Mold removal can be costly depending on the severity of the mold infestation. Sometimes, mold growth on the outside of doors and windows can be minimal, while other times it can cover entire surfaces and require a professional mold remediation service.
The average cost of a mold remediation project depends on several factors. Because mold grows and spreads, it can get worse before it gets better. Areas that were once dry may now have fungus or other growth, such as attic mold or basement mold. The type of material your home is made of can also impact how quickly mold appears and how much it costs to get rid of mold.
Removing mold from your home or business is never cheap. Whether you’re attempting DIY mold removal or hiring professionals, it’s not a project that’s easy to do. There are many moving parts, and damage can occur during the mold remediation process if not handled carefully. This article outlines how much a full-service mold remediation service may cost, including any additional cost factors to consider.
Professional mold removal is a fact of life for most homeowners and businesses dealing with a mold issue. However, not all mold removal companies are established experts. The best way to ensure quality results is to do your homework before hiring a mold remediation company. This way, you can be sure to get results tailored to your needs and budget.
What Is the Average Mold Removal Cost?
How much does mold removal cost? For homeowners, factors such as homeowners’ insurance and the state of your home play a significant role in determining the cost of mold removal. Depending on the extent of mold and the services required, mold remediation costs vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars. For instance, removing less than 10 square feet of mold might be more affordable, but if extensive mold has spread throughout the property, the cost to remove mold will certainly increase.
One thing is for sure: removing mold from your home or business is a lot cheaper than dealing with the health risks and property damage associated with its presence. Mold remediation can be expensive, but it’s a necessary step to protect your health and property.
The mold removal cost for your property can vary, a lot. But at its core, pricing comes down to 4 factors:
- Quantity of Mold: This is fairly self-explanatory, but it’s good to understand you could end up paying more or less depending on how much area or # of rooms the mold covers.
- Visible Mold Growth: Visible mold growth is easier to remediate because a lower testing threshold is required.
- Type of Mold: Toxic black mold comes with more risks and requires a deeper cleaning to be sure it’s gone. This is largely due to the increased health effects from it. The most commonly felt symptoms of black mold exposure are headaches, chronic fatigue, sinus infections, and asthma.
- Location of the Mold: The part of the property the mold is located matters because of how difficult it can be to access it and the possibility of extra construction or insulation work.
Note: Mold remediation costs shown in this article are estimates
Cleaning the contaminated areas might cost anywhere from $1 to $9 per cubic foot. Scraping the mold from the surface can cost as much as $1.25 per square foot. HEPA vacuums also cost roughly 90 cents per square foot. The cost of encapsulation varies between $5 and $79 per cubic foot.
Sometimes mold can be removed by buying chemicals that fight the growth of mold. Other times, mold needs to be removed surgically using specialized equipment. The cost of mold remediation depends on where you live and how skilled a mold removal specialist you need (individuals vary widely in skill and experience).
Assuming you need an inspection, removal, and remediation for your mold problem, your quote will have a broad range. Mold remediation companies all present different quotes for mold removal costs. The price of mold remediation can start at as low as $500 and go up to $10,000. It all depends on what additional services are required – such as air duct cleaning or major construction.
Mold Inspection, Mold Removal & Mold Remediation Services
Having the right mold removal company will help you remove the mold without causing more harm to your health. This is why I wanted to provide an extensive list of what mold removal costs will cover. The cost of removing any mold from your home or office does not include any labor or materials that are needed to clean up the area as this is typically done after the mold has been removed.
There are 2 key processes that help find mold spores:
Air Sampling – Air sampling is an easy way to determine where and how much mold is present. The technique works by placing a neutral-colored air sample over the affected area one week prior to examination. Next, examine the sample using a light microscope to look for visible growths or color changes that might indicate mold damage. It should be noted that because they don’t ensure a statistically significant sample of air or establish the presence of dead mold spores, home testing for children frequently fails.
Surface Samples – Mold surface testing involves collecting samples from domestic surfaces in order to determine the amount of mold growth and spores present in the residence. Swabbing, tape lifting, or other procedures are used to obtain mold samples for surface testing. The number of mold spores in the samples is then measured in a laboratory.
To get a mold remediation company to come to check out your mold problem, you are likely looking at costs of approximately $600, although this will obviously vary based on the testing methods and the number of rooms requiring inspection.
