Search for “mold removal” and you’ll find plenty of companies offering a free inspection. In Texas, that’s worth a second look — because inspection and removal are two different licensed jobs, and the law keeps them apart.
Two licenses, two jobs
Mold assessment is the inspection side: looking for mold, testing, and working out how far a problem goes. Companies licensed for it hold a mold assessment license.
Mold remediation is the removal side: containing and removing the mold. Companies licensed for it hold a mold remediation license.
On every profile we show which license a company holds, with the license number and expiry date.
The rule that keeps them apart
“A license holder may not perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same project.”
It applies to ownership too:
“A person may not own an interest in both the entity that performs assessment services and an entity that performs remediation services on the same project.”
So on any one project, the company that tests your home and the company that cleans it up must be different — and not owned by the same people.
Why that protects you
The inspector’s findings decide how much work you need. If the same business also earned the cleanup fee, it would be grading its own job. Keeping them separate means the measurement comes from someone with nothing to gain from making it bigger.
Which one do you need first?
Not sure there’s mold, or how much?
Start with a licensed inspector. You’ll find out what’s there and how far it goes.
Know there’s a problem and what needs removing?
Get quotes from licensed remediation companies.
When the cleanup is finished
Within 10 days, the remediator must give you a certificate of mold remediation and copies of the required photos. The exact wording.
If the affected area is under 25 contiguous square feet, Texas doesn’t require a license for the cleanup. How the 25 square foot rule works.
How many of each are there?
State records list more licensed remediation companies than assessment companies in every metro we cover:
| Metro | Remediation companies | Assessment (inspection) companies |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | 116 | 58 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 150 | 60 |
| Austin | 53 | 18 |
| San Antonio | 45 | 19 |
| El Paso | 7 | 3 |
On our inspection pages you can filter to independent inspectors only — companies that hold an assessment license and no remediation license.
Find an inspector or a remediation company
| Metro | Inspection | Remediation |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Mold inspectors | Mold remediation |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | Mold inspectors | Mold remediation |
| Austin | Mold inspectors | Mold remediation |
| San Antonio | Mold inspectors | Mold remediation |
| El Paso | Mold inspectors | Mold remediation |
This guide explains the law in plain English and isn’t legal advice.