Mold Inspection Costs: Average Prices, Plus Who To Call In 2024 – Forbes Home - Forbes

There are a number of factors that impact the cost of a mold inspection including your home's size and where mold is present.

Size of Home

As with most things in the home renovation space, larger square footage translates to a higher overall mold inspection cost. This is for a simple reason: Larger spaces require more samples over a longer period of time to provide accurate and actionable results.

Testing in smaller homes boasts a lower cost range, at $250 to $400. Testing in larger homes of 4,000 square feet (or more) drives up the cost to $700 to $1,100. Medium-sized homes will fall around the center of the aforementioned cost range.

This variance also extends to post-inspection analysis, as larger homes boast an increased risk of harboring multiple types of mold at the same time.

Location and Accessibility

Labor costs money, so if the mold is difficult to access, you'll pay an extra fee. In many cases, mold grows in obvious locations in damp basements, near ice dams adjacent to the attic and around leaks. These are easy to both spot and access. However, mold prefers the dark, so some could be hiding away in one of the more inaccessible parts of the house, including behind the walls.

Bathrooms and kitchens, for example, are notorious for hiding mold behind the walls, just between the tile and the drywall or behind appliances. If your pro has to actually excise some pieces of drywall to conduct the inspection, count on paying up to $700 extra in addition to the test itself. You'll also have to pay a drywall contractor to replace the drywall section.

You can save some money by moving appliances out of the way ahead of time and making sure it's easy to access crawl spaces, attic spaces and the basement.

Compare Quotes From Top-rated House Inspection Services Contractors

Free, No-commitment Estimates

Extent of the Contamination

The extent of the contamination mostly impacts remediation costs, but can change up inspection costs in a number of ways. First of all, if your home is absolutely covered in mold, the samples will each have to undergo further analysis to suss out the various types and their toxicity levels. Additionally, massive levels of mold growth require an increase in the number of air testing machines and labor hours spent conducting the inspection.

On the plus side, accessibility won't be a concern because the inspectors will be able to spot the mold at a glance.

Type of Mold

The type of mold can impact the inspection cost, though a general inspection typically covers the most common species. However, you'll likely pay more with the presence of toxic black mold (stachybotrys chartarum) or molds that are tricky to identify. Here are the common mold types found during inspections and relevant information as to how each type can impact the overall cost.

• Alternaria: The term alternaria refers to 40 different mold varieties that thrive during the spring and summer. Most of the time, this mold stays outside but can sneak in and make a home in carpets, basements, attics and showers. This mold type is generally covered in a standard inspection with no uptick in price.
• Aspergillus: This mold includes over 250 varieties that typically begin as a white fuzz before turning darker. These molds thrive in low humidity and cause serious respiratory illness. Due to occasionally existing in low humidity, aspergillus can be tricky to find, so count on increased labor costs of anywhere from $50 to $100.
• Aureobasidium: This is another basic mold typically included in the cost of a standard inspection. Aureobasidium typically lives on painted surfaces, hard surfaces and behind wallpaper. This mold is often pink.
• Chaetomium: This mold variety starts with a white fuzz but eventually turns blue or green. Chaetomium is fairly easy to identify, so you won't experience an uptick in inspection costs. However, it's extremely dangerous and can cause a host of health issues, from skin infections and, in rare cases, brain abscesses. In other words, remediate quickly.
• Cladosporium: This is another mold type that's typically covered in the cost of a basic inspection. Cladosporium prefers basements and HVAC systems and it grows quickly and aggressively. This makes it easy to spot, but difficult to successfully remediate.
• Fusarium: You've heard of toxic black mold, but fusarium is a toxic white, pink or salmon-colored mold. It causes a localized infection in the nails or cornea and can even get into the bloodstream to wreak more havoc. For these reasons, you'll pay an extra $100 to $150 for an inspection when dealing with fusarium, due to the health risks.
• Penicillium: This mold may naturally produce the antibiotic known as penicillin, but you still don't want it hanging around the home, as it causes allergic reactions. Luckily, penicillium tends to be included in standard inspections. This mold tends to crop up near water damage, so it's easy to spot.
• Serpula Lacrymans: This fast-spreading mold is often responsible for dry rot in wood, so it's important to identify and remove it ASAP. You'll find this type of mold in wood, but also in masonry, plaster and even dry mortar. Due to potential accessibility issues, count on paying an extra $50 to $100 to ensure your pro adequately tests all of your exterior surfaces.
• Stachybotrys Chartarum: This is the one we all dread. Stachybotrys chartarum is more commonly called toxic black mold and can cause respiratory problems, neurological issues, infections and all kinds of other health issues. Due to the health dangers, count on paying an extra $100 to $150 for an inspection. Once identified, immediately hire a pro for remediation.
• Trichoderma: This is primarily an outdoor mold, preferred by plants and soil, but can survive on fabric and inside your HVAC system. This is a common mold type, so you won't experience an increase in inspection costs.
• Ulocladium: This is a relatively non-toxic black mold that often gets confused for its more dangerous cousin. It prefers moisture-rich environments and will have to undergo a stain test or a lab test to ensure it's not stachybotrys chartarum. Other than that, inspection costs are normal.

Geographic Location

The cost of a mold inspection depends on where you reside according to overall the cost of living. Generally speaking, this means that cities with high costs of living will also require an increased price range for mold inspections, though ample competition can help even things out.

For example, homeowners in New York City will pay around 10 to 20% more for a mold inspection than homeowners in San Antonio, Texas. Of course, this depends on the actual mold inspection company, so even New Yorkers can find a good deal by putting in some dedicated research.