In Florida the Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses mold assessors and remediators. A company that both assesses and remediates needs both licences, and the rules keep the two roles apart on the same structure for a set period. A homeowner can check any licence with the department before work starts. This guide explains the licences, the conflict rule and how to check them, and it does not give the statute numbers or the length of the period.
Key takeaways
- The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses mold assessors and remediators
- A company that assesses and remediates needs both licences, and each licence covers only its own work
- The rules stop an assessor from remediating the same structure it has just assessed, for a period the rules set
- A homeowner should ask for the licence number and the licensed person's name, then check both with the department
- Licences renew on a cycle that includes continuing education, so the status should be checked at the time of the work
- Mold after a water loss is a question the drying and the readings answer first, and the assessment follows if they show a need
Which body licenses mold work in Florida?
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses mold assessors and remediators and sets the rules for the work. Its published mold-related services guidance is the place to check what the rules require.
Mold work in Florida is licensed by a state body rather than left to the market, and the department is the one that issues the licences, keeps the records and takes complaints about the work. A homeowner who wants to know whether a company or a person may do mold work should go to the department's licensing records, which show whether a licence is current and what it covers.
The licensing body is named here as the department. A homeowner who has any doubt about which body governs a particular job should check the department directly.
What is the difference between an assessor and a remediator?
An assessor examines the building and decides whether mold is present, where it is and what caused it. A remediator removes or cleans the affected materials and dries the cause, following the scope that the assessment sets.
The two roles are separate in the licensing, and the work is different. An assessment is an examination with samples where a sample can answer the question, and it ends in a written report. Remediation is the physical work of containment, removal, cleaning and clearance, and it follows the scope from the assessment.
The separation exists so that the person judging the mold is not the person paid to clean it up. A homeowner should keep that in mind when a single company offers both, and should ask which licence is held for each part.
| Role | What the work does | What the homeowner receives |
|---|---|---|
| Assessor | Examines the building, takes samples where needed and decides the extent and cause | A written assessment that names the areas and the likely cause |
| Remediator | Contains the area, removes or cleans the affected materials and dries the cause | A record of the work, the materials removed and the clearance check |
Why may one company need two licences?
Because the assessment and the remediation are separate licensed trades. A company that offers both must hold both licences for the work it does, and each licence covers only its own part.
A company that offers both services has to show that it holds the licence for each part. Having one licence does not cover the other, and a company that does remediation without the right licence is working outside its authority. The homeowner should ask for the licence for each part of the work before any contract is agreed, and should check each one separately.
A company may also use a separate assessor for the assessment and its own remediator for the cleanup. In that case the homeowner should check both companies and both licences, and the separation between them should be clear.
What is the conflict rule, and why does it matter?
The rules stop an assessor from remediating the same structure it has just assessed for a period the rules set. That keeps the judgement of the mold independent of the cleanup that follows.
A homeowner should know that the rules limit an assessor from doing the cleanup on the same building it has assessed, for a period the rules set. The guide does not state the length of that period, which should be checked with the department or the licensing records. The purpose is clear: a company paid to clean up a building should not also be the company that decides how much clean-up is needed.
A homeowner who is offered an assessment and a cleanup by the same company should ask how the conflict rule is handled in that case, and should expect a clear answer.
How does a homeowner check a mold licence?
Ask for the licence number and the name of the licensed person doing the work, then check both with the department. Confirm that the licence is current and covers the specific work being done.
A homeowner should not rely on a card or a sign. The licence should be checked with the department, because the status can change and an old card may not reflect it. The check should match the work: an assessment licence is not a remediation licence, and each licence has to be confirmed for the part of the work it covers.
The line will pass on a request for the licence number of the company doing the work. A caller who asks on the phone can then check it with the department before any work is agreed.
Does every water loss need a mold assessment?
No. The decision depends on how long the materials were wet, how fully they were dried and whether there are signs of growth. The readings from the water work show whether the drying reached the normal level.
A quick loss that was dried fully, with readings that met the baseline, may need no mold work. A loss that stayed wet, was dried slowly, or has a smell or a stain that returns should be assessed. A homeowner should be told both the reasons for an assessment and the reasons it may not be needed, and the assessor should explain its decision in writing.
The humidity of the season makes growth more likely in a damp material, and the assessment is more often needed after a long wet season loss than after a single quick loss.
What does a remediation normally remove?
Materials that are heavily colonised, or that cannot be cleaned, such as soaked drywall and carpet pad. Hard surfaces can often be cleaned and dried, and the assessment scope decides which is which.
Remediation follows the scope. Surface growth on a hard material can often be cleaned with suitable products, while growth in the paper or core of drywall, in carpet pad or in soaked particleboard usually means the material is removed. Containment keeps spores from reaching clean rooms, and HEPA vacuuming and suitable cleaners are used for the cleaning.
The remediation record lists what was removed and cleaned, room by room, and it includes the clearance check at the end. That record should be kept with the assessment and the water-loss records.
What should a homeowner keep and ask for?
The licence numbers, the written assessment, the scope, the remediation record and the clearance check. Those documents show that the work was licensed, judged and cleared.
A homeowner should keep the documents together with the rest of the loss records. The licence numbers should be written down, the assessment and the scope should be kept, and the clearance check should be on file. If the mold comes back, those documents show what was done and by whom.
The line is answered 24/7 on (833) 490-5225. The caller is asked the questions the local company needs before any work is agreed, and the licence question is one the caller can ask at any point.
What should a written mold assessment contain?
A written assessment should name the areas examined, the methods used, the places where growth was found, the likely cause and the scope of any remediation the assessor recommends.
A useful assessment is specific. It lists the rooms and the surfaces that were examined, the method for each, such as visual examination, moisture readings or samples, and the results. It names the areas where growth was found and says whether the growth is surface or deep. It states the likely cause, which should match the water loss and the readings, and it sets out the scope of the work the assessor recommends.
The homeowner should read the assessment before any remediation is agreed, and should ask the assessor to explain any finding that is not clear. The assessment is the document the remediation follows, and it is the document the homeowner will show to an insurer or a buyer later.
What should the homeowner check on the remediation?
The homeowner should check that the work followed the scope, that containment was used, that the affected materials were removed or cleaned as agreed, and that a clearance check was done and recorded.
Containment is the physical separation of the work area from the clean rooms, and it should be visible on the day. The materials removed should match the list in the scope, and the cleaning should match the products and methods the remediator named. The clearance check should be carried out at the end and written up, so the homeowner has the result.
If something on the day does not match the scope, the homeowner should ask about it before the work continues. The remediation record is the document that shows what was done and by whom, and it should be kept with the assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses mold assessors in Florida?
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses mold assessors and remediators, and its published guidance is the place to check the rules.
Can one company do both the assessment and the cleanup?
Only if it holds both licences, and the rules keep the two roles apart on the same structure for a set period. Ask which licence covers each part.
How do I check a licence?
Ask for the licence number and the licensed person's name, then check both with the department. The status should be current and cover the work being done.
Will the mold come back after cleaning?
It can, if the moisture that fed it is still in the structure. The clearance check and the drying readings confirm the cause has been dealt with.
Does mold always mean the drywall comes out?
No. Surface growth on hard materials can often be cleaned. Drywall and pad with growth in their core usually come out, and the assessment decides.
Is the mold work guaranteed?
The work is between the homeowner and the local company that carries it out, and this line does not warrant any work performed. The disclaimer page explains the arrangement in full.
Sources
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, mold-related services
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, mold guidance
This guide is general information for Hillsborough County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.