Mold Assessment Consultant VS. Mold Technician Licensing
Requirements, Qualifications and Responsibilities
To learn and read more on the qualifications and differences please visit https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mld/mldrules.htm#7850
78.52. Mold Assessment Consultant License. (New Section adopted effective November 1, 2017, 42 TexReg 4619)
(a) Licensing requirements. An individual must be licensed as a mold assessment consultant to perform activities listed
under subsection (b). A licensed mold assessment consultant who employs more than one individual required to be
licensed under this section or under §78.50, must be separately licensed as a mold assessment company under §78.54.
(b) Scope. An individual licensed under this section is also licensed to perform all activities of a mold assessment
technician listed in §78.50(b). In addition, a licensed mold assessment consultant is licensed to provide mold assessment
services including:
(1) plan surveys to identify conditions favorable for indoor mold growth or to determine the presence, extent, amount, or
identity of mold or suspected mold in a building;
(2) conduct activities recommended in a plan developed under paragraph (1) and describe and interpret the results of
those activities;
(3) determine locations at which a licensed mold assessment technician will record observations, take measurements, or
collect samples;
(4) prepare a mold assessment report, including the observations made, measurements taken, locations of samples
collected, analysis results, and analysis and interpretation of results of samples taken by the consultant or by a licensed
mold assessment technician during the mold assessment;
(5) develop a mold management plan for a building, including recommendations for periodic surveillance, response
actions, and prevention and control of mold growth;
(6) prepare a mold remediation protocol, including the evaluation and selection of appropriate methods, personal
protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, project layout, post-remediation clearance evaluation methods and
criteria, and preparation of plans and specifications;
(7) evaluate a mold remediation project to certify that mold contamination identified for the remediation project has been
remediated as outlined in a mold remediation protocol;
(8) evaluate a mold remediation project to certify that the underlying cause of the mold has been remediated so that it is
reasonably certain that the mold will not return from that remediated cause; and
(9) complete appropriate sections of a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation as specified under §78.150(b).
(c) Qualifications. An applicant for a mold assessment consultant license must meet at least one of the following
education and/or experience requirements:
(1) a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in a natural or physical science,
engineering, architecture, building construction, or building sciences, and at least one year of experience in an allied field;
or
(2) at least 60 college credit hours with a grade of C or better in the natural sciences, physical sciences, environmental
sciences, building sciences, or a field related to any of those sciences, and at least three years of experience in an allied
field; or
(3) a high school diploma or a GED certificate and at least five years of experience in an allied field; or
(4) certification as an industrial hygienist, a professional engineer, a professional registered sanitarian, a certified safety
professional, or a registered architect, with at least one year of experience in an allied field.
(d) Eligibility for licensing. To obtain a mold assessment consultant license, a person must:
(1) be at least 18 years old at the time of application;
(2) successfully pass a criminal history background check;
(3) comply with subsection (c);
(4) comply with the requirement for insurance coverage under §78.40;
(5) successfully complete a mold training course as described in §78.68(c);
(6) pass the required licensing examination prescribed under §78.24; and
(7) pay the fee required under §78.80.
