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. Here’s what you need to know about hiring professional mold inspectors and remediation companies.Hire a Mold Inspector FirstIf 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. They’ll 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 you’re hiring a true professional:Qualified inspectors should have an undergraduate (at least) degree in a science or engineering field and have completed industry-approved coursework in mold investigation, preferably from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or the American Council for Accredited Certification (formerly the American Indoor Air Quality Council).

They should bear respected industry credentials, such as CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) or CIEC (Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant).hunter air purifier 2 packThey should work independently of a mold remediation company (reputable remediation companies hire a third-party inspector) and shouldn’t sell mold-related products.central air purifiers homeThey should provide a customized report that includes lab results of air or surface samples taken.air purifier reviews consumer ratingsThey shouldn’t hype one species of mold as more dangerous than another.They should tell you whether a mold problem has a DIY solution, or whether you must hire a professional mold remediation expert.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.Ins and Outs of Air SamplingAnalyzing air samples isn’t cheap and, depending on the lab used, can cost $30 to $150 for each sample. Some inspectors roll sampling into their base price; 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 can’t actually see it, samples can confirm your suspicions. Also, sampling typically is used after cleanup to verify success.Ask inspectors to explain why they’re taking samples and what hypothesis they’re 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: Don’t even think about diagnosing your mold problems with a home testing kit.

They’ll probably reveal some mold, but only because spores are always flying through the air. These kits can’t:Guarantee a statistically significant sample of air.Confirm the presence of dead mold spores (which also cause health problems).Determine baseline levels of mold in your home in order to compare results with other non-mold-infected areas.What A Mold Remediation Professional Will DoMold remediation companies will clean up your mold in a few days if just some washing and removing carpet is involved, or in a few weeks if demolition and rebuilding is required.Generally, the cleanup process entails:Removing water-damaged, mold-infested materials.Cleaning and disinfecting walls, carpet, and personal items.Removing drywall and studs if mold damage is extensive.Vacuuming with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration.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:$500 to $4,000 to remove mold from crawlspaces only.$2,000 to $6,000 to remove mold from ducts, crawl spaces, walls, and attics.$10,000 to $30,000 (or more) to repair widespread structural damage.“Mold remediation isn’t about ‘kill, kill, kill,’” says Wane A. Baker, a Wisconsin mold investigator. “Even dead mold can still be allergenic.”Does Insurance Cover Mold Remediation?Don’t presume your homeowners insurance 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.Related:Homeowners Insurance: Is Mold Covered?5 Unexpected Places Mold Can Grow in Your HomeWritten by: L.A. LorekOrganization: Express-News Business Writer The monthly mail flier advertising a $99 all-house air duct cleaning service sounded like a good deal to retiree Mary Rees. 

But it ended up costing her a lot of grief and $600 for mold contamination cleanup that didn't work - and another $3,725 in an insurance claim to USAA to repair her 2,600-square-foot house's duct work. "This just came as a total surprise," Rees said. In April, she contacted CMT Air Duct Cleaning to clean her duct system, but after the four-man crew had been in her house just 10 minutes, they told her the entire duct system was totally infested with mold. Instead of the $99 price they quoted her, it would cost $600 to clean the ducts, eradicate the mold and treat her air duct system with anti-bacterial supplies. Rees agreed to the treatment. After the crew left, her house started to smell musty, so she called USAA, her insurance company. They sent an agent to her house who said the Reeses had a fiberglass - not metal - duct system. Fiberglass cannot be treated with chemicals and brushes. The entire duct system was ruined and it needed to be replaced at a cost of $3,725.

During the past two years, consumers have filed 11 complaints with the Texas attorney general's office against CMT Air Duct Cleaning. The company started out as a carpet cleaning service and then branched out into the air duct cleaning business. It has crews in San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas. "That's not a lot of complaints compared to the volume of business we do," said Joel Leon, manager of CMT Air Duct Cleaning. "We're a big company and sometimes things happen. But the percentage is very low." Leon, in CMT's Richardson headquarters, said Rees got a full treatment for mold including four kinds of chemicals. The company offered to send another crew to do the job again, Leon said, but Rees refused. "We're not giving bad service," Leon said. "We do more than 1,000 houses a month in San Antonio. If we damage ducts, we replace them." But Rees plans to take CMT to small claims court for $600 plus her $250 insurance deductible and court costs. Rees also says she doesn't want anyone else to get the kind of treatment she received.

"I'm mad," Rees said. "It's eating at me and I want to settle this thing." Air duct cleaning is a relatively new field. The Environmental Protection Agency has created a 12-page publication on the subject after it received a lot of calls from consumers wanting information, an agency spokesman said. The EPA advises consumers it is probably not necessary to clean their air ducts if no one in the household suffers from allergies, unexplained symptoms or illnesses, or if the air ducts are not contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold. "If a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems," according to the EPA. "A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements." The National Air Duct Cleaners Association, based in Washington, D.C., certifies companies that pass its testing and membership requirements.