Cost guide

Mold Remediation Cost: What Public Bid Data Shows

Last reviewed November 2026. Primary sources were accessed November 3, 2026. Consumer-reported pages were accessed November 2, 2026. Dates are Mountain Standard Time (Phoenix).

Browse mold remediation contractors with a license on record

These figures are national. They are not a price for a home in one state.

What the data shows

Primary sources first. We found no government agency or industry survey that publishes a residential price for mold remediation. The public prices below come from institutional buyers.

State of Michigan statewide contract 071B7700154

Public contract · 2017 (contract term June 2017 to May 2020) · Accessed Nov 3, 2026

Mold-impacted drywall removal under negative pressure, with cleaning and encapsulation of the studs: $18.00 per sq ft up to 100 sq ft, $12.00 from 100 to 500, $7.00 from 500 to 1,500, $4.00 above 1,500. Insulation removal: $16.00 falling to $4.00. Carpet removal with floor cleaning: $8.00 up to 100 sq ft. HEPA and wet-wipe cleaning of non-porous surfaces: $8.00 up to 100 sq ft. One-time mobilization: $740 (Lansing area) or $1,200 (elsewhere). Hourly: project manager $85, supervisor $70, worker $64.

Confidence: Low

School Board of Marion County (FL) bid 4052MF tab

Public bid · 2024 (bids due Mar 6, 2024) · Accessed Nov 3, 2026

Two bids on an indoor air quality (IAQ) remediation and asbestos abatement contract; one bidder was marked non-responsive for incomplete forms. Wallboard removal: $0.89 and $1.50 per sq ft. Ceiling tile and grid removal: $1.33 and $1.00. HEPA and wet cleaning of surfaces: $0.44 and $1.00. Mobilization: $500 to $600 and $1,200 per site. Plastic sheeting, decontamination units and landfill disposal are separate line items. Worker: $45 and $42 per hour.

Confidence: Medium

EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home

Government · 2026 (page updated Jun 4, 2026) · Accessed Nov 3, 2026

No dollar figures. If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (roughly a 3 ft by 3 ft patch), in most cases you can handle it yourself. If there has been a lot of water damage or mold covers more than 10 square feet, EPA points to its remediation guide.

Confidence: High

Residential mold jobs: government or industry-survey price

Government / industry survey · n/a · Accessed Nov 3, 2026

Not found

Confidence: Low

Typical range for homeowners

Small job (about 100 sq ft)

About $1,500 to $3,200 (State of Michigan statewide contract 071B7700154)

How we derived it

Our arithmetic on Michigan's published unit prices (State of Michigan statewide contract 071B7700154): 100 sq ft at the $8 to $20 per sq ft prices for the smallest size tier ($800 to $2,000), plus the one-time mobilization fee of $740 to $1,200.

What it is not

A residential average. The prices come from a 2017 state contract for public buildings. Marion County's 2024 school-district bid (School Board of Marion County (FL) bid 4052MF tab) lists much lower per-sq-ft prices ($0.44 to $1.50 for wallboard removal and cleaning) with containment and disposal priced separately, so we do not average the two. Larger areas cost less per sq ft but more in total; no primary source gives a whole-house total.

Confidence

Low

A state-by-state price comparison was not found. The public bids are for specific agencies and years, so they are not a state comparison. This page publishes a national range only.

Consumer-reported estimates (secondary source)

Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026), HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026) and This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026). These are consumer-reported or editorial estimates, not independent of each other, and shown for comparison only; the headline range above does not rely on them. Their typical total ($1,223 to $3,758) overlaps the worked example above (Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026) · HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026)).

Figure
Typical total (Angi FAQ, same page)
Range
$1,125–$3,350; average about $2,400
Source(s)
Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026)
Confidence
Low
Accessed
Nov 2, 2026

Where the sources disagree: Angi gives two typical ranges on one page ($1,223–$3,758 in the headline, $1,125–$3,350 in its FAQ; Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026)). Its introduction also says severe or whole-home jobs reach up to $7,000, while its location table says whole house runs $10,000–$30,000. This Old House's per-square-foot table is the rate times area and does not add the minimum charge, so small jobs can cost more than the table shows (This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026)).

