Mold Testing in Spring, TX

Cypress Creek and Spring's housing

Spring is an unincorporated community in north Harris County, about 19 miles from downtown Houston, that grew after the 1970s as subdivisions spread north from the city around the historic core of Old Town Spring. Many homes were built in low areas along Cypress Creek. During the April 2016 Tax Day flood about 1,700 homes along the creek flooded, some north Harris County homes flooded again in the Memorial Day storm a month later, and during Harvey more than 8,700 homes along Cypress Creek took on water. Inverness Forest, Northwood Pines, Ponderosa Forest, Champion Forest and Wimbledon Champions were among the hardest-hit neighborhoods. A house that flooded twice in two years and was rebuilt quickly is a strong candidate for testing.

Comparing sample types

Signs worth a test

• A smell in rooms that took water, even years later.
• Baseboards or door casings that read damp on a meter.
• A musty puff from vents at AC startup.
• Repairs that went fast, with drywall back up within days.

Timing notes

Test after the house has dried and any leak is fixed. Late spring and storm season bring the most rain, so if you are buying, schedule sampling in the option period rather than waiting for the next downpour. You can look up a home's FEMA flood zone by address on the Harris County Flood Education Mapping Tool. If rebuilding follows, unincorporated Harris County requires a permit from the Office of the County Engineer, with added rules in the floodplain. The assessor you hire must hold a TDLR mold assessment license, and any removal goes to a separate company under Texas law. Angi's Houston cost data reports inspection and testing averaging $453, usually between $355 and $563, so a few hundred dollars can settle a question that would otherwise mean opening walls on a hunch.