Mold Testing in Palmetto, FL

Palmetto at a glance

Palmetto is a small historic city on the north bank of the tidal Manatee River, across from Bradenton, where U.S. 41 and U.S. 301 converge. About 31 percent of its housing units are mobile homes and about 34 percent are single-family detached, roughly 46.6 percent were built before 1980, and the median year built is 1983. The city's flood guide describes Palmetto as extremely flat with numerous wetlands and floodplains, notes that areas outside mapped flood zones can still flood, and calls storm surge the greatest threat along the immediate coast.

What to do now

1. Find the moisture. In a mobile home, check the underbelly, skirting and floor near the bathroom and water heater. In an older house, look at roof stains, window frames and plumbing walls.
2. Stop it and dry. EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Pick the question. Hidden growth under a floor or behind a wall, clearance after cleanup, or documentation for a sale or landlord are good reasons to sample.
4. Don't cover it up. EPA warns against painting or caulking over mold, and cleaning right before a visit can skew results.
5. Know the permit office. Repairs inside city limits go through the City of Palmetto Building Department on 17th Street West.

What you see and what usually causes it

Cost factors

HomeAdvisor reports Tampa-area mold testing typically runs $327 to $903. A single-section mobile home with one problem area usually needs fewer samples than a larger house with several. Florida's s. 468.8419 bars the assessor from remediating the same Palmetto home within 12 months, so expect a separate company for removal. Ask for the assessor's license number and check it on DBPR's online licensee search. If walls or floors come out after remediation and your lot is in a flood zone, the city notes that repairs reaching 50 percent of a building's pre-damage value trigger flood-zone rebuilding requirements, so talk to the Building Department early.