HVAC & Air Duct Mold Removal in Portland, TN

What happens on the call and the visit

You'll be connected with an independent local mold remediation company. Have a few answers ready: where the air handler or furnace is, whether the house is site-built or manufactured, how long the smell has been there and whether water has reached the crawl space or underbelly. On site, expect the company to open the equipment cabinet, check the coil and drain pan, look along the main trunk and branch runs, take moisture readings and photograph what it finds. The result should be a written scope that lists cleaning, replacement and the moisture repair separately.

What the job costs

Angi reports national ranges of about $600 to $2,000 for mold cleaning in air ducts and $3,000 to $10,000 for HVAC system mold work. Prices in the Portland area vary. Replacing insulated or flex duct costs more than cleaning metal, and work in a low crawl space or a manufactured home's belly takes longer. Portland spans Sumner and Robertson counties, and on the Robertson County side residential jobs of $3,000 to under $25,000 need the state Home Improvement license. Anywhere in Tennessee, jobs of $25,000 or more need a contractor's license, and mold remediation is the S-F classification.

Local conditions

Portland's housing is mostly single-family with a median year built of 1995, and about 11 percent of homes are mobile or manufactured. In many manufactured homes the supply duct runs through the insulated belly under the floor, so a torn belly wrap or water underneath can soak it without anyone noticing. The Sumner County Flood Insurance Study names Donoho Branch as a frequent flooding source tied to sinkholes and local drainage; the Portland Flood Channel, completed in 1997, was built to reduce that flooding. During the May 2017 flash flooding, multiple rescues took place in Portland. Rental homes make up more than a third of the housing, and the City of Portland Building Codes Department takes property nuisance complaints for unfixed problems.

Checklist before the company arrives

• Shut the system off and leave it off.
• Make the air handler, crawl space door or belly access easy to reach.
• Note any recent heavy rain, sinkhole drainage problems or plumbing leaks.
• Gather the age of the unit and any recent service records.
• Ask whether replacement work will need a City of Portland building permit.