Texans Warned About Hiring Unlicensed Contractors For Winter Storm Cleanup
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — It's been more than two weeks since Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration after a deadly winter storm caused damage across the state.
Now some companies, including Mold Inspection Sciences Texas, are reminding Texans that the declaration allows out-of-state and unlicensed contractors to obtain temporary registration and to perform work on storm-damaged properties in the state. And those contractors include those performing mold assessment and remediation and material removal after burst pipes caused damage at homes and businesses across the Lone Star State.
Texans need to be aware that you don't want just anyone addressing a potential mold issue. You must seek out someone who is licensed and qualified.
"We've seen this happen before," said Mold Inspection Sciences Texas Chief Operating Officer Mike Marshall. "Six, eight, twelve months down the road, state-licensed mold assessors and remediators come back to find 'fixed' properties worse off than they were from the initial damage."
Inspection Sciences Texas recommends that consumers:
- Start drying out their properties as soon as possible and get in touch with qualified water mitigation professionals if needed.
- If mold is suspected, find a licensed assessment company. Consumers who do not use licensed mold professionals will not be able to receive a protocol for next steps to solve a mold issue. Nor will they be able to obtain a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation proving their property has been deemed safe.
- Utilize the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation to confirm the license status of potential contractors.
"Mold and water damage are issues Texans continue to face, given our state's recent history with devastation from Mother Nature," Marshall added, "and people are being taken advantage of."
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
