What the Virginia Consumer Protection Act says
Under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act it is a prohibited practice to sell or offer professional mold remediation services on a residential dwelling without holding a mold remediation certification from a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body, and without following the EPA's Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard, or an equivalent ANSI-accredited standard.
Virginia's former mold regulations
Virginia's Mold Inspector and Remediator Regulations (18VAC15-60) took effect July 1, 2011 and were repealed effective August 15, 2012.
Richmond's drinking water
Richmond's Water Treatment Plant was built on the banks of the James River in 1924. The Department of Public Utilities plant can produce up to 132 million gallons per day; in 2025 it treated an average of 64.2 MGD, and the city says it monitors the James River continuously throughout the year.
Find the water before anyone cleans
A dark patch on a ceiling, a closet wall or the back of a cabinet marks a place where some material has stayed damp. Spores ride in on air and clothing and can sit in dust for a long time; growth takes hold when moisture lingers. Cleaning the patch while the material keeps getting wet can mean doing the job again.
That puts the source at the front of the line. Look above the damage for a bathroom, a laundry hookup or an air handler. Look beside it for a window or an exterior door. Look below it for soil against the foundation or a downspout that empties close to the wall. Then call the trade that fits, and ask for a dated note on what it found and fixed.
Reading a remediation contract, clause by clause
A remediation contract is easier to judge when you read it one clause at a time. These are the parts worth finding on the page, and what to ask if a part is missing.
Who assessed the problem
Look for a line saying whose assessment the contract is based on. If the company that wrote the assessment is also the one doing the removal, ask how the scope was kept tied to what the assessment found. A written assessment from someone outside the removal crew lets every bidder price the same thing.
The moisture source
Look for a line naming what fed the growth and who is repairing it. If the leak repair is not part of this contract, ask that the contract say so, so nobody assumes the other party has it covered.
Containment and air
Ask the contract to describe the plastic enclosure, where its entry will be, and how a filtered air machine will hold the enclosed area at negative pressure. Ask where that machine will exhaust.
What comes out and what stays
Drywall, insulation, carpet and its pad, and ceiling tile may be listed for removal. Framing and subfloor may be listed for cleaning and drying in place. Ask how far past the visible growth any cut will run, and how removed material will be bagged before it leaves the enclosure.
The drying target
Find the moisture target in writing, the meter that will measure it, and how often readings will be logged. Ask for a copy of the log as it fills.
Exclusions and changes
Ask what the price leaves out: contents cleaning, the leak repair, rebuilding, painting. Ask how a change will be written up and priced if more damage turns up once a wall is open.
The finish
Ask what you will receive at the end: final readings, photos of the cleaned framing, and a written report. Ask whether you can walk the open area before insulation or drywall goes back.
A careful first look
If you need to open a wall panel or roll back a rug before help arrives, wear gloves, goggles and a snug disposable respirator, and keep children and pets in another part of the house. Do not brush or sand dry growth, and keep fans from blowing toward it. Health questions are for your own doctor.
Questions for every company
- What do you think is wetting this area, and which trade should repair it before the cleanup?
- Which mold remediation certification do you hold, which body issued it, and which standard will you follow on this job?
- Who wrote the assessment, and does that person work for your company?
- Can you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before work begins?
- Will your own employees be in the house, or a subcontractor's crew?
- What reading will tell us the materials are dry, and will I get the readings in writing?
- What does your price exclude?
The insurer and permit calls
Phone your insurer before damaged material is hauled away. Ask what the policy says about mold and about the water damage behind it, which photos and records it wants, and whether an adjuster should see the area first. If the repair involves new framing, plumbing or wiring, ask the contractor which city permits the work needs and who will apply for them.
Keep the paperwork together
Give every bidder the same assessment and compare the contracts clause by clause, not by the total alone. Keep the assessment, contracts, readings, photos, the leak repair note and every receipt in one folder from the first day.