Mold Remediation Cost | Eliminating Mold in Household

When you find mold growing in your home, sound the alarm and get rid of it fast. Delay can mean extensive and costly remediation and repairs. On average, professional mold remediation costs $500 to $6,000 -- but the price can soar into the tens of thousands if the problem is severe.

Heres what you need to know about hiring professional mold inspectors and remediation companies.

If you find mold growing on drywall, trim, or unfinished wood surfaces, and especially if the affected area is more than 10 square feet, hire a mold investigator to discover the root and extent of the problem. Theyll also be able to direct you to a reliable mold remediation company. Reputable companies work with third-party inspectors instead of doing the inspection themselves.

But be sure to check credentials when hiring an inspector. The mold industry is largely unregulated, but there are guidelines to help you know when youre hiring a true professional:

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Expect to spend $200 to $600 for a site visit from a qualified inspector, which will take 2 to 5 hours. The inspector will take air samples and may open up walls to find mold.

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Analyzing air samples isnt cheap and, depending on the lab used, can cost $30 to $150 for each sample. Some inspectors roll sampling into their base price; others dont. So make sure you ask.

Not every mold issue requires sampling. If you can see mold, sampling is necessary only if you must identify the actual mold species for medical or legal reasons. However, if you think mold is present but cant actually see it, samples can confirm your suspicions. Also, sampling typically is used after cleanup to verify success.

Ask inspectors to explain why theyre taking samples and what hypothesis theyre trying to confirm.

If the cleanup is simple enough to perform yourself, a mold inspector can advise you on procedures, protective equipment, and tools. The inspector should also be able to pinpoint the moisture issue that led to the mold problem so that you can correct it.

Warning:Dont even think about diagnosing your mold problems with a home testing kit. They dont work. Theyll probably reveal some mold, but only because spores are always flying through the air. These kits cant:

Mold remediation companies will clean up your mold in a few days if just some washing and removing carpetisinvolved, or in a few weeks if demolition and rebuildingisrequired.

Generally, the cleanup process entails:

If mold infestation is severe and you are mold-sensitive, you may have to live elsewhere during cleanup.

Remediation costs vary depending on how much and where mold exists. Figure on:

Mold remediation isnt about 'kill,kill,kill,' says Wane A. Baker, a Wisconsin mold investigator. Even dead mold can still be allergenic.

Dont presume yourhomeownersinsurance will pay to fix your mold problems. Insurance typically pays if the problem results from an emergency already covered on your policy, like a burst pipe, but not if mold resulted from deferred maintenance, persistent moisture or seepage, or from floodwaters (unless you have flood insurance).

Check with your insurance agent to see if your particular mold problem is covered.

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Mold Remediation Cost | Eliminating Mold in Household