, they're parts of the same job. Some companies advertise "free mold testing" and then charge separately for the actual inspection and lab work. We don't do that, our $550 covers the full process end to end.
Three methods. Air sampling pulls a measured volume of air through a spore trap so the lab can count spores per cubic meter. Surface sampling uses a swab or tape lift on a visible suspect area to identify what's growing. Bulk sampling takes a small piece of the contaminated material itself, typically drywall or insulation. Most inspections use air sampling plus surface sampling on visible mold. Bulk samples come into play when contractors need to know how deep into a material the contamination goes. See the full inspection process for how we use these methods together.
You can, but they don't tell you much. Most home kits use settle plates that show whether mold spores are present in the air, which is a guaranteed yes anywhere on Earth. They don't compare indoor levels to outdoor baseline, which is the actual measurement that matters. They don't identify species accurately. And they're not admissible documentation for insurance, real estate disclosure, or remediation contractors. If the result is "we found mold," the next step is still hiring a licensed inspector.
Your written lab report is ready within one business day of the inspection. A Friday inspection means results Monday. If you are under a real estate transaction deadline, let us know when you book and we will make sure the timing works.
The report identifies the mold species detected (or confirms none were elevated), the concentration of spores per cubic meter for air samples, a comparison to outdoor baseline, photo documentation of the inspection, and our written recommendations. If a remediation protocol is needed, it's a separate document. The test report is what you'd hand to your contractor, your real estate agent, or your insurance adjuster.
Mold spores are everywhere outdoors, that's normal. The only way to know if indoor levels are elevated is to compare indoor counts to outdoor counts taken on the same day at the same property. Without that baseline, "we found mold spores" doesn't mean anything because you'd find spores in any home in Houston. The outdoor sample is what makes the indoor numbers meaningful.
No, and any inspector who tells you it can is overpromising. A test can confirm what species are present and at what concentration, and you can take that information to a doctor who specializes in mold-related illness. The medical diagnosis is theirs to make, not ours. What we can do is rule mold in or out as a possible factor in your environment, which is a useful first step.
Sometimes. If the visible area is small (under 25 square feet) and you know what caused the moisture, you can usually clean it yourself or hire a contractor without testing. If the visible mold is larger, in a hidden area, or you're not sure how far the contamination spreads, testing is worth it before you start tearing into walls. Testing also matters for documentation, insurance claims, and any future remediation protocol.
Counts are reported in spores per cubic meter of air. There's no single threshold that means "dangerous" because different species are problematic at different concentrations. The comparison that matters is indoor vs outdoor on the same day. If indoor counts are similar to or lower than outdoor counts and the species mix matches, that's normal. If indoor counts are significantly higher than outdoor, or species like Stachybotrys (toxic black mold) show up indoors at any level, that's a flag. Your report will spell it out plainly.
Stachybotrys, the mold commonly called black mold, gets the most attention, but the color of mold does not reliably tell you the species or the risk. Several molds appear black, and some non-black molds are just as concerning. What matters is the species identified by the lab and whether indoor spore counts are elevated against the outdoor baseline. Stachybotrys does produce heavier spores that settle rather than staying airborne, so surface sampling often detects it more reliably than air sampling alone. If it shows up indoors at any level, your report will flag it.
Yes. All samples go to EMSL Analytical, an AIHA-LAP accredited lab that has no financial relationship to MTH. They get paid the same whether they find elevated mold or not. That independence matters because it removes any incentive to over-report results that could push you toward unnecessary remediation work.
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Mold Remediation Protocols
Texas law requires a written protocol before a remediation contractor can legally start work above 25 contiguous square feet. We write the protocol, your licensed contractor follows it, and clearance testing confirms the job. Here's how it works.
Need a remediation protocol?
Standard protocols are $750. We write the document your contractor will follow, then return to verify the work with clearance testing.
Book a protocolA mold remediation protocol is a written document that tells the remediation contractor exactly what to do, how to contain the work area, what to remove, what to clean, and what the clearance criteria will be. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 requires one any time a licensed Mold Remediation Contractor is hired, and any time the affected area is 25 contiguous square feet or more. The protocol is what makes the work legally compliant and is required to issue a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation at the end.
No. Under TDLR §295.307, the company that writes the protocol cannot also perform the remediation. Only a licensed Mold Assessment Consultant can write the protocol. We're a TDLR-licensed Mold Assessment Company (ACO1245), so we write the protocol, then a separate licensed remediation contractor performs the work.
