Mold After Water Damage in Conroe, TX: What Texas Law Says
An owner may treat mold on their own residential property with fewer than 10 dwelling units without a license; a company you hire needs one at 25 contiguous square feet or more.
The First 24 to 48 Hours: Why Drying Comes First
If your Conroe home took on water from a leak, burst pipe, or flooding, here is what federal agencies say about how fast mold can start. FEMA says wet carpeting, furniture, bedding, and other items holding moisture can develop mold within 24 to 48 hours, so drying is a time-sensitive job.
- FEMA: wet carpeting, furniture, bedding, and any other items holding moisture can develop mold within 24 to 48 hours.
- EPA: in most cases, mold will not grow if wet or damp items are dried within 24 to 48 hours.
- CDC: advises drying out flooded areas fully and quickly within 24 to 48 hours.
These come from FEMA's flood fact sheet, the EPA's mold guidance, and the CDC's mold guidance. If you have not yet reported the leak or shut off your water, see who to call first in Conroe before drying can even begin.
How Texas Law Scales With the Size of the Job
Texas licenses mold work under Occupations Code Chapter 1958, and assessment and remediation each generally require a license. One exception: remediating less than 25 contiguous square feet needs no license, under Section 1958.102(c). A company you hire needs a TDLR mold remediation license once the remediation covers 25 square feet or more.
| Situation | What Texas Law Says | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Mold remediation under 25 contiguous square feet | No license needed for that remediation under Sec. 1958.102(c); mold assessment still needs a license under Sec. 1958.101 | Checked: September 2026 |
| Homeowner working on their own house, fewer than 10 dwelling units | The owner, or the owner's own employee, does not need a license, with no area limit, under Sec. 1958.102(e) | Checked: September 2026 |
| Hiring an outside company for remediation of 25 sq ft or more | That company needs a TDLR mold remediation license | Checked: September 2026 |
| Same firm offers both inspection and cleanup on one project | Not allowed; the assessor and the remediator must be different license holders under Sec. 1958.155(a) | Checked: September 2026 |
| After licensed remediation work finishes | Certificate of mold remediation due to the owner by the 10th day after completion, under Sec. 1958.154(a) | Checked: September 2026 |
Where the Owner Exemption Applies
The owner exemption in Sec. 1958.102(e) lets you, or your own employee, do mold assessment or remediation on residential property you own, with no area limit, as long as it has fewer than 10 dwelling units. Hire an outside contractor instead, and once the remediation reaches 25 contiguous square feet, that contractor needs a TDLR mold remediation license to do the work legally.
Read the exact wording in Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1958 directly from the state, and see the Conroe water damage overview for how mold questions fit into the wider repair process.
Assessor and Remediator Must Be Separate
Texas law does not let the same license holder both assess and remediate mold on one project. Under Occupations Code Sec. 1958.155(a), a license holder may not perform both mold assessment and mold remediation on the same project, so the two jobs go to two separate license holders.
- Ask upfront whether the company doing your mold inspection also plans to do the cleanup; performing both roles on the same project is not allowed under state law.
- Get the assessment, meaning testing and a scope of work, from one license holder, then get the remediation, meaning removal and cleanup, from a separate license holder.
Records to Hold Onto Before You Sell
Once licensed mold remediation work finishes, Texas law requires the contractor to give the property owner a certificate of mold remediation. That certificate is due not later than the 10th day after the work is completed, under Occupations Code Sec. 1958.154(a).
If You Are Buying a Home That Flooded Before
Under Sec. 1958.154(b), a seller must give buyers copies of any certificates of mold remediation completed in the five years before the sale. Ask the seller for these documents when you buy a Conroe home; they show that licensed remediation was completed on the property within that period.
Store your certificate of mold remediation together with your other property paperwork. If you sell within five years of the work, Texas law requires you to give copies to the buyer under Sec. 1958.154(b).
How Insurance Treats Mold Tied to a Covered Loss
Mold is usually excluded from a standard Texas homeowners policy, except for repair work needed because of a water loss the policy already covers. Coverage for that ensuing mold damage varies under TDI's consumer guide on water damage and mold; this page is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
- When the cause is a sudden burst pipe, that water release is normally a covered event, subject to your policy's terms and deductible.
- Flood, ongoing leaks, and seepage are typically excluded, and so is mold that is not tied to a covered loss.
- Sublimits on covered mold repair vary by insurer: 25%, 50%, or 100% of your dwelling coverage limit all appear in the endorsements TDI has published, so check your own declarations page.
If you rent your Conroe home, tell your landlord about the leak or flood in writing right away; repairing the building is the landlord's responsibility. Your own renters policy covers your belongings, not the structure itself.
If That Did Not Work
Mold work does not always go as planned. The right next step depends on how big the problem turned out to be, whether you are unsure if you need a licensed contractor, or whether you disagree with how an insurance claim was handled.
- Try again: if the affected area is genuinely under 25 contiguous square feet, Texas law lets you handle that remediation yourself, but mold that returns calls for another look, not just the same cleanup again.
- Try another route: for 25 square feet or more, or if you are unsure how to measure the affected area, treat it as a licensing matter and ask any provider you consider to show a TDLR mold license for the role, assessment or remediation, they are performing.
- Who to contact: for a complaint about a mold licensee, TDLR handles enforcement; for a dispute about what your homeowners policy covers, call the Texas Department of Insurance consumer help line at 800-252-3439, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, Monday through Friday.
If the water came from a ceiling rather than a floor-level leak, see ceiling leak water damage in Conroe. For the numbers to call before any of this starts, see the Conroe water damage overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a license required for a small mold cleanup job at my Conroe house?
May one contractor handle both mold testing and mold cleanup on my property?
What document proves mold remediation was completed?
Will my homeowners policy pay for mold damage?
I am buying an older Conroe home. How do I know if it had mold work done before?
Who enforces Texas mold licensing rules?
Water in your home right now?
See who to call first in Conroe, how to reach your water provider, and how to check your flood zone.
Who to Call First in Conroe