Cheap Mold Inspections and Conflict Of Interest

Don't Let them bilk you!

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I would want an independent investigator whom I could trust to be my advocate.

Nevertheless, if you look on Google you will most likely find ads for companies offering both inspection at a well below cost and remediation services.

The Standard of Ethics of our national professional organization, the Indoor Air Quality Association, www.iaqa.org, forbids a conflict of interest whereby a mold remediation company also offers mold inspection services.

Imagine this scenario: "We'll give you a cheap mold inspection. And then, if there is mold, we  will do the mold removal for you and check our own work afterwards." Since mold is everywhere, I wouldn't trust such a company to put a proper context to their test results. We believe it's a serious conflict of interest for the company you pay to "inspect" for mold also profits from the "removal" of mold. There are plenty of companies out there that do both, the question is; how can you ever truly be sure that they are not creating more work for themselves - work that doesn't really need to be done? The opportunity for corruption is far too great. The only way to know for sure that you're not being "set up" and scammed into spending thousands of dollars you don't need to spend is to make sure the person you hire for mold inspections has no affiliation with any mold removal contractor.

Such a conflict of interest is not permitted in the lead and asbestos industries, and states such as California are passing legislation to outlaw such a conflict of interest in the mold industry.

 

The Moldy Blog

About the author

Hello, Samuel Dixon with Common Sense Inspections Mold Inspection in Los Angeles has been awarded the Council­ certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) designation by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). This prestigious, board ­awarded certification recognizes Dixon’s knowledge and field experience in indoor environmental investigation and consulting. To earn the CIEC designation, Samuel passed a rigorous examination based on respected industry texts. He then submitted documented, verifiable field experience to a board of peers, earning a unanimous vote of approval. To maintain the CIEC designation, Samuel will remain active in the field and complete 40 hours of professional development activities within the next two years. Samuel is now listed in the ACAC certificant database at www.acac.org, along with more than 2,800 ACAC certificants around the world. The database can be searched by name, company or zip code and represents a continuously updated roster of experienced indoor environmental professionals. The CIEC designation is accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), both nationally recognized third­ party accreditation bodies. For more information, visit www.acac.org.