Moisture mapping after a leak, and a plain explanation of Texas mold assessment licensing before you hire anyone.
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A mold inspection, called a mold assessment in Texas, is done by a TDLR-licensed assessor who looks for mold and moisture sources and writes a plan. Remediation is a separate licensed job, and the same licence holder may not do both on one project. A restoration crew can map moisture with meters, but that is not a mold assessment.
Mold needs moisture, food and time. A leak behind a wall, under a cabinet or in an attic can supply all three before anyone notices. If you can see or smell mold after a leak, the first question is where the moisture is coming from, because cleaning a surface while the wall behind it stays wet only delays the problem.
Texas treats mold work as licensed work, and it splits the job in two. A mold assessor inspects, samples and writes the plan. A mold remediator carries out the removal. The state's Department of Licensing and Regulation, known as TDLR, licenses both under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958. This page explains how an inspection works, what a restoration crew's moisture mapping can and cannot tell you, and how to check a licence.
Celina Water Damage Restoration is a call line that connects callers with a local restoration company for water removal and drying. It does not offer mold testing and mold removal as a package, and no page on this site should be read that way. If mold is suspected, you will be pointed to the licensed assessment step first, and the mold remediation page explains the separate removal step.
Do not disturb or sand visible mold, and do not run a fan across it, because that spreads spores through the house. If you have breathing problems, keep away from the area and ask your doctor about symptoms.
A plumber, roofer or HVAC technician fixes the source. If the water is still active, no mold plan will hold.
A restoration crew can use moisture meters and thermal tools to show which walls, floors and ceilings are still wet. This guides drying, and it is not a mold test.
For a mold assessment, find a person or company licensed by TDLR as a mold assessor. Ask for the licence number and check it in TDLR's licence search.
The assessor inspects, may take air or surface samples, and writes a protocol that says what to remove, what to clean and what clearance means.
If the protocol calls for removal and the affected area is large enough to need a licence, a different licensed company does the remediation, not the assessor.
After remediation, the assessor checks the work against the protocol. Keep the Consumer Mold Information Sheet and every report with your home records.
These figures are what a licensed assessor might charge, not what a restoration crew charges. Prices depend on the size of the home, the number of samples and the lab, and some assessors charge a flat fee for a visit.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Mold inspection (licensed assessor visit) | $200–$400 | Visual check and moisture readings |
| Mold air or surface sampling | $300–$800 | Depends on the number of samples and lab fees |
| Post-remediation mold testing | $300–$600 | Done by an assessor, separate from the remediator |
| Drying and dehumidifying after a leak | $700–$2,000 | A restoration crew's equipment and monitoring, quoted separately |
These are typical ranges for Collin County in 2026, confirmed on site before any work starts. A mold assessment and a mold remediation are quoted by different licensed companies.
In Texas, a person who performs mold assessment must hold a mold assessment licence from TDLR, unless exempt. An owner working on their own home is generally exempt from the licence requirement. A licensed assessor must provide a Consumer Mold Information Sheet before work starts, and licence numbers can be checked in TDLR's search.
The licensing comes from Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 and the Texas Mold Assessment and Remediation Rules in the Texas Administrative Code. TDLR took over the programme from the Department of State Health Services in 2017. New mold legislation took effect on September 1, 2025, and this page does not describe what changed. Check TDLR for the current rules.
A restoration crew that takes moisture readings is not doing a mold assessment, and it should not present those readings as one. If a company offers to test for mold, ask for its TDLR licence number and the licence type before you agree to anything.
Texas rules keep the two roles apart so the person judging the problem is not paid to fix it. A licence holder may not both assess and remediate the same project. The assessor writes the protocol and checks the result, and a separate remediator does the removal.
This rule protects you as a customer. An assessor with no stake in the removal has no reason to inflate the scope, and a remediator working to a written protocol has a clear target. It also means no single company can sell you a one-stop test-and-remove package on the same project, and Celina Water Damage Restoration does not offer one.
If a company promises both inspection and removal on the same house, ask which licences it holds and who will do each part. Then confirm with TDLR before signing.
