Mold Remediation in Richmond, TX

The river shapes the risk

During the Memorial Day 2016 flood, the Brazos River reached 54.37 feet at Richmond, more than a foot and a half above its previous record, and the city issued a voluntary evacuation advisory. A Fort Bend County commissioner put the count at about 1,200 homes affected across Richmond, Rosenberg and unincorporated parts of the county. A year later Hurricane Harvey damaged about 200 Richmond homes, and the Edgewood subdivision off Hwy. 90, right next to the river, flooded both times.

Homes that flooded twice deserve a careful look. Drywall that was patched rather than replaced, insulation left in place, or framing that never fully dried can hold mold behind a clean-looking wall. EPA's guidance after a flood is to assume mold where materials stayed wet more than 24 to 48 hours.

Where Richmond sits

Richmond is the county seat of Fort Bend County, about 21 miles from downtown Houston in a straight line. It began as a fort in 1822 and was one of the original cities incorporated by the Republic of Texas, so the older core includes buildings that now serve as shops and law offices. Away from the river, the usual Houston-area culprits still apply: attic air handlers with overflowing drain pans, ducts that sweat in summer, and roof leaks after tropical rain.

City offices that matter

The City of Richmond Building Department at the City Hall Annex on Morton Street issues permits and schedules inspections through the MGO Connect portal. Rebuilding walls after remediation is the point where you need it. The same department runs residential rental registration. Tenants with a leak or moisture problem the landlord has not fixed can contact the city's Code Enforcement Department, which enforces the city's codes; Texas Property Code 92.052 also requires landlords to make a diligent effort to repair conditions that materially affect health or safety after written notice (general information, not legal advice).

Fort Bend County Health & Human Services is the county health department, but its Environmental Health division lists mold complaints as a service it does not provide.

What Texas requires on the job

A mold assessment consultant who holds a TDLR license writes a protocol before work begins. A different company that holds a TDLR mold remediation contractor license does the removal, because state law keeps assessment and remediation on the same project separate. The consultant checks clearance afterward, and you receive a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation, which can help with insurance underwriting and must be passed to a buyer if you sell within five years. When you call, describe what flooded or leaked and when.