We find out whether you have a mold problem, where the water's coming from, and what it'll take to fix. We don't do mold removal, so we have no reason to find more mold than is actually there.
If you can see mold and it's a small patch (the EPA uses about 10 square feet as the line), you usually don't. Fix the leak and clean it. Testing earns its cost when you smell mold but can't find it, you're buying a home, you need proof for a landlord or insurer, or you want to confirm a remediation job worked. When testing is worth it
We never sell mold removal, so we have no reason to find more mold than is there.
Meters, humidity readings and thermal imaging find the water before we sample.
Samples go to an independent AIHA-LAP accredited lab under chain of custody, never read in a truck.
You see the cost before anyone comes out. No surprise sample fees.
Most companies that "test" for mold in the Treasure Valley also sell mold removal. That's like asking a body shop whether your car needs bodywork. We only inspect and test.
If you need remediation, you get a written scope of work you can hand to any contractor, so three bids quote the same job. Here's what a visit includes:
Each service answers a different question. We'll help you pick the right one on the phone, and sometimes that's no test at all.
A full walk-through with moisture mapping and thermal imaging to find where mold is growing and why.
Mold inspection in NampaSpore trap samples compared with outdoor air, for musty smells, health questions and hidden growth.
Air quality testing
Fast answers before your objection deadline, in a report you and your agent can negotiate with.
Mold testing for home buyers
The most common problem area in Nampa subdivisions, often driven by irrigation water and groundwater.
Crawlspace mold guide
Independent verification after someone else's mold removal, before the walls go back up.
Post-remediation clearance
Compare every service, what's included and what it costs before you book.
View all servicesIncludes 3 indoor samples, an outdoor control, lab fees and your report.
Nampa gets about 12 inches of precipitation a year. People move here from the coast and figure mold isn't a thing. It is. It just comes from water we put around our houses, not from the weather.
Pressurized irrigation lines break, sprinklers soak foundations, and canal seepage raises groundwater. Seepage from the canal system is the biggest source of groundwater recharge in the Treasure Valley.
Most 1990s-and-newer subdivisions in south Nampa sit on crawlspaces. Torn vapor barriers, standing water and big day-night temperature swings keep rim joists, sill plates and subfloor wet.
Cold air gets trapped in the valley and indoor humidity peaks in January. Warm, moist house air condenses on cold roof sheathing and windows.
Groundwater rises and finished basements in the older homes around downtown and Lakeview Park get damp.
Swamp cooler pads and AC condensate pans grow mold and push a musty smell through the ducts when the system runs.
A frozen line in an exterior wall can soak insulation for days before anyone sees a stain. Mold can start within 24–48 hours on wet drywall.
About 6.5% of Nampa homes were built before 1940, and the median home dates to around 2000. So we see two kinds of problems: old basements and plumbing in the historic core, and crawlspace and attic ventilation issues in the newer subdivisions. Read the full Nampa moisture guide.
Your inspector wrote "possible microbial growth" and your objection deadline is days away. You need a clear answer you can negotiate with. Pre-purchase mold testing
You want a documented clean result, or a clearance letter after a repair, before the RE-25 disclosure goes out.
The house smells musty, or the kids' allergies are worse at home. You want to know if the house is part of it. Talk to your doctor too.
A tenant complaint, a turnover, or a landlord who hasn't acted. You need documentation that holds up.
Burst pipe, irrigation break, roof leak, dishwasher line. Mold can start growing within 24–48 hours on wet drywall or carpet.
Not always. Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare says testing usually isn't needed if you can see or smell mold, and we agree. Here's how we'd decide.
Fix the moisture first. Mold comes back wherever the water does.
On site for 1½–3 hours in a typical home. Standard lab results in 2–3 business days, rush in 24 hours.
We ask what you've noticed, any leak history and your deadline. If you don't need a test, we'll say so.
House, crawlspace and attic. Moisture and humidity readings, and thermal imaging on suspect walls and ceilings.
Air samples in problem areas plus an outdoor control. Surface samples where there's visible growth. ERMI dust testing when the question is long-term exposure.
An accredited lab identifies the mold by type and counts the spores.
Results in plain English, photos, the moisture source, and a recommended scope of work if remediation is needed.
How to read the numbers: there's no federal "safe" spore count. What matters is how indoor air compares with outdoor air on the same day, and which molds show up. Indoor counts well above outdoor, or water-damage molds like Stachybotrys or Chaetomium indoors, point to a moisture problem. How to read mold test results
The price you see is the price you pay, unless we agree on extra samples before we take them. Local Treasure Valley pricing for professional testing typically runs about $200–$600.
