Mold: Chapter 4 - Contractor Selection

5/24/2017 (Permalink)

Choosing a mold remediation contractor

You’ve selected your Certified Industrial Hygienist and he’s performed his initial inspection.  If they have determined that there is a mold issue, their next step is to provide you with a written assessment and protocol, or mold remediation and corrective action work plan.

In this document, you should be provided:

• the likely caused the mold growth,
• current observations and conditions of the area(s) inspected,
• sampling results (if samples were taken) describing the mold species identified and their impact,
• a corrective action plan describing what repairs need to be made to prevent further damage,
• a detailed remediation work plan which your mold remediation contractor will use is creating their proposal and work plan.

Your next step is to search for and invite remediation firms to bid on this project.  There are many sources you can use to identify potential candidates, such as:

• web searches
• referrals from your CIH or others
• the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (org) or other reputable certifying firm

When inviting remediation contractors to bid on your project, ensure they are qualified.  Some of the questions or information you may request are:

• Insurance coverage: candidates should have, and be happy to provide you with, the following insurance information.  Each should have reasonable limits to address the size of your project:
  • General Liability
  • Pollution
  • Workers Comp

• Certifications and Registrations
  • They should ideally be firm certified in Water and Mold Remediation by an organization such as the IICRC, IAQA or ACA
  • Registered with Consumer Affairs as a state Home Improvement Contractor

• Prior experience or testimonials:
  • Ask for testimonials or references from recent clients
  • Beware of online reputations.  Good or bad, they may only give you a very small sampling.

Each candidate you select should then be provided with a copy of the CIH protocol and permitted a time when they can inspect the areas in question.  The CIH should be made available to each candidate in order to answer any questions they may have regarding the project and to verify their intended approach.  The CIH should not instruct them on how to assemble their proposal, but should give them guidance as to what will be expected in order to pass clearance.

Since you provided each candidate with the protocol, there should be no confusion regarding scope of work.  Each proposal should show a timeline to accomplish the work and provide ample details.  If the candidate you felt most impressed with is higher, try to negotiate.

At this point you should have enough information to make your selection.  Next we’ll present project time and budget planning.

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