Mold Testing in Pearland, TX

What happens when you call

The number connects you with an independent local mold inspector. Expect questions about what you smell or see, which rooms are affected, whether the house flooded or had a leak, and how quickly things were dried. If sampling won't change your next step, a careful assessor will tell you. When it will, the visit begins with a walk-through and moisture readings, especially low on walls, at cabinet bases and around the AC system, before any samples are taken. A written report with the lab results and the assessor's interpretation follows.

Cost factors

Angi's Houston cost data reports inspection and testing averaging $453, usually $355 to $563. Price climbs with:

• the number of air and swab samples (Angi's national figures: air about $250 to $350, swab about $200 to $300),
• an added HVAC sample, about $50 to $75 nationally,
• a larger or two-story home and a cramped attic,
• faster lab results.

Since Texas law bars one company from both testing and removing mold on the same project, remediation is a separate bill.

Local conditions

Pearland is a large suburban city about 17 miles from Houston, mostly in Brazoria County with portions in Fort Bend and Harris counties. It started as a farming town with pear orchards, and former rice fields filled with subdivisions from the 1990s on. Clear Creek runs through it, and during Harvey the creek saw 500-year flood conditions at Hwy. 288; an early estimate put about 1,000 Pearland homes under water, and Clear Creek Estates was the first neighborhood to see debris removed. Flood-repaired walls can still hide damp framing, and away from the creek the usual sources are AC condensation, roof leaks and plumbing. Pearland's Permits and Inspections Division requires a construction permit to remodel or repair an existing structure, and Code Compliance handles property complaints.

Short checklist before the assessor arrives

• Shut windows and doors where air will be sampled.
• Skip bleach, sprays and air purifiers near the problem area.
• Gather flood dates, repair invoices and any earlier reports.
• Note which rooms were gutted after Harvey and which were only cleaned, since the assessor will want to compare them.
• Tell the assessor if anyone in the home has asthma, so samples can be planned around them.
• Check the assessor's license on TDLR's license search.