Don’t be alarmed if an estimate seems confusing. The estimators come into your home, take all kinds of measurements and make fancy floor plan drawings that even the best architect would be envious of. What does it mean?
You look at the drawing, the square footage, and the you may think these are the areas with mold. No. that’s just a fancy floor plan of the house! There’s no way to tell from a drawing how much actual mold is.
If things seems too complicated it’s time to ask questions, like why are some of the things they are doing necessary - others are not.
Read the Narrative
Consider the following example of a house that got flooded when a pipe broke in the winter.
On the first page they discussed three separate air-lock chambers they were proposing to set up to get into the house. It was like in the movie, E.T. Having heard that mold is everywhere (including outside) the remediator wanted to prevent outdoor air from getting into the house.
The company chosen by the client’s attorney because, “They do government work”. After two conference calls and several meetings the contractor didn’t understand why three air locks were unnecessary.
In a similar scenario, reading through the narrative that explained the steps the remediation company was going to take to remediate the mold I noticed what I thought was an error: They were proposing to use the HEPA negative air scrubber after the moldy drywall was removed.
What should NOT be in the estimate
- Antimicrobials, sealants, stain removers, ozone, fogging, bleach (If so I hope it’s them saying bleach will not be used. Unfortunately some mold inspectors still recommend bleach), or sealants of any kind.
Is there a guarantee?
What will happen if the mold remediator’s work does not pass the mold test afterwards? Who pays for the mold inspector if he has to come back twice?
Are they making you sign a general release form? The only time they should ask you sign a release is when you refuse to have testing done afterwards. Assuming you can find a good mold inspector, testing is well worth the money spent (and if you find a bad or under insured mold inspector a waste of money). The liability will be shifted to the mold tester.
Beware of: “Once we are finished, the home that was treated will pass a mold test”.
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About the Author: Daniel Stih (danielstih.com) is a board-certified ACAC Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) and Certified Microbial Consultant (CMC), aerospace engineer and the author of 12 books. For more than 25 years, he has investigated complex problems spanning environmental health, engineering, technology, and human decision-making.This article is based on thousands of building investigations, laboratory testing, and years of consulting with homeowners, physicians, and businesses. Learn more: Why I Think This Way. If you have questions about mold remediation.