Mold Testing in Kingwood, TX

Kingwood at a glance

Kingwood is a master-planned area in the Lake Houston area, about 24 miles from downtown, that has been part of the City of Houston since 1996. It is flanked by Lake Houston, the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, Spring Creek and several bayous, and releases from Lake Conroe flow down the river into the lake. During Harvey, more than 80 percent of homes in Kingwood Greens Village, Barrington and Fosters Mill had water damage, according to the district council member, and Kingwood High School's first floor filled with water.

What to do now

1. Fix the moisture first: a leak, a clogged AC drain line, a gap in the roof.
2. Write down your home's flood and repair history, including what was replaced and when.
3. Decide whether you need testing at all. Visible growth usually needs cleanup, not a lab.
4. If the source is hidden, hire an assessor who holds a TDLR mold assessment license and ask for an outdoor control sample.
5. Before rebuilding, check permit requirements with the Houston Permitting Center, since most repair and renovation projects in the city need plan approval.

Signs and what they usually mean

Because Kingwood is inside Houston, apartment renters can report water leaks and other habitability problems through Houston 311. After Harvey the Houston Health Department inspected flooded residences for mold, but it does not do mold testing for homeowners and refers those requests to TDLR.

Cost factors

Angi's Houston cost data reports inspection and testing averaging $453, usually $355 to $563. Sample count, home size, two-story layouts and attic access drive the final number. Remember that a removal project means a second company, since Texas law bars the assessor from remediating the same job. The assessor who wrote the protocol also handles the clearance check afterward, so ask whether that visit is priced in.