A 2025 Virginia law, HB 2195, may require a mold remediation certification from a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body for professional mold remediation on a residential dwelling. This page does not give the enacted text or a licence rule, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation should be asked what currently applies.
Key takeaways
- A 2025 Virginia law, HB 2195, is reported to address professional mold remediation on a residential dwelling.
- The law may require a mold remediation certification from a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body.
- This page has not checked the enacted text, so the exact scope and wording should be confirmed with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
- Drying a building after water damage and removing mold growth are different tasks, and a homeowner should ask which applies to each part of the work.
- Industry certifications are not the same as a state licence, and a homeowner should not assume one is the other.
What is HB 2195?
HB 2195 is a 2025 Virginia bill concerning professional mold remediation on a residential dwelling. It may require a certification from a recognized certifying body for certain mold work, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has reported on it.
A homeowner who wants to know the rule should read the enacted law itself, not a summary of it. The text sets out what is covered, who must hold a certification and when it applies, and a summary can miss a point that matters to a particular job.
This guide does not quote the enacted text, because it has not been checked for this page. It describes the point that the law may require a certification, and it asks the reader to confirm the detail with the regulator.
What does "may be required" mean here?
It means that a certification from a nationally or internationally recognized body may be needed for professional mold remediation on a residential home under the 2025 law. Whether it is needed for a particular job depends on the law's wording and the work involved.
The phrase is deliberately cautious. A homeowner should not take it as a statement of the full rule, and should not assume that every piece of mold work needs a certification, or that none does.
The safest course is to ask the company what certification it holds for the mold work, to ask which part of the job the certification covers, and to check the answer with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
Is a certification the same as a licence?
No. A certification from a recognized certifying body is a qualification awarded by that body, and it is not a state licence. A state rule can require a certification without creating a licence in the sense a homeowner might expect.
Some trades are licensed by the state, and the licence is issued and checked by a state board or agency. A certification from an industry body is different, and a company may hold one without holding any state licence for the work.
This matters because a homeowner who asks for a licence may be told about a certification, or the other way round. Ask the company to name each credential, the body that issued it and the work it covers, and check each one yourself.
What does mold remediation involve?
Mold remediation is the removal or treatment of mold growth and the correction of the moisture that allowed it. It can include containment, removal of porous materials that cannot be cleaned, cleaning of hard surfaces and a check that the source of moisture has been stopped.
Mold remediation is not the same as drying. Drying removes moisture from the structure, while remediation deals with growth that has already started. Many jobs involve both, and the scope should show which parts are which.
A careful scope describes the area and the type of material affected, the containment planned, the removal, the cleaning and the final check. The homeowner should receive the readings and photographs for each stage.
What should a homeowner ask before any mold work starts?
Ask who will do the work, which certification or qualification applies, how the growth will be contained, what will be removed and how the final check will be done. Ask also for the scope in writing before any material is removed.
Ask whether the company is performing the remediation itself or using another firm, and whether that firm holds the required certification. A company should be able to answer clearly, and the answer should be written into the scope.
Ask for the final readings and a written clearance record. The record should show the readings before and after the work and the materials that were removed, so the homeowner can check what was done.
Where should a homeowner check the rule?
The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation is the agency to ask about mold remediation requirements. Its report on mold remediation is a useful starting point, and the enacted text of the 2025 law should be read directly.
A homeowner can ask the Department what currently applies to a particular job, and can ask for the enacted text of HB 2195 to be confirmed. The answer should be taken in writing where possible, because rules can change.
A restoration company should be willing to show the credentials it holds for the work and to tell you how it checks the rule. If it cannot do that, that is a reason to look for another firm before work starts.
How does this rule fit with drying after a flood?
Drying after a flood aims to stop mold from starting by bringing the structure to dry targets quickly. If growth is already present, the drying plan has to address it, and the rule on mold remediation may then apply to that part of the work.
A crew that dries a building should report any growth it sees, and the scope should say how that growth will be handled. A crew should not assume a visible growth is harmless because the building is drying.
The homeowner should keep the drying log and any growth photographs together, because they show when growth was first seen and what was done about it. Those records help the insurer and any later contractor.
How is mold found after a water event?
Mold after water damage is often found by its smell, its staining or a moisture reading, and sometimes only when materials are opened. A technician records where growth is, how large it is and what it is growing on.
Visible growth can look like dark staining, fuzz or a powdery patch on drywall, wood or trim. Some growth is hidden in cavities and shows only when a wall is opened. Readings can point to a damp area where growth is likely, and the crew decides whether to open it to confirm.
Any growth found should be photographed, measured and described before it is disturbed. The record should say whether the growth is on a hard surface or a porous one, because that decides whether cleaning can be considered or the material must come out.
What should a homeowner avoid doing about mold?
Avoid disturbing visible growth, running equipment that spreads spores and closing up a wall that may still be wet. Those steps can make the problem larger and harder to resolve.
Do not scrub or brush visible growth, and do not use a household vacuum on it, because both can release spores into the air. Keep the affected room closed off from the rest of the house while the work is planned, and keep children and anyone with breathing problems out of it.
Do not close a wall, a floor or a ceiling over an area that may still be wet, because the moisture will remain and the growth may continue. Ask for the readings to be taken and recorded before anything is covered up.
What if the work is more than drying?
Some water jobs turn into mold work once growth is found. When that happens the scope changes, and the homeowner should be told which part of the work needs a certification and who will do it.
A drying plan can continue while a mold question is being settled, but the homeowner should not assume the growth is part of the drying. Ask the technician to separate the drying work from any remediation in the scope, and to name the person who will carry out each part.
If growth is found in a cavity or under a floor, the crew should photograph it, describe it and stop before disturbing it further. The homeowner can then decide with the technician how the remediation will be arranged, and whether the required certification applies to that part of the work.
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia require a licence to remove mold?
The 2025 law may require a mold remediation certification from a recognized certifying body for certain work on a residential dwelling. This page does not state a licence rule, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation should be asked what applies.
Can I clean a small patch myself?
Small patches on hard surfaces may be cleaned by a homeowner with care, but growth in drywall, insulation, carpet pad or wood needs assessment first. Disturbing growth can spread spores, so ask a technician before you start.
What if the company does not hold a certification?
Ask the company to name the work it can do without one, and to say who will do any work that needs one. If the answer is not clear, choose a different firm.
Who decides whether my mold work needs a certification?
The rule and its wording decide it, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation can explain what applies. A homeowner should not rely on a company's assurance alone.
Will my insurance pay for mold work?
That depends on the policy, and many policies generally limit mold coverage in ways that depend on the wording. Ask your insurer directly, and keep the readings, photographs and scope for the claim.
Is mold a health risk?
Some people are more sensitive to mold than others, and people with asthma, allergies or a weakened immune system should take particular care. This guide does not make a medical claim, and a doctor should be consulted about any symptoms that persist.
Who should inspect the work after remediation?
The inspection should be carried out by a qualified person, and the homeowner should ask which person and which qualification applies. Ask for the readings and the written clearance record, and check that the person named is the one who carried out the work.
What if the insurer will not pay for mold work?
Ask the insurer for its reasons in writing and check them against the policy. The readings, the photographs and the scope are the evidence for the claim. If the claim is denied or stalls, the Virginia Bureau of Insurance accepts homeowner complaints.
Sources
This guide is general information for Suffolk (independent city) homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.