Mold Found During a Home Inspection? Austin Buyers & Sellers

Most Central Texas homes put the air handler and ducts in a hot attic, then run the AC through a long, humid cooling season. That pairing produces sweating ducts, a dripping indoor coil, clogged drain lines and high indoor humidity. So inspectors write up musty odors, stains near supply registers, dark spots on vents and water around the equipment. A house that sat empty during the listing with the AC off or set high can develop problems fast.

An inspection note is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Next steps:

1. Find the moisture source. Mold is the symptom. The cause might be an AC drain problem, a roof or plumbing leak, or humidity the system isn’t pulling out.
2. Get an independent assessment. A licensed mold assessor documents the problem and writes a remediation protocol. In Texas, the assessor can’t also be the remediation company on the same project.
3. Get scopes and a timeline. We quote the HVAC scope (coil, air handler, drain pan and ducts) from the protocol, and a general mold remediation company quotes any mold elsewhere in the house, so both sides negotiate from real numbers. We can refer you to independent assessors and remediation companies if you need them.

Texas law leaves a paper trail for regulated mold remediation. Once a regulated project passes the post-remediation assessment, the licensed mold remediation contractor issues the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation (CMDR), and the property owner must receive it within 10 days. The certificate includes a licensed mold assessor’s statement that the mold contamination identified for the project was remediated as the protocol laid out. Gold Eagle doesn’t issue CMDRs; we document the HVAC work we performed.

When the owner later sells, Texas Occupations Code Section 1958.154 requires the seller to give the buyer a copy of each certificate of mold damage remediation issued for the property in the five years before the sale.

For any mold-related work, regulated or not, keep the paper: the inspection report, any mold assessment and lab results, the protocol, repair invoices, any CMDR and the HVAC repair records, including ours.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your real estate agent or a real estate attorney can answer disclosure questions, including your seller’s disclosure notice and how repairs fit your contract.

Sellers: Before listing, have the HVAC system serviced, including the coil, drain pan and condensate line. Check the attic ducts for sweating or disconnected runs, and keep the AC running and humidity in check while the house sits empty. Fix stains and odors at their cause instead of painting over them; the moisture behind a stain doesn’t leave with the paint.

Buyers: Ask what caused the problem and whether it was fixed, whether a licensed assessor was involved, whether there are before-and-after lab results, and whether any certificates of mold damage remediation were issued in the last five years. Ask what was done to the HVAC system, and ask for the paperwork.

More on mold in the HVAC system:

• HVAC restoration: how a mold job inside the AC system runs, from the assessor’s protocol to clearance
• Signs of mold in your HVAC system: what inspectors often notice
• Mold in your AC unit: coil and air handler restoration
• Mold and Home Sales in Austin: Inspections, Texas Rules and Timelines

Before you negotiate, these guides explain what each mold test can show, how the IICRC S520 standard fits Texas rules, and the warning signs inside an HVAC system.

• Mold Testing: What Each Method Can and Can’t Tell You
• What Is the IICRC S520, and How It Fits With Texas Mold Rules
• Warning Signs of Mold in Your HVAC System
• Austin Mold Facts
• Whack-a-Mold (a quick game)

See every guide in the Gold Eagle Resource Center