Mold in Texas: when a license is required.

If you have mold, Texas requires a licensed team. This page covers what the State requires, so you can hire the right person.

Who regulates mold work

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) regulates mold assessment and mold remediation under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 and the Texas Mold Assessment and Remediation Rules (16 TAC Chapter 78).source [5] TDLR says it regulates only mold-related activities that affect indoor air quality.source [6] The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) advises: make sure the mold professional has a state license, and that they provide a certificate that the mold was removed.source [8]

Two different jobs

• Mold assessment is inspecting, investigating or surveying a structure to determine whether mold is present, evaluating it, writing a remediation protocol, or collecting and analyzing samples.source [6]
• Mold remediation is removing, cleaning, sanitizing, demolishing or otherwise treating mold or mold-contaminated material, including preventive work.source [6]

TDLR's rule: a license holder may not do both on the same project.source [4, 5]

The 25 square foot line

Under TDLR's FAQ, areas of visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned up by people who are not licensed.source [4] Homeowners can sample or clean mold in their own home without a license, and the rules do not require owners or occupants to clean up mold.source [5] Other exemptions exist, so check TDLR's pages for your situation.source [6]

What a licensed job looks like

• A licensed consultant writes a project-specific protocol: work areas, materials, protective equipment, containment, methods and clearance criteria. The client receives it at least one calendar day before remediation starts.source [6]
• The remediation contractor writes its own work plan that follows that protocol.source [4, 6]
• Licensees give you TDLR's Consumer Mold Information Sheet before any mold-related activity starts.source [4]
• Afterward, a consultant does a post-remediation assessment. A passed clearance report means the work succeeded.source [5]
• Within 10 days of finishing, the licensed remediator gives the property owner a signed Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.source [5, 4]

What to ask any mold company for

• Their TDLR license number, which you can look up at tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch.source [5]
• Proof of insurance. Licensees must carry at least $1 million in commercial general liability insurance or be self-insured.source [5]
• A written remediation protocol with clearance criteria agreed before work starts.source [5]
• The passed clearance report, and the signed Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.source [5]

What the State does not say

TDLR's consumer sheet states: "There are no national or state standards for a 'safe' level of mold."source [5] TDLR does not perform mold assessments or remediation itself.source [6]

Insurance and mold

TDI: most home policies don't include mold cleanup and testing after a damaged item is removed. Mold from a covered event on a damaged item is covered, and mold from gradual leaks or floods is not.source [8]

If something goes wrong

Complaints can be filed with TDLR online or by phone at 1-800-803-9202.source [5] TDLR's FAQ says to file within two years of the event described.source [4]