New York's Mold Licensing Rule
Most states do not regulate mold work at all. New York does, and one clause in that law is more useful to you than anything else on this site.
The separation rule
A licensed mold assessment in the Rochester area costs $350-800, and under New York law it must come from a different company than the one doing the remediation.
New York is one of roughly a dozen states with mold-specific licensing; in Monroe County that makes the licence number a genuinely useful check.
Under Article 32 of the New York Labor Law, mold assessment and mold remediation must be performed by different companies on the same job. A licensed assessor writes the remediation plan; a licensed remediator carries it out; and the two cannot be the same business or have a financial interest in each other.
The logic is straightforward. If the company that tells you how bad the problem is also gets paid in proportion to how bad it is, the incentive points the wrong way. Splitting the roles removes the conflict entirely.
If a company offers to test your air and then remediate based on its own findings, that arrangement does not comply with the rule. It is a reasonable moment to get a second opinion.
There are exemptions in the law - notably for a homeowner working on their own residence, and for small jobs below the threshold - so not every situation requires a licensed contractor. It is still worth asking.
What to ask before you sign
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That last question is the one that separates contractors. The good ones have already thought about it and will tell you plainly if the durable fix is a roofer or a drainage contractor rather than them.
Get connected to a local remediator
We will pass your details to one licensed local remediator. If you would rather check the state register and call them yourself, that is a perfectly good outcome too.
Or call (877) 701-2518