(f) Responsibilities. In addition to the requirements of §78.70 and all other applicable responsibilities in this chapter, a
licensed mold assessment consultant shall:
(1) provide adequate consultation to the client to diminish or eliminate hazards or potential hazards to occupants caused
by the presence of mold growth;
(2) provide, in accordance with a client’s instructions, professional services concerning surveys, building conditions that
have or might have contributed to mold growth, proper building operations and maintenance to prevent mold growth, and
compliance with work practices and standards;
(3) comply with mold sampling protocols as presented in training course materials or as required by his/her employer;
(4) inquire of the client whether any hazardous materials, including lead-based paint and asbestos, are present in the
project area;
(5) utilize the services of a laboratory that is licensed by the department to provide analysis of mold samples;
(6) sign and date each mold assessment report and each mold management plan that the mold assessment consultant
prepares and include that consultant’s license number and expiration date on each report and each plan;
(7) sign and date each mold remediation protocol on the cover page, including the mold assessment consultant’s license
number and expiration date. The consultant must also initial the protocol on every page that addresses the scope of work
and on all drawings related to the remediation work;
(8) review and approve changes to any protocol by signing or initialing according to paragraph (7);
(9) provide to the client a mold assessment report following an initial (pre-remediation) mold assessment. If the consultant
includes the results of the initial assessment in a mold remediation protocol or a mold management plan, a separate
assessment report is not required;
(10) provide to the client a mold remediation protocol at least one calendar day before a mold remediation project begins;
(11) ensure that all employees who will perform mold assessment activities are provided with, fit tested for, and trained in
the correct use of personal protective equipment appropriate for the activities to be performed;
(12) ensure that each person performing mold assessment activities is licensed in accordance with this chapter, as
applicable;
(13) ensure that the training and license of each employee that is required to be licensed under this chapter are current;
(14) if the mold assessment consultant performs post-remediation assessment on a project and ceases to be involved
with the project before it achieves clearance, provide a final status report to the client and to the mold remediation
contractor or company performing mold remediation work for the client as specified under §78.140(e); and
(15) provide a passed clearance report to the client as specified under §78.140(d) and complete applicable sections of a
Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation as specified under §78.150(b).
VERSES
78.50. Mold Assessment Technician License. (New Section adopted effective November 1, 2017, 42 TexReg 4619)
(a) Licensing requirement. An individual must be licensed as a mold assessment technician to perform activities listed
under subsection (b), except that an individual licensed under §78.52 is not required to be separately licensed under this
section.
(b) Scope. An individual licensed under this section is authorized to determine the location and extent of mold or
suspected mold present in a facility. A mold assessment technician is licensed to:
(1) record visual observations and take on-site measurements, including temperature, humidity, and moisture levels,
during an initial or post-remediation mold assessment;
(2) collect samples for mold analysis during an initial mold assessment;
(3) prepare a mold assessment report; and
(4) as directed by an on-site assessment consultant, collect samples during a post-remediation mold assessment.
(c) Qualifications. An applicant for a mold assessment technician license must be a high school graduate or have
obtained a General Educational Development (GED) certificate.
(d) Eligibility for licensing. To obtain a mold assessment technician license, a person must:
(1) be at least 18 years old at the time of application;
(2) successfully pass a criminal history background check;
(3) comply with subsection (c);
(4) comply with the requirement for insurance coverage under §78.40;
(5) successfully complete a mold training course as described in §78.68(b) or (c);
(6) pass the required licensing examination prescribed under §78.24; and
(7) pay the fee required under §78.80.
(f) Responsibilities. In addition to the requirements of §78.70 and all other applicable responsibilities in this chapter, a
licensed mold assessment technician shall:
(1) perform only activities allowed under subsection (b);
(2) comply with mold sampling protocols accepted as industry standards, as presented in training course materials or as
required by his/her employer;
(3) utilize the services of a laboratory that is licensed by the department to provide analysis of mold samples; and
(4) provide to the client a mold assessment report following an initial (pre-remediation) mold assessment, if the technician
is not acting as an employee of a licensed mold assessment consultant or company.
About the Author
Emily Rachal is co-owner of Texas Mold Inspectors, (or TMI), along with her husband, in the Houston, TX area. After her family’s devastating experience that not only injured her whole family, but also resulted in the loss of their youngest son Malachi, she and her husband have dedicated their lives to now educating and assisting families affected by toxic mold with their state-licensed mold inspection company.
Emily is the founder and owner of MAM. Additionally, she has recently started a non-profit organization in the name of her youngest son, called Malachi’s Message Foundation, to aid in financial support and offer hope to families who feel isolated and are unable to afford all the complex obstacles of overcoming a toxic mold exposure.