For those mold removal projects that you can’t tackle yourself safely and effectively, hiring a qualified mold removal professional is essential.
Hiring a Mold Remediation Contractor for Your Home
Here are some solid steps to help you select the best mold removal contractor:
1) Define the work to be completed: Before getting serious about quotes from a contractor, establish the scope of work to be done. For example, do you want the contractor to just remove the mold, or do you want him/her to also solve the underlying moisture problem that is causing the mold? Whether you are doing part of it yourself or not, remember that solving the underlying moisture problem is critical; otherwise, you are likely to be calling the contractor again later to remove more mold.
This step is important so that you can get multiple quotes from contractors based on the same job.
If you are having a difficult time defining the work that needs to be done, and you don’t know anybody knowledgeable enough to help you out, here is a sure method to get you the guidance you need:
Use separate contractors for defining the work and the actual work. For example, call a contractor in to take a look at the situation and give you a description of the work to be done, telling him/her up front that you will not be hiring him for the actual clean up. You just want a consultation.
This removes the contractor’s conflict of interest of telling you what needs, knowing that they are going to get all the business that he/she just recommended.
This may cost a little extra for the consultation, but for the piece of mind that you are getting an honest opinion with no self-interest attached, it will be well worth it.
2) Inviting contractors to place a quote. Once you are comfortable with the job that needs to be accomplished, type up an outline of the tasks. For example, a basic scope of work might be like this:
- Apply detergent or bleach product to mold area, scrub mold from surface
- Disinfect and wipe down all exposed surfaces in the work area.
- Repair leaky faucet and pipes near the sink.
- Properly dry work area.
- Clean up area
- All work to be completed in same day
- Make a follow-up inspection in 14 days to ensure problem is resolved. Area should be free of moisture, mold, and mold odor.
- Along with quote, submit 3 references from previous customers
- Along with quote, submit proof of insurance document
Once you have the outline, you are ready to circulate it to the various contractors in your area. If you want some assistance in locating a contractor in your area, you can try our contractor search page.
Create an outline of the work you want completed to help you get fair and accurate quotes from mold removal specialists.
So with your outline, you can call up the contractor and ask if they would be willing to give you a quote based on the work needed. They will likely want to stop out and assess the problem themselves, which is fine. If you followed step one above, you will already have a non-biased opinion on the scope of work, and will be able to detect if the contractor is trying to upsell you on non-needed tasks.
At this point, go ahead and give the contractor your outline of what you think needs to be done. The contractor may have a different opinion on what should be done, and at this point you will need to use your best judgment whether to go along with him/her or to stick to your scope. Remember if you change your scope of work, you will want to make sure the other contractors quote you on the same thing.
Go ahead and tell the contractor that you are gathering multiple quotes on the same work, and then ask him/her to submit their quote in writing.
3) Selecting the Contractor. Once you’ve sized up the contractors and have received their quotes, it time to choose. Whenever you are having somebody work on your home, you want to make sure you select the best contractor for the price. There are volumes of home repair horror stories from folks who just went for the lowest price. Here are some things to be mindful of when making your selection:
Call the references to see what they say about the contractor.- Check other 3rd-party endorsements, such as the Better Business Bureau to see if they have any information on the contractor.
- Check to see what warranty, if any, is provided with the work.
- Did they submit proof of insurance?
- Does the quote cover all of the tasks?
- A down payment may be required, but do not pay for the whole job up-front.
Once you are comfortable with your selection, call up the contractor and notify them you want them to do the work.
These three steps will help give you a reasonable assurance that you have selected the right contractor to remove mold in your home.
I found some mold in one of my bathroom walls and it scared me. I don’t know how harmful it is yet. I am having an expert come and check it out for me.
Cynthia | http://www.charlotterestorationnc.com/?page=services
I have mold all over my manufacture home , black mold , white mold that looks like snow , which ive removed with a bleach solution that I bought , I try to spray the solution as often as I can. I do not know how expensive it is to permanently remove it , can you guys please give me a quote , I got 3 kids and need to do something asap , thanks
Dulce Amor, sorry to hear about your mold problem. If you have material that absorbs water, such as wood or drywall, you may have to remove those areas if you can not dry it out and keep it dry. Check out our top ten facts page to get a quick understanding of what might be causing the mold: https://removemoldguide.com/what-you-should-know/ . We do not provide quotes or mold removal service. We do, however, provide excellent knowledge to our website users. I don’t know where you live, but if you search online for mold remediation quotes then you can find contractors in your area. You can check out http://www.servpro.com as a starting point. We aren’t endorsing them, but they are a nation-wide brand so you could start there. Good luck.
Interesting article mold is sneaky and need to get rid of it as soon as possible so it doesn’t come back. It is important to hire a good contractor so you can get the job right the first time.
I have popcorn ceilings and have noticed what I thought was dust coming out of the vents so I would vacuum it off but this morning I noticed that out of one of the vents upstairs, there’s a huge amount of black mold coming out and sticking to the popcorn on my ceiling. This is alarming to me and i imagine it’s been building up for a while to be so black like that. It’s Sunday and I live in FL so it’s impossible to not run the AC today. First thing tomorrow I will call my AC man but can you tell me what the process is for removal in my 2 story home?
a black dust like is showing outside a couple of the A/C vents, and I have found it randomly in some shoes, clothes and some furniture…who should I call to check it out?
I like that you recommended calling the references of the mold removal contractor that you’re interested in to get an idea of what others have to say about them. At the moment, I’m looking for a mold removal contractor that can help me to remove the growth of mold in one of my properties. My goal is to ensure a quality service, so I only want to hire a mold removal contractor that has good reviews and satisfied clients in the past.
Most mold removal and remediation companies offer a free on-site mold inspection, we, GTA Restoration, offer this in Toronto & the GTA. When the contractor shows ups he should be testing both the air quality, there is an instrument for that, to detect mold spores and also use the infared scan to look for hidden moisture. Also, having IICRC certification is another thing to look when hiring a contractor.
You got me when you said that you should consider calling the references of a mold removal contractor so you can have an idea what they have to say about them. I will share this with my mom because she wants to hire a mold remediation contractor. Her house has a damp smell due to the mold spores. She said that the damp smell in her house started when her house got flooded a few months ago.
let’s say it this way if u get mold and gets into the house u are in trouble u can,t get rid of mold and its deadly they have to have guys who combine and tear the whole down and burn it all they use the whites suits also