Texas licenses mold work through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Assessors and remediators hold separate licenses, one license holder may not both assess and remediate the same project, and the license requirement starts at 25 contiguous square feet. Drying a leak quickly lowers the chance of mold, but it does not guarantee there is none.
Key takeaways
- TDLR licenses mold assessors and remediators under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 and the Texas Mold Assessment and Remediation Rules, 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 78.
- A person generally needs no license to remediate mold that affects less than 25 contiguous square feet. That is a licensing line, not a health line.
- One license holder may not both assess and remediate the same project, so a mold job should involve two separately licensed parties, and nobody should offer you testing and removal as one package.
- EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying guideline is a guideline, not a deadline. Mold can start growing in materials that were later dried, so a dry house is not proof of a mold-free house.
- The EPA says a moldy area smaller than about 10 square feet can usually be cleaned by the homeowner, which is a separate point from the Texas license threshold.
- Ask any mold professional for a TDLR license number and check it on TDLR's license search before you sign anything.
Who regulates mold work in Texas?
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) runs mold assessor and remediator licensing under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 and 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 78. The program began under the Texas Department of Health after a 2003 law and moved to TDLR on September 1, 2017.
The statute, which the Legislature passed as House Bill 329 in 2003, says a person may not engage in mold assessment without a mold assessment license, or in mold remediation without a mold remediation license. The rules that fill in the details sit in Chapter 78 of Title 16 of the Texas Administrative Code.
The program began at the Texas Department of Health, later sat with the Department of State Health Services, and moved to TDLR under Senate Bill 202, effective September 1, 2017. If an older article names the health department as the regulator, that is why.
TDLR also says new mold legislation took effect on September 1, 2025. This guide does not describe those changes, so read TDLR's current mold pages or call the agency before you hire anyone.
What is the difference between a mold assessor and a mold remediator?
A mold assessor inspects, takes samples and writes a protocol that says what must be cleaned and how. A mold remediator carries out that cleanup. Texas licenses them separately, and one license holder may not both assess and remediate the same project, which keeps the person who finds the problem from profiting from fixing it.
Think of the assessor as the inspector and the remediator as the contractor. The assessor looks at moisture readings, visible growth and the building, then decides what the job should include. The remediator follows that plan: containing the area, removing affected material and cleaning what can be cleaned.
The separation is the point. An inspector who also sells the cleanup has a reason to find more mold than exists, and a remediator who grades his own work has a reason to call it clean. A mold project should involve two separately licensed parties, and an offer of testing and removal as one package should make you ask which license each person holds.
A water restoration crew sits in a third lane. The crew's core work is extracting water, drying the structure and monitoring moisture, which is where mold prevention actually happens. If the readings or the visible signs suggest mold, the next step is a licensed assessor and, if the protocol calls for it, a separately licensed remediator. Our mold inspection and mold remediation pages explain how those steps fit around a water job, and neither page offers a combined test-and-remove service.
| Role | What they do | License | Can also do the other role on the same project? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mold assessor | Inspects, samples, writes the protocol, reviews the result | TDLR mold assessment license | No |
| Mold remediator | Contains, removes and cleans according to the protocol | TDLR mold remediation license | No |
| Water restoration crew | Extracts water, dries the structure, tracks moisture readings | No Texas license specific to water mitigation that we could find | Not applicable |
| Plumber | Finds and fixes the leaking pipe | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners | Not applicable |
What does the 25 square foot rule mean?
Texas does not require a license to remediate mold that affects less than 25 contiguous square feet. That is a licensing threshold, not a statement that smaller patches are harmless or that larger ones are dangerous. Above the threshold, a licensed remediator is generally required, unless an exemption applies.
Contiguous means connected. Two small patches on opposite walls do not add up the way one 25-square-foot stain along a bathroom wall does. How the area is measured on a real house is a question for a licensed assessor, so do not rely on a tape measure and a guess near the line.
Do not confuse this number with the EPA's guidance. The EPA says a moldy area smaller than about 10 square feet can usually be handled by a homeowner following its cleanup guidance. Texas draws its line at 25 for licensing, and the EPA draws its line at 10 for do-it-yourself comfort. Neither number says anything about how a particular person's allergies or asthma will react.
There is also an exemption for owners: an owner working on residential property the owner owns may handle cleanup. The unit count in that exemption has been described differently across sources, and the law changed again in 2025, so this guide prints no number. A contractor cannot borrow your exemption.
- Under 25 contiguous square feet: a license is generally not required to remediate.
- 25 contiguous square feet or more: a licensed remediator is generally required.
- Owner cleaning their own home: a statutory exemption exists, and TDLR can confirm today's terms.
- EPA guidance of about 10 square feet is a separate, health-oriented rule of thumb.
Does drying a leak within 24 to 48 hours prevent mold?
Not by itself. EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold growth, but that is a guideline, not a deadline. Mold may already have started in materials that were dried, so a dry house is not proof that no mold is present, and moisture readings only tell you about moisture.
Mold needs moisture, organic material to feed on and time. Quick drying removes the first ingredient, which is why fast response matters, and it is the honest reason a water crew encourages you to call early. What it cannot do is reach back in time. If water sat behind a baseboard for a weekend before anyone noticed, growth may have begun, and a dried wall can still hold dormant or dead spores and the staining that goes with them.
Many newer homes here are slab-on-grade houses with tight envelopes. A supply-line failure behind a cabinet or inside a wall can run unseen, since no basement exists where a drip would announce itself. If a leak went unnoticed for days, assume the 24 to 48 hour window has passed and ask for an inspection instead of hoping.
