Mold Removal Houston: $1,223 to $3,757 + Texas TDLR Rules

Cost rows are national figures; no publisher lists a Houston-only mold remediation price. The notification fee is a Texas rule.

Do this now: mold or wet materials in a Houston home

1. Stop the water. Fix or shut off the leak first; mold comes back if the source stays wet.
2. Dry what you can within 24 to 48 hours. The EPA says that in most cases mold will not grow if wet materials are dried in that window.
3. Do not run the air conditioning or heat if you think the system has mold in it, the EPA says.
4. Photograph the damage and call your insurer before anything is torn out.
5. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners, the CDC warns.
6. Do not sign any contract that hands your insurance claim to a contractor.

Is it urgent? When Houston mold needs a pro now

Mold after a flood or a large leak is urgent because the drying window is short: the EPA's guidance is 24 to 48 hours. A patch smaller than about 10 square feet is usually something a homeowner can clean, the EPA says; larger areas, or a lot of water damage, call for a professional. The CDC says mold can cause a stuffy nose, coughing, wheezing or a skin rash, that people with asthma may react severely, and that people with weak immune systems or chronic lung disease can get lung infections. Water still standing? Start with water damage restoration in Houston.

Why Houston homes get mold: floods, storms and leaks

Houston's mold usually follows water. Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 dropped 54.00 inches of rain near Bunker Hill Village, and the Harris County Flood Control District estimates nearly 136,000 structures flooded, the National Weather Service says. Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 left 2.26 million CenterPoint customers without power, and a derecho on May 16, 2024 brought gusts of roughly 70 to 90 mph.

Everyday leaks count too. Houston Public Works credits 100% of a water leak on the bill if it is repaired within 30 days of starting, so fixing a leak fast saves on both mold and water costs. Leaks can hide: the EPA says hidden mold can grow inside walls around pipes, inside ductwork and above ceiling tiles.

Texas mold rules a Houston homeowner should know

Texas licenses mold assessors and remediators through TDLR, and visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned up by people who are not licensed, TDLR says. Larger remediation goes to a licensed remediator, who files a notice with TDLR for each project at $25. In an emergency, when waiting would let water damage spread the mold, the notice is due by the next working day.

• One company may hold both licenses but cannot assess and remediate the same project, so the person who tests should not be the one who removes.
• Only a licensed remediator can issue a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation, which helps when you sell or insure the house.
• Look up a license on the TDLR License Search by name, number, city or ZIP.
• In rental buildings with 10 or more units, 25 contiguous square feet or more must be handled by a licensed remediator.

Renters in Houston: mold and city inspections

Houston's multifamily habitability inspections do not cover interior health and safety issues such as mold, a 2018 University of Texas School of Law fact sheet found; at one complex, mold complaints went to the Health Department instead. Tell the landlord in writing, keep photos, and ask who will do the remediation; the TDLR rules above apply to landlords too.

Help paying for repairs after Beryl or the derecho

• DR24 Single-Family Home Repair Program (City of Houston HCD). About $50 million to repair or rebuild homes damaged by the May 2024 derecho, Hurricane Beryl or both. Owner-occupied homes in city limits, outside the floodway, with income at or below 80% of area median. Application packets by phone from Aug 24, 2026: (832) 394-6200.
• Harris County HCD Home Repair Program. For homeowners 62 or older or disabled; it is currently taking applications only for health and safety projects (septic and water wells). 832-927-4955.

Insurance: what to do before a remediator starts

Call your insurer before work starts, photograph everything, and keep the wet materials until the adjuster has seen them or says to discard them. The Texas Department of Insurance says a public adjuster can charge up to 10% of the claim, that you can cancel a public adjuster contract within 72 hours, that a public adjuster on your claim cannot also act as your contractor, and that contractors cannot advertise that they will handle your claim. Do not sign an assignment of benefits or any contract that hands your claim to a contractor. The national mold remediation cost guide and mold inspection pages explain testing.

More Houston pages: water damage restoration in Houston, fire damage restoration in Houston and emergency plumber in Houston. Compare mold removal in San Antonio and mold removal in Tampa, or see home repair costs.