Does Florida require a licensed person to remove the mold in your house?

Steps to take when you find mold

1. Find and stop the water that feeds it, then report the water loss to your insurer, because a claim is barred unless notice arrives within 1 year of the date of loss.
2. Estimate the visible patch against 10 square feet, since that's where the statute's definitions of mold assessment and remediation begin.
3. Look up any company's people on myfloridalicense.com: DBPR licenses individuals, as Mold Assessor (MRSA) or Mold Remediator (MRSR), and doesn't license mold businesses.
4. Ask the person who tested the house whether their company will also clean it; a firm can't do both on one structure within 12 months.
5. Get the contract in writing, signed or authenticated by both sides, as s. 468.8422 requires.
6. Check your policy for a Mold Coverage endorsement, which DFS says can raise the limit to $25,000 or $50,000.

What DBPR licenses

DBPR is responsible for licensing mold assessors and remediators, and it licenses individuals only: a corporation can offer the services through licensees but can't hold a license. Section 468.8411 defines mold assessment and mold remediation by mold of greater than 10 square feet, with no 'contiguous' wording.

An applicant needs the examination, good moral character, electronic fingerprints and either a 2-year science degree with 30 semester hours plus 1 year of mold field experience, or a high school diploma with 4 years of experience. DBPR says nationally recognized entities give the exams.

What mold remediation costs in Florida (estimates, not quotes)

Our model puts mold remediation in Florida at $1,200 to $4,800 per job, an estimate and not a quote. It has no Florida company mold price, so three national guides carry the figure, and the wage row is pay.

Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (3 sources), adjusted by Florida's hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio to the US (0.80, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. Two Florida restoration companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.

Why the tester and the cleaner differ

Under s. 468.8419 an assessor, or the assessor's company, may not remediate a structure it assessed within the last 12 months, and a remediator may not assess one it remediated in that period. Doing both takes two licenses. The section also bars referral payments between the two licensees and assessments whose fee depends on their conclusions.

Both paragraphs carve out a contractor classified in s. 489.105(3) as a Division I contractor, and the department may require its contract to disclose your right to ask for competitive bids. A first violation is a second-degree misdemeanor; a third or later is a third-degree felony.

The contract, the coverage and the building trades

A mold contract must be in a document or electronic record signed or authenticated by the parties, and an assessment contract doesn't have to estimate repair costs. Section 468.8421 requires an assessor to carry at least $1 million in general liability and errors and omissions cover. A remediator needs at least $1,000,000 in general liability that includes mold-related claims. Coverage is per person. DBPR says each one needs a policy of their own or a named place on the company's.

Remediation can't include work that needs a chapter 489 contractor license unless the remediator also holds one. A contractor licensed by CILB who works within that scope doesn't need the mold license, but can't advertise as a licensed assessor or remediator.

Mold on a Florida homeowners policy

DFS lists a Mold Coverage endorsement that raises the mold limit to $25,000 or $50,000. It also says homeowners policies typically exclude flooding, sewer backup and wear and tear, and a flood policy is separate.

Mold that needs action now

DBPR fees, asbestos and lead on a mold job

DBPR's FAQ prints a $125.00 application fee, a $100.00 license fee and a $5.00 unlicensed activity fee, with a $105.00 biennial renewal, 14 hours of continuing education and July 31 expiry in even years. Part XVI of chapter 468 doesn't set a clearance certificate or notification duty, so ask your assessor what written result you'll get and put it in the contract. The rebuild after remediation is chapter 489 work.

DEP wants a Notice of Renovation or Demolition 10 working days before work that removes asbestos-containing material above the NESHAP thresholds, excluding buildings that meet the NESHAP residential exemption. On lead, Florida isn't among the states EPA has authorized for its renovation program, and DBPR's mold page says work disturbing lead paint in pre-1978 homes must be certified.

Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before anyone starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, isn't a license.

Questions people ask

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Florida licensing, code and permit facts · Report a wrong price or rule