No samples. For when you need to know where and why.
$225The full picture for buyers, smells and health questions.
$375After someone else's mold removal, before rebuild.
$325Extra samples $75 each · ERMI dust test $295 · Rush lab $95 extra. If someone quotes you thousands for testing alone, ask exactly what's included. What mold testing should cost
If mold came up in your home inspection, the clock is running. Here's what helps.
Idaho doesn't license mold inspectors or home inspectors. Anyone can hand out a business card that says "mold expert." So here's exactly who we are and how we work.
The person in your crawlspace inspects and tests. They don't sell removal, so nothing rides on what they find.
We never do remediation and never take referral fees from remediation companies.
An independent laboratory accredited under AIHA-LAP's environmental microbiology program (EMLAP).
Photos, moisture readings, lab results and plain-English next steps, plus a phone walkthrough.
Whoever you hire, watch for these red flags. They're the most common complaints we hear from people who call us for a second look.
The person who finds the problem shouldn't be the one selling the fix.
An indoor spore count means nothing without an outdoor sample from the same day to compare.
Ask which lab reads the samples and whether it's AIHA-LAP accredited.
If the report says "mold found" but not why, it's only half a job. Mold comes back unless the water is fixed.
Settle plates grow something in almost every home. They can't tell you whether you have a problem.
You should know the cost before anyone shows up. Our prices
Our inspection with air testing is $375 for a typical home, and an inspection without samples is $225. Treasure Valley pricing for professional testing usually runs about $200–$600, depending on home size and how many samples are needed. You'll know the full price before we come out.
Usually not. If it's a small patch and you know the cause, fix the moisture and clean it. Testing is worth it when you can't find the source, the area is large, you need documentation for a sale, a landlord or insurance, or you want to confirm a cleanup worked.
The on-site visit takes about 1½–3 hours for most Nampa homes. Standard lab results come back in 2–3 business days, and rush results in 24 hours for real estate deadlines. We call you to go over the report so you're not left decoding lab terms.
There's no official safe number; no federal limits exist for indoor mold spores. A normal result looks like the outdoor sample taken the same day, usually lower, with a similar mix of molds. Indoor counts well above outdoor, or water-damage molds indoors, point to a moisture problem.
"Black mold" usually means Stachybotrys chartarum, but plenty of dark molds aren't Stachybotrys. Any mold growing indoors can trigger allergies or asthma, so color matters less than size and cause. Finding Stachybotrys does tell us something useful: material has stayed wet for a long time.
Sometimes. Most policies only cover mold that results from a sudden, covered event like a burst pipe, and many cap or exclude mold coverage. Flood isn't covered by a standard policy. Our report documents the water source and timeline, which is what your adjuster will ask about. Check your own policy wording.
Idaho has no mold-specific law, but mold that makes a rental unfit to live in can trigger the landlord's duty to repair under Idaho Code § 6-320. Tell your landlord in writing, take dated photos and keep copies. For lease or legal questions, contact Idaho Legal Aid. This is general information, not legal advice.
Idaho requires sellers of homes with one to four units to complete a property condition disclosure. The standard RE-25 form asks about mold inspections, reports and past mold repairs. If you've had mold fixed, a clearance test from an independent tester gives buyers documentation instead of just your word.
Petri-dish kits almost always grow something, because mold spores are in every home's air. They can't tell you how much is normal, can't find hidden mold and don't compare indoor and outdoor air. They're fine for curiosity, but not for buying decisions, disputes or health questions.
No. Idaho doesn't license mold inspectors, mold remediators or home inspectors. Ask any inspector for their national certifications, which lab they use and whether it's AIHA-LAP accredited, whether they carry insurance, and whether they also sell mold removal.
In Nampa the usual suspects are a wet crawlspace (often from irrigation or groundwater), a swamp cooler or AC drain pan, attic condensation in winter, or a slow plumbing leak inside a wall. We trace the smell with moisture readings and thermal imaging before sampling, so we test the right spot.
Often yes, if the moisture source can be fixed and the price reflects the repair. Crawlspace mold on joists is common in Nampa subdivisions. What matters is why it's wet (irrigation, a torn vapor barrier, a plumbing leak), how far it has spread and what the repair costs. Get that answered before your objection deadline.
Short, honest guides written from the inspection side of mold, not the sales side.
Fair prices, per-sample math and the quotes that should make you ask questions.
One finds the cause, the other measures what's in the air. Most people need both.
Canals, irrigation, crawlspaces and inversion winters: the local moisture story.