A study of more than 900 mold remediation and water mitigation claims showed that the median estimated cost of a mold remediation project was approximately $8,000. Similarly, water claims average around $7,000. Those costs drop by an average of 25 percent, though, when unnecessary processes or process overcharges are eliminated.

In both cases, unnecessary or improperly inflated charges generally stem from special treatment of mold as an airborne toxin. Lack of education and standard pricing awareness by remediation and mitigation contractors propagates certain myths in drying and mold remediation, which also reveal the fundamental thinking about mold as an airborne toxin. For example, drying is typically a predictable and planned process. Certain materials will dry at certain rates under specific conditions, but many contractors say mold complicates the process. Water mitigators may use dehumidification exclusively to avoid spreading mold spores, while mold remediators may attempt to kill mold before removing it. Both practices seem reasonable but are actually unnecessary. Correcting each practice can reduce the estimate while helping to resolve the claim more effectively.

The indoor environmental industry is peer-regulated with almost no federal guidelines for accredited training courses, so education about the fundamentals and specific issues is the key to avoid mold pitfalls. Specifically, there are some fallacies propagated by remediation and mitigation contractors that should be watched for and avoided.