Mold Inspection & Remediation in Louisiana

A real mold remediation license. Louisiana is one of the few states that licenses mold remediation. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) issues a Mold Remediation classification, required for mold remediation work worth more than $7,500. The company's qualifying party must complete 24 hours of board-approved training in mold remediation and basic mold assessment. Use the LSLBC license search and ask for the Mold Remediation classification by name; a general contractor license is not the same thing.

Higher insurance from August 2026. Under Act 757 of 2026, the minimum liability insurance for mold remediation licensees rises from $100,000 to $500,000, effective August 1, 2026, and the insurer or agent must file proof with the board. Ask for the certificate.

Smaller jobs. Work of $7,500 or less does not need the mold license, so for small jobs check insurance, training, and references. Rebuilding after removal may need a residential or home improvement registration from the LSLBC depending on the amount, and your parish or city may require permits.

What to ask for. A written scope that lists rooms, materials, containment, and how the result will be checked, and whether the work follows the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard.

Testing and cleanup stay separate. Louisiana law bars the company that performs the mold assessment for a job from also doing the remediation for it, and the assessor must give a written report to whoever pays for the assessment. Mold assessment itself does not require a state license. Homeowners may remediate mold on their own property without a license; the license applies when you hire a contractor for the work.

South Louisiana is among the wettest places in the continental United States. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals put New Orleans Lakefront at about 60 inches of precipitation a year and Baton Rouge at about 62, with summer thunderstorms and tropical systems on top of humid air from late spring through fall. North Louisiana is somewhat drier but still humid.

That combination means wet materials dry slowly even without a storm, and after a hurricane or flood, homes can sit wet for days while power is out. The EPA recommends drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours and keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30% to 50%, which takes air conditioning or dehumidifiers through most of the year here.

Louisiana mold claims usually come down to wind versus water. Rain that comes through a roof or window damaged by a hurricane is usually a homeowners claim, often with a separate hurricane or named-storm deductible and a limit on mold. Water that rises from outside, whether storm surge, a river, or heavy rain that floods streets, is flood water and needs a flood policy.

Mold from a slow leak or long-term humidity is commonly excluded, and insurers often look at whether the home was dried promptly after a storm. Photograph damage before cleanup, keep receipts for fans and dehumidifiers, and report promptly. The Louisiana Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints. See does insurance cover mold.

Our phone line is for homeowners. If you rent in Louisiana, the Civil Code requires the lessor to deliver the home in good condition, keep it suitable for its purpose, and make necessary repairs, and it allows a tenant, after asking the landlord to make a necessary repair that the landlord fails to make, to make it and deduct the cost in some circumstances (Civil Code articles 2682, 2691, and 2694). The rules are specific, so read them before relying on them.

Give your landlord written notice of the leak and the mold, keep a copy, and take dated photos. If repairs are not made, contact your city or parish code enforcement office or a legal aid organization. For your belongings, see renters insurance and mold.