If you’ve built a home or business and are looking to remove mold from cracks, joints, or other areas where mold can exist, this article will lay out the process for you so you know how much it will cost to have these services done.
Because of the additional work required to eliminate the mold and avoid future problems, attic remediation expenses are often greater. The cost of repairing or replacing insulation begins at $45 per square foot. Repairs will cost at least $200, depending on the extent of the roofing concerns.
Mold growth in basements is usually caused by leaks or flooding, which introduces moisture into the house through the foundation or floor. Basements have a similar difficulty to attics in that they may require foundation sealing. This will set you back between $2,000 and $6,000.
Mold can easily take over crawl spaces due to many spaces being neglected over long periods of time. Mold remediation charges in this area are estimated to range from $500 to $1,500. As we previously mentioned, encapsulation of the area may be necessary, and this your mold remediation cost could be between $3,000 and $8,000.
You’ve got a problem on your hands if you have mold in your furnace, air conditioner, or ducts. Spores could be dispersed throughout your house by these systems, resulting in mold growth in all corners. Your professional cost may go up significantly if your mold problem has gotten to the HVAC units. Mold removal from your HVAC system might cost up to $8,000.
Finally, if structural elements like studs or rafters have rotted due to mold, restoration may cost as high as $10,000. This will vary based on the materials and construction of your home.
Does Your Insurance Policy Cover Mold Removal?
Insurance typically pays for mold removal in the case of an emergency that causes damage to your property, but not if the problem was caused by a condition that existed before you bought your home. The mold may have been caused by anything covered by your insurance, in which case the mold removal may also be reimbursed.
This becomes more important if it is determined by a licensed engineer that you need the work done before your house is sold or transferred and the new owner takes possession of it. However, if you’re trying to prevent mold growth, this is likely not covered by insurers.
How Do You Prevent Mold Growth?
The first line of defense against mold growth is to prevent it from happening in the first place. One of the best prevention measures for mold growth is avoiding high-moisture areas in your home. The first thing you should do is make sure you have the right ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, and any other area that could be a breeding ground for mold.
To prevent mold growth in your home, keep indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent. You can measure humidity with a moisture meter purchased from your local hardware store.
Finally, fixing leaky pipes and using exhaust fans are two other important ways you can prevent mold growth.
For additional information, check out our Guide to Mold-Free Living in Your Home.
Moisture Master Pros: Your Mold Removal Experts
At Moisture Master Pros LLC, we offer every mold remediation service under the sun, as well as several extra ones that you will find extremely useful.
- Thermal Imaging – We use state-of-the-art technology that uses thermal imaging equipment to assess the type and degree of mold growth in your home or business.
- Saturation Testing – We’ll use saturation testing to find areas on your property that have hidden mold that could come back if we don’t eliminate it now.
- Drone Inspections – A drone can spot trouble spots that could lead to leaks and water damage. Roofing concerns such as missing or damaged shingles, chipped tiles, or rusted or missing flashing may be discovered by the inspector. Moisture Master Pros has a drone testing team that specializes in this.
If you have additional questions about what we do, don’t hesitate to reach out. Mold spores thrive on neglect and we want to make sure we solve your problem as soon as we can.
Hire a Mold Remediation Specialist Today
As you now know, there are a lot of different types of mold and each kind can have different kinds of health risks. Additionally, some molds are more difficult to get rid of than others.
If you want to remove mold spores, a professional mold removal company with experience in this area should perform this. A single removal service cost could range from a few hundred dollars for small spots, up to several thousand dollars for larger cleanup jobs.
Removing mold from your home or business is not cheap. Several companies will quote you for one-time removal of mold — after which you will have to hire them again to finish removing the remaining mold deposits. If these deposits represent growing problems that are not responding to treatment, the price could indeed increase significantly over time — possibly by many hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Whatever your plan is for mold remediation in your home or business, it is important to understand the present state of the job –and your expectations of future results—before embarking on an expensive process.
If you’re wondering how much mold remediation will cost you in Philadelphia, PA, we hope you found the information in this post helpful. If you have further questions, reach out to Moisture Master Pros for a consultation. We’ll give you a quote on inspection and figure out the next step to keeping you, your family, or your employees safe.