Mold can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in some people, and that is as far as this page goes on health. Musty odor, discoloration on drywall or baseboard, bubbling paint and a ceiling stain that returns after drying are the signs to watch. Photograph them and ask a TDLR-licensed assessor to look.
What should a Collin County homeowner do right after a leak?
Shut off the water at the main valve if you can reach it safely, keep clear of standing water near outlets, photograph everything before it is moved, and call a restoration crew to extract and dry. If a mold concern remains afterward, hire a TDLR-licensed assessor, then a separately licensed remediator if the protocol calls for one.
The early steps keep mold from becoming a project. Stopping the water comes first. Drying has the most influence on whether you ever need an assessor: a crew can place air movers and dehumidifiers, check hidden moisture with moisture meters and thermal tools, and re-check until materials are dry. (833) 490-5225 is answered around the clock.
- Shut off the water at the main valve, and switch off power to the area only if the panel is safely reachable.
- Take photos and video of the damage before furniture and flooring are moved.
- Call your insurer early; coverage is decided by your insurer under your own policy.
- If the house is under a builder warranty, notify the builder in writing as well.
- Have the crew dry the structure and keep the moisture readings and photos.
- If anything still smells or looks wrong after drying, ask a TDLR-licensed assessor for an inspection before cleanup begins.
What do mold inspection and remediation typically cost?
Typical published ranges for DFW are about $200 to $400 for an inspection, $300 to $800 for air or surface sampling, $300 to $600 for post-remediation testing, and $1,500 to $6,000 for remediation overall. These are wide estimates confirmed on site, and they vary with how far the moisture traveled.
Price depends on the size of the area, the materials involved, access and whether containment is required. These are typical ranges from published DFW-area cost guides, a way to sanity-check a bid and not a quote. Your own estimate is confirmed on site, and a restoration estimate is explained and approved before work starts.
Inspection, testing and remediation appear as separate lines because they are separate jobs with separate license holders. A bid that rolls assessment and removal into one number from one company is worth questioning.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Mold inspection | $200 to $400 |
| Air or surface sampling | $300 to $800 |
| Post-remediation testing | $300 to $600 |
| Remediation, 10 sq ft or less | $500 to $1,500 |
| Remediation, 10 to 100 sq ft | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Remediation, over 100 sq ft | $3,500 to $6,000 or more |
| Remediation, DFW overall | $1,500 to $6,000 |
How do I hire a mold professional the right way?
Ask each professional for a TDLR license number, check it on TDLR's license search, and confirm the assessor and remediator are different license holders. TDLR also says licensed mold professionals must give you a Consumer Mold Information Sheet before work starts. Get the protocol and the estimate in writing.
Start with the license. TDLR publishes a license search, and a legitimate professional will give you a number without hesitation. Check that the name matches the company on the estimate and that the license is current for the role offered.
Ask for a written protocol from the assessor, a written scope from the remediator and a clear statement of who does the final check. If one company writes the protocol and does the removal, that is the situation Texas rules are designed to prevent.
Finally, bring in your other stakeholders. If a leak behind a wall started the mold, a plumber has to fix the pipe or the problem returns. If your home is still under a builder warranty, the builder should hear about it in writing. If a policy might respond, your insurer should hear about it early. The water damage insurance claims guide and the new home builder warranty guide cover those conversations.
Why do new-build homes in Celina and Prosper still get mold?
New homes are built tight and often sit closed up, so a slow leak from a supply line, water heater, appliance or air conditioner drain can wet drywall and cabinets for days before anyone notices. Newer does not mean immune. Moisture, not age, is what mold needs, and hidden leaks supply it.
Most housing around Celina, Light Farms, Windsong Ranch and Trinity Falls is recent and slab-on-grade. A typical new-build call is a supply line, water heater, appliance hose, irrigation break or air conditioner condensate overflow, a general pattern and not a statistic. Summer air conditioners run for months, and a clogged attic condensate line can drip into a ceiling for a long time.
For leaks that end up near the roof, see our guide to hail, storms and roof leaks in Collin County. For drying itself, the structural drying page explains how moisture is tracked until materials reach their goal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license to clean mold in my own house in Texas?
An owner working on their own home is generally exempt from the licensing requirement, and a small area under 25 contiguous square feet needs no license either. The EPA suggests homeowners handle only areas under about 10 square feet. For bigger or recurring mold, hire licensed professionals.
Can one company test for mold and remove it in Texas?
Not as the same license holder on the same project. Texas rules keep mold assessment and mold remediation separate, so one license holder may not do both for one project. If a company advertises testing and removal as a single package, ask who holds each license.
If my floors are dry after a leak, can I rule out mold?
No. Dry surfaces tell you the moisture is gone, not that growth never started. EPA's 24 to 48 hour figure is a guideline, and mold may have begun before drying finished. Ask for an inspection if you notice odor, staining or a ceiling mark that returns.
How do I check a mold professional's license?
Ask for the TDLR license number and look it up on TDLR's license search. Confirm the name, the license type and that it is current. TDLR also says licensed professionals must provide a Consumer Mold Information Sheet before work begins.
Does my homeowners policy cover mold?
It depends on your policy and on the cause of the moisture. Coverage is decided by your insurer, and mold limits or exclusions are common in policy language. Read the policy, ask your agent, and report the leak early rather than waiting to see whether mold appears.
Sources
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – Mold Assessors and Remediators
- Texas Legislature Online – H.B. No. 329, 78th Legislature (2003)
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 – Mold Assessors and Remediators
- U.S. EPA – Mold Cleanup in Your Home
- U.S. EPA – A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
This guide is general information for Collin County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.