How Mold Remediation Works in New Orleans, LA
A careful mold job follows the same path whether it is a bathroom ceiling in Mid-City or a flooded slab home in Metairie. Here are the eight steps, where Louisiana rules come in, and what to ask at each one.
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The short version
Find the water. Contain the area. Remove what is moldy and clean what can be cleaned. Dry it and fix the source. Check the result before the walls go back up.
NOLA Mold Remediation is a free quote service and does none of this work. The steps below describe what independent mold companies in New Orleans and nearby parishes typically do, so you can read their quotes with a clear picture of the job.
Small patches of less than about 10 square feet can often be cleaned by the owner or tenant once the water problem is fixed, according to the EPA. Owners and tenants may do their own work without a license in Louisiana (R.S. 37:2157).
The eight steps of a mold job
Describe the problem
Use the free quote form or call. Say where the mold is, roughly how big it looks, what got wet and when, whether the house is raised or on a slab, and whether you own or rent. Independent companies that work in your area reply on their own schedules.
Companies reply
Mold inspection and remediation companies contact you to ask questions, look at the problem and quote it. Companies may pay to receive requests, and you never have to hire any of them.
Optional independent assessment
For hidden mold, a dispute with a landlord or seller, or a big flood job, you can hire an assessor to find the moisture and map the mold first. In Louisiana that must be a different company from the remediator. When mold is visible, the EPA says sampling is usually unnecessary.
Written scope and contract
Get a written scope listing the rooms, containment, what will be removed, drying and any clearance test. For jobs of about $7,500 and up, the contract must carry the company's LSLBC license number, the price and its insurance certificates, and no work should begin before everyone signs.
Containment and removal
The work area is sealed with plastic sheeting, vents are covered, and HEPA air scrubbers keep spores from drifting. Moldy drywall, insulation and carpet are cut out and bagged. Framing and other hard surfaces are HEPA vacuumed and cleaned. Painting over mold is not a fix.
Drying and fixing the source
Dehumidifiers and air movers run until moisture readings are back to normal. The water source has to be fixed too: the roof, the plumbing leak, the AC drain line or crawl-space moisture. Otherwise the mold comes back.
Optional clearance test
Before walls are closed, a separate company can check the area visually, with a moisture meter and sometimes with air or surface samples. A clearance check by someone independent of the remediator carries the most weight in a sale or rental dispute.
Written report and records
A licensed remediation contractor must give you a written report of the work. Keep it with the contract, photos, invoices and any test results. Rebuild comes next, and in New Orleans drywall replacement generally needs a permit.
Where Louisiana rules come in
Louisiana requires a Mold Remediation license from the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) for mold remediation projects of about $7,500 and up (La. R.S. 37:2150.1). Before you sign, look up the company's license on the LSLBC website. Not every company that replies will hold it, so check each one.
In Louisiana, a mold remediation contractor may not also do the mold assessment on the same property, or own the company that does (R.S. 37:2158). That is why steps 3 and 7 use a separate company. Louisiana has no state license for mold inspectors that this site could find, so ask any assessor about training, insurance, the lab they use and their independence.
What to ask for before work starts
- A written contract with the license number, price and insurance certificates (R.S. 37:2159)
- A written report when the work is done (R.S. 37:2158)
- Proof of at least $100,000 in liability insurance and workers' comp (R.S. 37:2156.1)
- Who fixes the water source, and whether rebuild is in this contract or a separate one
Mold cleanup itself usually isn't permitted work, but in New Orleans drywall replacement generally needs a permit, as do electrical, plumbing, roofing and historic-district exterior work. Your rebuild contractor should pull it. Other parishes have their own rules.
After a storm: protect yourself on the contract
Warnings issued by Louisiana officials after Ida (2021) and Francine (2024), and by federal agencies in 2024, point to the same habits.
- Verify the LSLBC license before any down payment or signature.
- Get a written contract that lists the scope and price.
- Avoid large upfront payments. Use a payment schedule tied to the work.
- Never pay in cash, gift cards, wire transfer or crypto. The FTC, DOJ and CFPB warned in 2024 that only scammers insist on these.
- Watch the calendar. Taking payment and not starting work within 45 days can be residential contractor fraud under R.S. 14:202.1.
- Be wary of door-knockers offering work you didn't ask for.
- Read the cancellation notice. A contract signed at home can carry a 3-day right to cancel (R.S. 9:3538; FTC Cooling-Off Rule), but there are exceptions for emergency work you asked for that has already started.
Next: see what each step typically costs, read about mold inspection and testing, or go to mold removal. After flooding, start with mold after floods and storms.
Start with step one
Describe the problem once, and independent companies that work in New Orleans, LA and nearby towns can reply with quotes. No cost and no obligation.
Found mold or a musty smell? Get free quotes.
Describe it once and independent mold companies serving New Orleans and the metro can reply with no-obligation quotes.