Frequently Asked Questions - Pricing and Policies
This has always been a tough issue. When a project fails to pass the final sampling, it is primarily the result of either inadequate remediation and cleaning, or there exists a reservoir of mold that is hidden. If the contractor did an inadequate job of remediation and cleaning, then he/she should not only complete the project at his/her cost, but the contractor should also cover the cost of additional testing until clearance is attained. The most important thing for the homeowner to remember is that the consultant (Pacific IAQ) has a contract with the homeowner, not the contractor. All additional sampling costs are invoiced to the homeowner or client, and its up to the client to negotiate the additional costs with the contractor. In the event of one or more failures, Pacific IAQ recommends that the homeowner withhold the contractors final payment until the cost of additional testing has been negotiated.
If the failure is the result of a hidden reservoir of mold, then additional investigation and remediation is necessary. Pacific IAQ always recommends that drywall removal extend at least two feet beyond the last visible water staining or mold growth so that we can be assured that there are no additional mold reservoirs. Occasionally, additional areas are discovered that may or may not be related to the specific problem you are remediating. In these circumstances, the additional work and testing are considered part of the project and are generally paid for by the homeowner or client.
This is the part that is completely out of our control. The cost really depends on the scope of work and the company that you choose to do that work. Our inspection report includes a protocol, or scope of work, for the contractors to follow. We make our recommendations following the accepted industry practices, and will not recommend any work that we cannot justify. One of the primary reasons a homeowner requests a mold investigation is to get a written protocol for contractors to bid on. Without a protocol, each contractor will give you a bid on what he/she perceives as the proper scope of work. There are many remediation companies in the North Bay and not all are equal in knowledge, training and quality. The protocol that Pacific IAQ provides defines the scope of work so that your contractors are bidding “apples to apples”.
The cost of sampling will depend on many factors, such as the number and types of samples collected, the method of laboratory analysis to be used, the type of report needed, and the location of the site. Typical mold inspections average between $800 and $1500, and may or may not include remediation maps or thermography. Some mold inspectors take commissions of up to 10% from the contractor for referrals… who do you think pays for that.
Pacific IAQ is not only the leader in education, certifications and technology… we are also the least expensive. Most companies work on a time and materials contract, so you’re basically giving them a blank check. The owner of Pacific IAQ recognized the need for low cost package pricing. Mold investigations in Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties are all the same price. We don’t charge for travel, we don’t charge for pumps or equipment, we don’t offer or accept commissions or “finder fees”, what we quote is what you pay… period. Of course, projects outside our three-county area of operation incur a small travel charge, but the cost is still lower than the competition. Because this is a heavy traffic web site, and we don’t want to give away too much to the competition, we don’t post our rates on the web site. Please call or email us for a brochure with all our rates.
This is another difficult question since all projects are unique. A kitchen remediation that includes cabinets and granite countertops will cost much more to rebuild than a bedroom wall.