Mold Inspection & Remediation in Virginia

Virginia has no mold license. The state licensed mold inspectors and remediators only briefly: a licensing program took effect on July 1, 2011, and mold professionals were deregulated in April 2012. In a January 2026 report to the General Assembly, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) concluded that there was not enough evidence to bring back licensing or certification. There is no state registry of mold companies, so the checking falls to you.

A certification rule for remediators. Under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-200 of the Code of Virginia), a company that sells professional mold remediation for a home must hold a mold remediation certification from a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body and follow the EPA guide Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, the ANSI/IICRC S520 standard, or an equivalent ANSI-accredited standard. The rule covers remediation only; mold inspectors have no comparable requirement. Consumer complaints go to the Consumer Protection Section of the Office of the Attorney General.

When a contractor license applies. Virginia's contractor law counts the remediation, cleanup, or containment of contaminants as an improvement to real property, and DPOR states that contractors doing mold remediation should hold a Class A, B, or C contractor license. A Class C license starts at jobs worth more than $1,000, and larger contracts require Class B or A. Ask for the license number and check it with DPOR's license lookup, especially if the same company will replace drywall, flooring, or framing.

One company or two. Virginia law does not stop one company from both testing your home and removing the mold, and there is no state standard for a safe level of mold. Many homeowners prefer an independent inspection before the work and an independent check after it, and agree in writing on how clearance will be judged before work starts.

Selling a home. Virginia's Residential Property Disclosure Act is a buyer-beware law. The seller's disclosure statement says the owner makes no representations about the condition of the property and advises buyers to get a home inspection and a mold assessment by a business that follows EPA guidelines before settlement. Separate rules do require sellers to disclose some things they actually know about, including a home that is a repetitive flood loss property (two or more flood insurance claims of more than $1,000 within a rolling 10-year period) and pending building code enforcement actions. A seller who intentionally misrepresents the condition of the home can still be sued.

Most of Virginia has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and rain spread across the year. Under NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, Washington Reagan National Airport in Arlington averages about 42 inches of precipitation a year and Richmond International Airport about 45.5 inches, with August the wettest month in Richmond. Humid summer air slows drying and condenses on cool ducts and framing in crawl spaces and basements.

Short, intense storms do much of the damage. On July 8, 2019, Reagan National recorded 3.30 inches of rain in one hour, and Four Mile Run in Arlington and Cameron Run in Alexandria each rose more than 11 feet in an hour. In August 2004, the remnants of Gaston dropped more than 12 inches of rain on parts of Richmond, according to the National Weather Service, and flooded Shockoe Bottom. The EPA recommends drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours and keeping indoor relative humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%.

Mold coverage depends on the policy and on where the water came from. A standard homeowners policy usually covers mold that follows sudden and accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe or a failed water heater, often with a separate dollar limit for mold. Mold from a slow leak, long-term humidity, or poor maintenance is commonly excluded. Flood water is not covered by a homeowners policy at all; it needs a separate flood policy, such as one through the National Flood Insurance Program, and sewer or drain backup is usually covered only if you added that endorsement.

Read the mold or fungi section of your policy and the declarations page to see whether a mold limit applies. Report water damage as soon as you find it, photograph everything before cleanup, and keep damaged materials or samples until the adjuster has seen them. If you cannot resolve a dispute with your insurer, the Bureau of Insurance of the Virginia State Corporation Commission takes consumer complaints. Our guide on whether homeowners insurance covers mold explains more.

Our phone line is for homeowners. If you rent in Virginia, the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) gives you specific protections on mold.

At move-in, the landlord's written inspection report must say whether there is visible mold in readily accessible areas inside the unit (§ 55.1-1215). If the report shows visible mold, you may end the tenancy, or stay and have the landlord remediate promptly and no later than five business days after you ask to stay; the landlord then reinspects and gives you a new report. If the report says there is no visible mold and you disagree, object in writing within five days.

During the tenancy, the landlord must keep the home in a condition that prevents moisture and mold, respond promptly to your notices, remediate visible mold in line with professional standards, reinspect, and give you a summary of the remediation (§ 55.1-1220). If mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may require you to move out temporarily, for up to 30 days, while the work is done, and generally pays the relocation and remediation costs unless the mold resulted from the tenant's own failure to meet their duties (§ 55.1-1231). Those duties include taking reasonable steps to prevent moisture and promptly reporting leaks or visible mold (§ 55.1-1227).

If the landlord does not fix a serious condition after written notice, you may file a tenant's assertion in court and pay your rent into a court escrow account instead of to the landlord (§ 55.1-1244). Do not simply stop paying rent. Virginia law bars a landlord from retaliating against a tenant who complains to a building or housing code agency or complains to the landlord about a violation of the VRLTA (§ 55.1-1258). Local code enforcement offices and legal aid organizations can help. For your own belongings, see our guide to renters insurance and mold.