FACT SHEET What to Expect When You Hire a Mold Assessor and

FACT SHEET

What to Expect When You Hire a Mold

Assessor and Mold Remediation Contractor

When does a property owner have to hire a Mold

Assessor or Mold Remediation Contractor?

The New York State Department of Labor

does not require you to clean up mold on

your property. However, if you decide to have

someone assess and remediate an area of mold

that is larger than 10 square feet of mold, you

must use a licensed mold professional to do the

work. You must ﬁrst have a Mold Assessor do

an inspection and complete a Mold Remediation

Plan. You will then hire a Mold Remediation

Contractor to do the work outlined in the plan.

When you hire a mold professional for a mold

project, the mold professional must perform their

duties in accordance with the New York State Mold

Law, Article 32, “Licensing of Mold Inspection,

Assessment and Remediation Specialists and

Minimum Work Standards.” This fact sheet

provides guidance so you know what to expect.

What are the main responsibilities of a

Mold Assessor?

• Have a valid Mold Assessor License from

the New York State Department of Labor

for the company and employees.

• Perform the initial visual inspection

and assessment of the property for

mold growth. This may include the use

of a moisture meter and, in rare cases,

mold sampling.

• Identify the underlying source of

moisture causing the mold growth

(when possible).

• Educate the property owner on the Mold

Law and mold in general.

• Develop a Mold Remediation Plan. This

plan will identify:

– The source of the moisture causing

mold growth,

– How to remedy the moisture issue,

– The mold remediation methods to be

used for cleanup, and

– The criteria that must be met to

consider the cleanup complete.

• Perform a post-remediation assessment to

conﬁrm the remediation was successful.

• Develop a written passed clearance

report or ﬁnal status report.

Why is mold sampling rarely recommended?

• Mold is a natural part of the environment.

There is always some mold in the air and

on surfaces.

• Sampling will almost always reveal the

presence of mold or mold spores.

• There are no national or state standards

for comparing or analyzing mold samples.

• There are no national or state standards

to compare the sample results against.

• Unless people are allergic to mold or

mold spores, the presence of mold does

not usually produce any symptoms.

• Unless you know the speciﬁc type

(genus and species) of mold to which

someone is allergic, this information is

not typically useful.

What should the Mold Assessor put in the Mold

Remediation Plan?

The Mold Remediation Plan is speciﬁc to each

project. The purpose of this plan is to provide

methods to eliminate the moisture source(s) and

visible mold growth. The plan should include:

• A description of the rooms or areas where

the remediation will be performed,

• An estimate of the quantity of material to

be cleaned or removed,

• A description of the abatement methods

to be used for each type of remediation in

each area,

• A proposal for containment, when

needed, to prevent the spread of mold,

• A list of recommended personal

protective equipment for abatement

workers (to be provided by the

Remediation Contractor),

• A list of clearance procedures and criteria

for each type of remediation in each area,

• For an occupied property,

recommendations for notice to occupants

and posting requirements that are

appropriate for the project,

• An estimate of cost and time for

completion of the project,

• Information on the use of any United

States Environmental Protection

Agency (USEPA) registered disinfectant,

biocide, or antimicrobial coating being

considered, taking into account the

potential for occupant sensitivities to

such products, and

• Identiﬁcation of the underlying

source(s) of moisture, when possible,

that may be causing mold growth and

recommendations for the type of contractor

who would be able to ﬁx the issue.

Note: It is always recommended to correct the

underlying source of water/moisture before

cleaning up mold growth or the mold will likely

grow back.

How is the Mold Remediation Plan used?

The Mold Assessor must give you, the client,

the Mold Remediation Plan before the cleanup

project begins. You should understand and

agree with the plan.

You will then give the Mold Remediation Plan

to Mold Remediation Contractors you may

want to hire to do the work. This will give them

the information they need to give you a cost

estimate for the work.

What are the main responsibilities of a Mold

Remediation Contractor?

• Have a valid Mold Remediation

Contractor License from the Department

of Labor for the company.

• Ensure workers on projects have Mold

Abatement Worker licenses from the

Department of Labor.

• Prepare a Mold Remediation Work

Plan. This plan gives instructions and

standard operating procedures for how

they will do the cleanup work described

in the Mold Remediation Plan. This

plan may also include containment

construction and other equipment

necessary to prevent the spread of

mold spores during the abatement.

• The Mold Remediation Work Plan must be

given to you before cleanup work starts.

• Perform the physical removal, cleaning,

sanitizing, surface disinfection or

other work that is needed to clean up

the mold, in accordance with general

industry-accepted standards.

Note: Mold remediation contractors are not

required to remedy the source of the moisture

that caused the mold if they do not have the

required expertise to do so.

What precautions must be taken when

disinfectants, biocides and antimicrobial

coatings are used during mold remediation?

Disinfectants, biocides and antimicrobial

coatings registered with the USEPA may

only be used if they are speciﬁed in the Mold

Remediation Plan. These chemicals must be

used only for their intended purpose. They

should also only be applied according to the

manufacturer’s labeling instructions. The Mold

Assessor and the Mold Remediation Contractor

must consider the potential for people who

occupy the property to be sensitive or have a

negative reaction to the chemicals.

When is a mold remediation project complete?

Once your Mold Remediation Contractor has

done the work, the Mold Assessor must do a

post-remediation assessment. The project is

complete when the Mold Assessor issues a

written passed clearance report that states:

• the work area is free from all visible mold,

• all work has been done according to

the Mold Remediation Plan and Mold

Remediation Work Plan, and

• the clearance criteria listed in the Mold

Remediation Plan was met.

If the cleanup work was not successful, the

Mold Assessor will write a ﬁnal status report

listing what needs to be done to receive a

passed clearance report. The ﬁnal status

report will be given to you and the Mold

Remediation Contractor.

You should use the same Mold Assessor who

wrote the Mold Remediation Plan to do the post-

remediation assessment, but this is not required.

The Mold Remediation Contractor may not remove

materials or dismantle containment structures until

you get a passed clearance report.

Note: If you decide not to have a post-

remediation assessment, the Mold Assessor

and Mold Remediation Contractor should get

documentation that you accept the work as is

before they leave the property.

Where can I ﬁnd more information on general

industry accepted practices for mold remediation?

• New York City Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene: http://www1.nyc.gov/

site/doh/health/health-topics/mold.page

• New York State Department of

Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/

publications/7287/

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

https://www.epa.gov/mold

• Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and

Restoration Certiﬁcation: http://www.iicrc.

org/standards/iicrc-s520/

How can I verify that a Mold Assessor or Mold

Remediation Contractor is licensed by the

Department of Labor?

Visit the Department of Labor’s website and use

the “Licensed Mold Contractors Search Tool” at:

https://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/

safetyhealth/mold/licensed-mold-contractors-

search-tool.shtm

How can I ﬁle a complaint if I do not believe the

mold professionals followed this guidance?

Submit the “Mold Contractor Complaint Form”

at: https://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/

safetyhealth/mold/compliance.shtm

The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

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