Our standard remediation protocol is $750. That covers the on-site inspection (if not already completed), the written protocol document, and the photo documentation your contractor needs to follow the scope of work. Book a protocol or call (832) 838-9387 to confirm pricing for your specific situation.
Sometimes. Texas exempts mold contamination of less than 25 contiguous square feet from the licensed-contractor-with-protocol requirement. Property owners can also DIY their own home regardless of size. But here's the catch: if you hire a contractor to do the work and the area turns out to be 25 sq ft or more, the work has to be done under a protocol or you've got a code violation, no Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation, and a potential disclosure problem when you sell the house. The protocol cost is small insurance against a much bigger problem.
Typically 2 to 5 business days from when we complete the on-site inspection. Smaller residential projects come through faster. Larger or more complex projects take longer because we have to document containment zones, removal scope, and clearance criteria specific to the property. Rush turnarounds are sometimes possible for transaction deadlines.
A scope-of-work description, a containment plan (where the plastic barriers go, how negative air pressure is set up), what materials must be removed vs cleaned, decontamination procedures, PPE requirements for workers, the clearance criteria your contractor has to meet, and photo documentation of the affected areas. The contractor uses it as their work plan, and we use it as the benchmark when we come back for clearance testing.
Often yes, if the underlying claim is covered. If your insurance is paying for remediation, the protocol is usually folded in as part of the claim because it's required for the remediation work to be done legally. Worth asking your adjuster directly. We can provide documentation that supports the claim.
You hand it to a licensed Mold Remediation Contractor (we don't recommend specific ones, but we can tell you what to look for). The contractor follows the protocol, does the work, and notifies us when they're ready for clearance. We come back, run clearance testing, and either issue clearance or send the contractor back to fix what was missed.
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.
Yes. Texas Occupations Code §1958.154 requires sellers to provide buyers with copies of any Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation issued for the property in the previous 5 years. The TREC residential contract has matching disclosure language. This is one of the reasons doing remediation under a proper protocol matters, the CMDR documents the work was done right and protects you from later concealment claims.
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Clearance Testing
After the remediation contractor finishes, clearance testing verifies that the work was done right. Three criteria have to pass: visual, procedural, and analytical. Without clearance, no Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation can be issued.
Clearance testing is the post-remediation visit and lab work that confirms the contractor did the job correctly. You need it any time work was performed under a remediation protocol (which is required for any project 25 sq ft or larger). Without a passing clearance test, the project cannot be certified complete and you can't get a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.
Same conflict-of-interest rule that separates inspection from remediation. TDLR §295.307 requires that the company verifying the work has no financial relationship to the company that performed it. Otherwise the contractor could pass their own bad work. The third-party requirement is what makes the clearance certificate worth anything.
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 species present indoors. All three have to pass for clearance to be issued.
The contractor goes back and fixes whatever didn't pass, then we come back and re-test. We'll tell you specifically what failed and what needs to be addressed. The cost of additional clearance visits is between you and your contractor depending on how your contract is structured, but the original protocol usually anticipates one re-test if needed.
Pricing depends on the size of the project, the number of containment zones, and how many samples are needed. Call us with the details and we'll give you a specific quote.
The on-site clearance visit takes 1 to 3 hours depending on project size. Your written clearance documentation follows within one business day of the visit. Larger projects with multiple containment zones can take a little longer because each zone clears separately.
No. The CMDR can only be issued when the project was done under a written protocol AND clearance testing passed. The remediation contractor is the one who actually signs and issues the CMDR, but they can only do that based on a passing clearance test from a separate licensed assessor. No clearance, no certificate.
Typically 1 to 3 hours. The visual inspection takes longer than people expect because we have to verify every part of the work area against the protocol's scope. Air and surface samples are quicker. Larger projects with multiple containment zones take longer because each zone has to clear separately.
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.
No, and anyone who tells you that is misleading you. Clearance testing confirms the remediated area was returned to normal fungal levels at the time of testing. Mold can grow back anywhere there's moisture. What clearance gives you is documentation that the work was done correctly, the underlying moisture problem was addressed in the protocol, and the property is safe to occupy as of that date. Keep the moisture out and you're in good shape.
Still have questions? We have answers.
Independent mold inspection and testing from a TDLR-licensed Houston team. Same-day appointments often available, transparent pricing, no remediation conflict of interest.