# How to choose a mold remediation company in Houston Source: https://thehoustonhomeowner.com/trades/mold-remediation Publisher: The Houston Homeowner (https://thehoustonhomeowner.com) > For mold covering more than 25 contiguous square feet in Texas, hire a TDLR-licensed mold assessor to write the protocol and a separate TDLR-licensed remediation contractor to do the work, and do not pay the final invoice until you have the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation. ## License Texas licenses mold assessment consultants and mold remediation contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. On any project affecting more than 25 contiguous square feet, the assessor who writes the protocol and clears the job cannot be the same person or company as the remediator who does the work. Look both licenses up on the TDLR website. Verify at: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/ (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation) Permits: No city permit applies to the mold work itself. If the remediation opens walls or removes materials that must be rebuilt, the rebuild may need a City of Houston permit and licensed trades. Confirm with the Houston Permitting Center for structural, plumbing or electrical work. ## Walk away if - One company offers to test, remediate and clear the job. Texas law requires separate assessor and remediator on jobs over 25 square feet. - They cannot show a TDLR mold license for the company and for the people on site. - They quote remediation without a written protocol from a licensed assessor. - They promise to kill mold with a fogger or spray and leave the wet drywall in place. - They will not say what happens if the post-remediation assessment fails. - They pressure you with health scares to sign the same day. ## Ask before you hire - What is your TDLR license number, and is it an assessment or remediation license? - Who will write the remediation protocol, and are they independent of your company? - How will you contain the work area and handle the air during removal? - What is the plan for the moisture source, since mold comes back if the water does? - Who does the clearance testing, and when do I receive the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation? ## Houston specifics Houston is humid most of the year, and that humidity is why mold is a routine problem here rather than a rare one. The common sources are roof leaks, slab plumbing leaks, air conditioning condensate, bathroom fans that vent into the attic, and ductwork sweating in a hot attic. The remediation only holds if the moisture source is fixed, so ask every company what caused the water before you ask what they will do about the mold. After a flood, the rules still apply. Floodwater in drywall becomes mold within days, and the companies that show up after a storm are not all licensed. A storm does not suspend the TDLR licensing rule or the 25 square foot threshold. If you file an insurance claim, the written protocol and the certificate at the end are what the adjuster will want to see. The process in Texas runs in a fixed order. A licensed assessor inspects, often samples, and writes a remediation protocol. The remediator must notify TDLR before starting a job over the threshold, then follows the protocol with containment and air filtration. The assessor comes back for a post-remediation assessment. If it passes, both sign the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation. That order is the law, and a company that wants to skip a step is asking you to give up the paper trail. ## Reading a mold remediation bid A complete bid references the assessor's protocol by date, lists each room and the square footage of material to be removed, describes the containment and negative air setup, says which materials are removed versus cleaned, states how the debris leaves the house, includes the moisture-source repair or names who is doing it, excludes or includes the rebuild of drywall and finishes, and states that a post-remediation assessment by the independent assessor is the condition for final payment. A bid that promises to treat mold without removing wet material is not a remediation bid. ## Frequently asked **Does a mold company in Texas need a license?** Yes, for any project affecting more than 25 contiguous square feet. Texas licenses mold assessors and mold remediators separately through TDLR, and the two roles must be filled by different companies on the same job. **Why do I need two companies for mold in Texas?** Texas built a conflict-of-interest rule into the mold law. The assessor who decides how much mold there is and whether it is gone cannot be the company that gets paid to remove it. The assessor writes the protocol, the remediator follows it, and the assessor tests afterward. **What is a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation?** It is a Texas form signed by the licensed assessor and the licensed remediator after a successful post-remediation assessment. Keep it. When you sell the house, it is the document that shows the mold was handled properly. --- The Houston Homeowner is an independent publication. We do not accept payment for placement, rankings, or reviews, and no home service company owns or sponsors this site.