Home inspectors are not required to search for, or identify, mold during an inspection. Both of the national home inspector associations exclude mold in their Standards of Practice. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) states that the home inspector is not required to determine “the presence of plants, animals, or other life forms and substances that may be hazardous or harmful to humans including, but not limited to, wood destorying organisms, molds, and mold-like substances." The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) is more succinct, saying simply that the inspector is not required to determine “the presence of mold, mildew or fungus."

    The State of Florida requires a separate license and insurance for a mold inspector. Only a licensed mold inspector can identify if a substance that appears mold-like is actually mold, and the final identification is done in a lab under a microscope.

    Most home inspectors also specifically exclude any responsibility for mold in their customer contract, but will call out areas that look like mold in their report for further evaluation by a licensed mold inspector. One of the problems with a mold infestation is that it's sometimes in a concealed area, and mold spore air testing is necessary to begin the search for it. However, when a home inspector comes across an area like the one shown in the photo above, the only real question is how much it will cost to mitigate it. 

    Click on any of the links below to read other articles about what is required to be included, or not, in a home inspection:

AFCI •• Air conditioner •• Ants •• Appliance recalls •• Appliance testing •• Attic •• Awnings •• Barns and ag blgs. •• Bathroom exhaust fan •• Bonding •• Carpet •• Ceiling fans •• Central vacuum •• Chimneys •• Chinese drywall •• Clothes dryer •• Dryer exhaust •• CO alarms •• Code violations •• Condemn a house •• Crawl space •• Detached carport •• Detached garage •• Dishwasher •• Docks •• Doors •• Electrical •• Electrical panel •• Electromagnetic radiation •• Fences •• Fireplaces •• Furnace •• Furniture •• Garage door opener •• Garbage disposal •• Generator •• GFCIs •• Gutters •• Ice maker •• Inspect in the rain •• Insulation •• Insurance •• Interior Finishes •• Grading & drainage •• Lead paint •• Level of thoroughness •• Lift carpet •• Low voltage wiring •• Microwave •• Mold •• Move things •• Help negotiate •• Not allowed •• Outbuildings •• Paint •• Permits •• Pilot lights •• Plumbing •• Plumbing under slab •• Pools •• Questions won't answer •• Radon •• Range/cooktop •• Receptacle outlet •• Refrigerator •• Reinspection •• Remove panel cover •• Repairs •• Repair estimates •• Retaining walls •• Roaches •• Rodents •• Roof •• Screens •• Seawalls •• Septic loading dye test •• Septic tank •• Sewer lines •• Shower pan leak test •• Shutters •• Sinkholes •• Smoke alarms •• Solar panels •• Specify repairs •• Sprinklers •• Termites •• Toilets •• Trees •• Troubleshooting •• Wall air conditioners •• Walk roof •• Washing machine •• Water heater •• Water pressure •• Water shut-offs •• Main water shut-off •• Water softener •• Water treatment systems •• Well •• Windows •• Window air conditioners •• Window blinds •• Wiring 

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about MOLD, LEAD AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS:

• Should I buy a house with mold?  

• Why do new homes have more moisture and mold problems than older houses?

• Can infrared thermal imaging find mold behind a wall? 

• What is the right humidity level in a mobile home?

• Who can clean up mold found during a home inspection in Florida?

• How do I look for and find mold in my mobile home? 

• Does bleach kill mold?

• Why is there mold around the air conditioning vents? 

• What can I do to prevent mold problems in my home?

• Why is there a lead paint disclaimer in my real estate sales contract? 

• How can I tell if there is asbestos in a house?

• How can I prevent mold in my Florida winter home when I'm gone for the summer? 

• Should I use bleach to clean up mold? 

• What are those powdery white areas on my brick walls?

• What should I do if mold is found during a home inspection?

   Visit our MOLD, LEAD AND OTHER CONTAMINATES and "DOES A HOME INSPECTOR…?” pages for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.