Mold Inspection in Chicago, IL

About 75% of Chicago homes were built before 1980 (Census ACS), and many have been finished, refinished, and partly converted over the decades. A garden apartment or a basement rec room can hide a damp foundation behind fresh drywall. An inspection is there to find what the surfaces cover.

What a Chicago inspector checks

Below grade. Readings at the base of every finished wall, a look at the floor drain and any history of backups, window wells, and the sump if there is one. White mineral crust on brick or block, called efflorescence, is not mold, but it shows water moving through the wall.

The rim joist. The band of wood resting on the foundation stays cold in winter, and indoor moisture condenses on it. The inspector checks it with a light and a meter from the basement side.

The attic. In bungalows across Portage Park, Jefferson Park, and Chatham, finished attics with knee walls trap warm air under cold roof boards. The inspector looks for dark sheathing, damp insulation, and bath fans that end in the attic.

Plumbing walls. Old galvanized and cast-iron lines leak slowly inside walls behind bathrooms and kitchens, and thermal imaging helps find those cold, wet patches.

When an inspection is worth booking

• A musty basement or garden unit with nothing visible; the musty smell guide lists the usual sources.
• After a floor drain backed up, or water stood on the floor overnight.
• Before buying, when the seller's disclosure mentions flooding or leakage in the basement.
• When growth covers more than about 10 square feet, the size above which the EPA suggests professional help.

Picking an inspector in Illinois

Illinois licenses home inspectors, but there is no separate license for mold inspection, and the remediator registration law has not started. So the vetting is yours: ask for an insurance certificate, the inspector's training (ACAC or IICRC are common), a sample report, and whether the company also does removal. An inspector who does not sell remediation has no stake in how big the job turns out.

Cost

Angi's national data puts a mold inspection at about $300 to $1,000. A two-flat with two basements, a house with a finished attic, or added lab samples moves it toward the top. For lab work, see mold testing in Chicago; once the source is known, mold remediation in Chicago explains the removal.

Booking

Say what kind of building it is (bungalow, two-flat, frame cottage, or condo), whether the basement is finished, and where you see or smell the problem. The local company you reach will quote the visit, and the call itself costs nothing.

Illinois has no mold inspector license. Ask a Chicago inspector for training, insurance, a sample report, and whether the company also removes mold.