Not automatically. If a leak was dried promptly and nothing smells or looks wrong, an inspection may not be needed. The EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying window is a guideline, not a deadline, and mold may have started to grow inside materials that later dried. Visible growth, a musty smell or a long-wet area is a good reason to call an assessor.
Drying fast limits mold, but it does not prove there is none. Drywall that stayed wet for several days, then dried, can still hold growth inside the wall. Insulation, baseboards and the underside of flooring are common places.
The EPA says a moldy area under about 10 square feet can usually be cleaned by a homeowner, and Texas does not require a licence to remediate an area under 25 contiguous square feet. Those are two different thresholds, one about homeowner cleaning and one about licensing. Neither tells you how much moisture is in the wall behind it.
Most mold in a newer home traces to a hidden, unnoticed leak, not age. A closed, tightly sealed house traps moisture from a slow supply-line, water-heater or AC condensate leak, and drywall, wood and insulation can stay damp for weeks. Moisture mapping after the leak is how a crew tries to catch it early.
Newer slab-on-grade homes in Celina, Light Farms and Windsong Ranch are built tight and run air conditioning for months in summer. A leak in an attic or wall cavity may not show for a long time, and a slab leak can wet a floor from below. A typical new-build call is a hidden leak first and mold second, though that is a general pattern, not a statistic.
If the home is still under a builder's written warranty, tell the builder about the water and the mold concern in writing as well as calling your insurer. Texas law sets minimum written-warranty terms for builders who rely on them, and your own builder's document is the one that applies.
Most inspections start with looking and measuring. A visual check finds staining and visible growth, and a moisture meter or thermal camera shows where a wall is wetter than it looks. This is useful on its own after a leak because it shows where drying has to continue.
Samples show which spore types are present and whether indoor air differs from outdoor air. They are a tool for an assessor to interpret, not a pass-or-fail grade for the house. Results mean little without a visual inspection and moisture findings to go with them.
After removal, a licensed assessor checks that the work followed the written protocol. Under Texas rules it is not the same licence holder who did the remediation, so the check is independent of whoever did the work.
On a water loss, the drying crew's readings over several days are the early warning. They cannot say whether mold is present, but they show whether a wall is drying or still holding water, which is the condition mold needs.
Around Celina, most homes are newer, but the oldest buildings in Downtown Celina and Historic Downtown McKinney are brick and older framing. Older materials may hide old leaks, and they may also contain asbestos or lead paint. Ask before cutting into any wall.
North Texas summers run air conditioners for months, and attic units with a clogged drain line can overflow into a ceiling. A damp ceiling in July is a common starting point for a later mold question.
TDLR's licence search is public. Texas also expects licensed mold professionals to carry insurance, so ask for proof when you choose an assessor, and use the licence number rather than a company name when you look one up.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what mold inspection should cost.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
What mold removal involves in a sealed new home, and what Texas licensing means before you hire a remediator.
Air movers, dehumidifiers and daily moisture readings that dry walls, cabinets and floors after the water is removed.
Water removal, monitored drying and cleanup for slab-on-grade homes and businesses in Celina and north Collin County.
Texas licenses mold work through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
A drying crew can take moisture readings, but a mold assessment is a separate licensed service. Ask any company for its TDLR licence number and licence type. Remember also that the same licence holder cannot assess and remediate the same project.
Use TDLR's licence search and enter the licence number or name. Confirm the licence type is mold assessment and that it is current. Do the same for a remediator you are considering.
Not by itself. Results show which spores are present and in what amounts, and an assessor interprets them with the visual findings. Mold can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in some people, but a number on a lab report is not a verdict on health.
Coverage is decided by your insurer under your own policy, and mold coverage is often limited. Check your policy or ask your agent early. If a water loss was covered, ask whether mold assessment falls under it.
In Texas, a person need not be licensed to remediate an area where mold affects less than 25 contiguous square feet. An owner working on their own home is also generally exempt. You still need to find and fix the moisture source, and TDLR can answer licensing questions.
Water removal and drying come first, because mold cannot be controlled while the structure stays wet. See the structural drying page for how readings are tracked until the materials reach their drying goal.