From Steve — TDLR Mold Remediation Contractor RCO1739
What actually counts as professional mold remediation (S520)
Professional mold remediation isn't spraying bleach on a wall. It's a defined process laid out in the IICRC S520 standard, and every step exists for a reason. Skipping any of them is how contamination spreads through the rest of the house during removal.
The S520 process has five real phases: (1) moisture-source identification and repair, (2) containment of the affected area with negative-air pressure, (3) removal of non-salvageable materials and cleaning of salvageable ones, (4) HEPA filtration of the contained air and post-remediation HEPA-vacuum and damp-wipe of surfaces, and (5) verification that moisture is back to baseline before the containment comes down. Every job we do at AST follows those phases in that order.
What you should not accept from any San Antonio mold contractor: a same-day "remediation" with no containment, no moisture source diagnosis, and no documentation. That's not remediation. That's a wipe-down that will cost you the same problem again in 60 days.
Our Texas TDLR Mold Remediation Contractor license (RCO1739) — what it means for you
Texas regulates mold work as a licensed trade under the TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation). To hold an RCO (Remediation Contractor) license you submit to background checks, prove insurance, pass a written exam, and agree to inspection of your job sites. You can verify our license number RCO1739 directly with TDLR — I encourage you to do that with any mold contractor before you sign paperwork.
For the homeowner, the license means three things:
- The state has a complaint mechanism if we don't do the work correctly.
- We're required to follow a written work plan and provide you a completion report.
- Our documentation is admissible in insurance disputes and, if it ever comes to it, real estate disclosures.
Assessment vs remediation — why you need both (and why we don't do the assessment)
Under Texas rules there are two separate mold licenses: Assessor (the person who tests, identifies, and writes the scope) and Remediation Contractor (the person who removes it). The rules generally prohibit the same company from playing both roles on the same property. That's not bureaucratic friction. That's the whole point.
If the same shop tests and remediates, the incentive is to find as much mold as possible (bigger scope = bigger invoice). If assessment is independent, the remediation contractor works to a scope written by someone with no financial interest in inflating it. Homeowner wins.
We only do remediation. When you need pre-remediation testing or clearance testing after the job, we refer you to an independent licensed Texas Mold Assessor. It slows the process by a day and costs a few hundred more, and it's the right way.
Our remediation process (containment, filtration, extraction, drying)
- Moisture source diagnosis. Meter every wall in the affected area. Identify the actual water source. If we can't fix it (plumbing, roof), we tell you who to call before we do anything else.
- Containment. 6-mil poly-sheeting barriers with zippered entry. Negative-air machine with HEPA filtration pulling the contained air through the filter and exhausting outside. Never a bleach spray "prep."
- Removal. Non-salvageable materials (contaminated drywall, wet insulation, warped baseboard) come out inside the containment, double-bagged before they leave. HEPA-vacuumed as we go.
- Cleaning of salvageable surfaces. HEPA vacuum, then damp-wipe with an EPA-registered antimicrobial appropriate to the substrate. Framing gets a second HEPA pass.
- Drying to baseline. Air movers and dehumidifiers stay until moisture meters read baseline for framing and substrate. No shortcuts.
- Post-remediation verification. Visual walkthrough. HEPA-cleaned surface check. When clearance air sampling is called for, we schedule it with the independent assessor. Containment comes down after the assessor signs off.
What mold remediation costs in San Antonio
- Small single-room job (bath, closet, ceiling patch): $1,500–$3,500
- Attic remediation: $3,500–$7,500
- Whole-crawlspace or multi-room: $6,000–$12,000
- Structural drying combined with remediation: add $2,000–$4,000 depending on affected area
Costs go up with square footage of containment, structural material to remove, required drying equipment, and whether HVAC decontamination is in scope. Costs go down when the moisture source is already fixed and dry when we arrive.
Insurance claim documentation we provide
Every mold job at AST ends with a documentation package you can hand to your adjuster: pre-work moisture readings and photos, cause-of-loss narrative, IICRC S520 work plan, daily job logs, materials removed inventory, post-work moisture readings and photos, and a completion report signed by the certified technician on site.
Laura in our office handles the carrier back-and-forth if you want us to. We've worked with every major TX carrier and the process is smoother when the paperwork shows up correct the first time. Related read: our insurance claims guide, and if the mold started with a water event, our water damage restoration page explains how the two claims typically link.
Ready to move? Call (210) 599-9726 or request a walk-through. — Steve