By location in the home

What drives the cost up or down

Testing, inspection and DIY

We found no government or public-bid price for mold testing. The prices below are consumer-reported (Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026) · HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026) · This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026)).

What EPA and the guides say about testing and DIY

  • EPA: if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (roughly a 3 ft by 3 ft patch), in most cases you can handle it yourself. For more than 10 square feet or a lot of water damage, EPA points to its remediation guide, and says a contractor should have mold experience and references (EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home).
  • EPA: if visible mold is present, sampling is unnecessary in most cases. No EPA or other federal limits exist for mold or spores, so a sample cannot show compliance with a federal standard. Surface sampling can help show whether an area was cleaned adequately (EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home).
  • HomeAdvisor says to proceed with a DIY job only if you are confident you found every spot, since mold can sit in wall cavities or HVAC runs (HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026)).

FAQ

How much does mold remediation cost?

No government agency publishes a residential average. Public state unit prices for a small job of about 100 square feet work out to roughly $1,500 to $3,200 once the mobilization fee is added (our arithmetic on a 2017 Michigan contract for public buildings; State of Michigan statewide contract 071B7700154). Consumer-reported guides give a similar typical range of $1,223 to $3,758 (Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026) · HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026)). Larger jobs cost less per square foot but more in total; the consumer-reported guides put whole-house jobs at $10,000 to $30,000 (Angi (updated Oct 29, 2026) · HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026) · This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026)).

Why does a small patch cost more per square foot?

Unit prices fall as the area grows (Michigan's contract: $18 per square foot up to 100 square feet, $7 from 500 to 1,500), and a one-time mobilization fee applies to every job (State of Michigan statewide contract 071B7700154). Consumer-reported guides also cite minimum charges of $500 to $1,500 (This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026)).

Do I need a mold test before hiring someone?

Often not. EPA says that when mold is visible, sampling is usually unnecessary (EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home). If you want one, basic testing is quoted at $250–$350 (HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026)).

Can I clean mold myself?

EPA says you can usually handle an area under about 10 square feet yourself. Larger areas or heavy water damage are a different situation (EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home).

Will the mold come back?

It should not if the moisture source is fixed. HomeAdvisor lists repairing leaks and keeping humidity below 50 percent as the main steps (HomeAdvisor (updated Jun 19, 2026)).

Does homeowners insurance cover it?

It depends on the policy and the cause. This Old House suggests asking your insurer, especially after a catastrophic event (This Old House (updated Mar 11, 2026)).

How we built these numbers

  • Source order: we start with government sources (EPA, HUD, state agencies), then public bid or contract unit prices (state contracts, school districts, cities), then industry survey data. Angi, HomeAdvisor, This Old House, HomeGuide and Fixr are shown only in a separate consumer-reported section and are not used to set the headline ranges.
  • Each figure in the tables is one we read on the cited page or document, with the source type, year, link, confidence and the date we accessed it (Mountain Standard Time, Phoenix). Where we found nothing, the table says Not found.
  • Typical ranges are our own arithmetic, with one sentence on how each was derived. We do not average bids of different scope, and a range is only as good as the sources it rests on, which is why each one carries a confidence rating.
  • Public bid prices are unit prices from institutional buyers, and they may include prevailing-wage rules and larger project sizes. They are examples of what contractors bid, not residential averages.
  • We do not use proprietary estimating databases such as RSMeans, Xactimate or HomeWyse, and we do not quote them.
  • We plan to add quotes collected from contractors in our directory later, and will label them as a separate source type.
  • Confidence key: High means a government source states the figure directly or two independent primary sources agree. Medium means one primary source read in full, or primary sources that agree only loosely. Low means dated before 2022, unclear scope, a program budget estimate or a single source. Consumer-reported rows are capped at Medium.
  • We refresh figures at least twice a year and show the last-reviewed date. Where a contractor listing is mentioned, the directory's phrase is license on record.

Sources

Contractors by state

These links go only to states where the directory currently lists mold remediation contractors. The figures above stay national.

Related guides

Basements come up in both jobs. See the radon mitigation cost guide for survey and state-program figures.