Post-Remediation Clearance Testing in Kingwood, TX

Kingwood at a glance

Kingwood is a master-planned area in northeast Houston, part of the City of Houston since 1996 and about 24 miles from downtown. It is bordered by Lake Houston, the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, Spring Creek and several bayous, and Lake Conroe releases flow down the San Jacinto into Lake Houston. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, several neighborhoods, including Kingwood Greens Village, Barrington and Fosters Mill, had water damage in more than 80 percent of homes, according to the district council member. City-wide, the Houston Health Department reported flooding outside the mapped floodplain.

What to do now

1. Find your protocol. It lists the areas, methods and clearance criteria. The consultant who wrote it is the only one who can declare clearance.
2. Schedule the return visit. Call the consultant as soon as the remediation contractor reports the work is done.
3. Keep the area untouched. No priming, painting or new insulation before a pass.
4. Plan your permit. Kingwood falls under the Houston Permitting Center, and most renovation or repair projects need plan approval before a permit can be bought.
5. Get your certificate. The remediation contractor owes you before-and-after photos and a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation within 10 days of the stop date.

The Houston Health Department does not do mold inspection or testing and refers those questions to TDLR. Apartment renters can report water leaks and other habitability problems through Houston 311.

What you see and what it may mean

Cost factors

Expect two bills: one from the remediation contractor and one from the consultant, because Texas law does not let one company handle both on the same project. The consultant's fee reflects the number of rooms, any lab samples required by the criteria and repeat visits after a fail. Angi's Houston cost data puts typical inspection and testing at $355-$563, averaging $453.