HVAC Restoration in Austin: The HVAC Side of Mold Remediation

HVAC restoration is mold remediation inside the heating and cooling system: cleaning or replacing the parts where mold is growing, following the independent assessor’s protocol, and fixing the conditions that let it grow. Most people find it by searching “mold in AC unit,” “mold in air ducts” or “HVAC mold remediation.”

In Central Texas, air handlers usually sit in attics or closets, ducts run through attic air that climbs well over 120 degrees in summer, and systems run nearly nonstop from May to October. That adds up to a cold coil, a steady stream of condensation and a lot of humid air around it. When a drain backs up, a duct sweats or an oversized unit shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, mold takes hold inside the system and rides the airflow into every room.

Each part of a mold job has a clear owner:

• An independent, licensed mold assessor evaluates the home, writes the remediation protocol and performs clearance.
• Gold Eagle Services handles the mold inside the HVAC system: coil, air handler, drain pan, plenums and ducts. We’re a licensed mold remediation company and an HVAC contractor, so we also correct the moisture problem that fed it.
• A general mold remediation company handles mold anywhere else: walls, attics, roof decks or belongings. On those jobs it runs containment in the house, and we do the HVAC work inside it.

Most HVAC companies aren’t set up for mold work, and most mold remediation companies don’t repair or replace air conditioning equipment. Mold in the system sits across both trades: opening, repairing, modifying or replacing AC equipment and ductwork is licensed air conditioning work, and mold remediation is regulated separately by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Gold Eagle Services holds both licenses:

• TACLA119235: Texas Air Conditioning Contractor License
• RCO1783: Texas Mold Remediation Company License

With both, we can legally clean and treat mold inside the system and do the mechanical repair that goes with it, and we know how that work fits with containment, the protocol and clearance. HVAC has been our daily work as a family-run Austin company since 2017, so the drain, duct and humidity problems that caused the mold get fixed in the same job.

Before you hire anyone for HVAC mold work, ask for both license numbers and check them at tdlr.texas.gov.

Texas mold rules and good practice set the same order of work:

1. Independent assessment. A licensed mold assessor, independent of whoever does the remediation, evaluates the home. We coordinate with independent assessors and can refer you to one.
2. Protocol. The assessor writes the remediation protocol: what’s affected, what must be cleaned or removed, who does which part and how the work will be checked.
3. Who does what. Mold only in the HVAC system is our job. If it’s also in walls, the attic or belongings, a general mold remediation company handles that part and sets up containment in the house. We can refer you to independent ones.
4. Gold Eagle does the HVAC work. We clean or replace the coil, clean the air handler cabinet and blower, replace or re-level the drain pan, clean or replace plenums and ducts, and fix the moisture source (drains, duct sweating, sizing and humidity) as the protocol assigns. On shared jobs we work inside the other company’s containment and schedule.
5. Independent clearance. The independent assessor performs the post-remediation assessment.
6. Certificate. When a regulated project passes, the licensed remediation company issues the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation, and we document the HVAC work for the project records.

We price the HVAC work from the protocol and what we find once the system is open. The assessor, and any general remediation company on the job, price their own work. The biggest factors in our part:

• How much of the system is affected: coil and air handler only, or ducts and plenums too
• Whether ducts can be cleaned or need to be replaced (flex duct and duct board often need replacement)
• Access: attic air handlers, tight closets and long duct runs take more time
• What it takes to fix the moisture cause: a drain repair, duct sealing, a dehumidifier or equipment changes
• Scheduling around another remediation company’s containment and work plan, when one is on the job

Call 512-489-4653 for a quote. If you already have the assessor’s protocol, send it and we’ll quote the HVAC work it describes.

Each part of the work has its own page:

• Mold in your AC unit: coil and air handler restoration
• Mold in air ducts: duct cleaning, and when to replace instead of clean
• For mold remediation contractors: when your job needs the HVAC side handled
• Signs of mold in your HVAC system: musty smells, black specks and more
• Mold after water damage and insurance claims
• Mold found during a home inspection: for Austin buyers and sellers
• Mold in rental properties and short-term rentals, a landlord guide

We handle HVAC mold work across the greater Austin area, including Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Buda, Kyle, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, Driftwood.

In Austin itself we regularly work in neighborhoods like Circle C Ranch, Shady Hollow, Travis Country, Onion Creek, Zilker, Travis Heights, Hyde Park, McNeil. Not sure if you’re in our area? Call 512-489-4653.

These guides explain how HVAC mold is prevented, tested for and handled under Texas rules, if you’d like the background before you call:

• Best Practices for Mold Prevention in Your HVAC System
• Dry Fog Treatment vs. Mold Remediation: What’s the Difference?
• Mold Testing: What Each Method Can and Can’t Tell You
• What Is the IICRC S520, and How It Fits With Texas Mold Rules
• Austin Mold Facts
• Whack-a-Mold (a quick game)

See every guide in the Resource Center