Mold Inspection in Sun City Center, FL

What happens when you call

You're connected with an independent local company that does mold assessment. Expect a few questions: what you've seen or smelled, where in the home, whether there was a recent leak or storm, and whether you live in a single-family house, a duplex, a townhouse or an apartment building. If anyone in the home has asthma or a weakened immune system, mention it; EPA advises those people stay away from moldy areas, and the assessor can plan the visit around it.

On site, the assessor works room by room with a moisture meter, checks the air handler and drain pan, looks under sinks and around the water heater, and inspects the attic if there is one. Florida's s. 468.8419 bars that assessor from remediating your home within 12 months, so the report is an independent scope you can hand to a separate remediation company.

What affects the cost

• Size of the home and how many rooms need checking
• Whether shared walls or a unit above or below need to be considered
• Access to the attic and the AC closet
• Lab sampling, which EPA says is usually unnecessary when mold is visible

Angi reports Tampa-area inspections typically run $300 to $1,075, and HomeAdvisor lists Tampa-area mold testing at $327 to $903 when samples are added.

Local conditions

Sun City Center is an age-restricted retirement community with about five golf courses and golf carts on its streets, and its southern edge follows the Little Manatee River. Many homes sit empty for stretches, and a house closed up through a Tampa Bay summer with the AC set high or off can build humidity fast. EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent. In attached housing, a leak in one unit can show up as a stain or smell in the next, so ask the assessor to note where the water appears to originate. Hillsborough County Development Services handles permits for any drywall or structural repairs that follow.

Before the assessor arrives

• Clear access to the attic hatch, AC closet and under-sink cabinets
• Write down when you first noticed the smell or stain
• Gather any recent roof, plumbing or AC repair invoices
• Don't clean or paint over the area; the assessor needs to see it
• If you're in an association, find the contact for exterior and roof repairs