What mold remediation certifications matter in Indiana?

Why credentials carry extra weight in Indiana

In states that license mold work, a license number is a floor that every company has to clear. Indiana has no such floor, as we explain in whether Indiana requires a mold remediation license. That leaves voluntary certifications as the main outside evidence that a company has been trained to a published standard. They aren’t a guarantee of good work. They are a reasonable place to start sorting companies before you compare scopes.

IICRC: the standard behind most mold work

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is a nonprofit that writes standards and certifies people and firms in the cleaning and restoration industry. Its ANSI/IICRC S520 is the standard for professional mold remediation, covering assessment, containment, removal, cleaning and verification. When a company says it follows “industry standards,” S520 is usually what it means, and it’s fair to ask.

Two IICRC credentials come up most in mold work. The Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) course trains technicians in mold remediation, and the Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT) course covers drying, which matters because mold starts with water. An IICRC Certified Firm is a company that has certified technicians and has agreed to the IICRC’s standards and code of ethics. Ask whether the person running your job holds the credential, not only whether someone at the company does.

CMR, CRMI and CCMI

CMR is a mold remediation credential. CRMI and CCMI are mold inspection credentials, used for assessing homes and commercial buildings. Different organizations issue credentials with similar letters, and their requirements differ: some require field experience and a proctored exam, others a shorter course. So the letters alone tell you less than the details behind them. Ask three things about any credential: who issued it, what it required, and whether it’s current.

Memberships are not certifications

You’ll often see trade association logos on a company’s site. Groups such as NAMRI, IAQA, NORMI, AMMA and PMII offer education, standards work and professional networks, and membership shows a company is involved in its field. Some of these organizations also issue credentials, which is why the same name can mean membership in one place and certification in another. If a logo matters to your decision, ask which it represents.

How to check what a company tells you

• Get names and numbers. Ask for the certificate holder’s name and credential number, then verify it with the issuing body. The IICRC lets you look up certified firms and technicians on its website.
• Confirm who will be on site. A certified owner doesn’t help much if an untrained crew does the work.
• Ask for a certificate of insurance. Check that it’s current and that it doesn’t exclude mold work.
• Read the scope. It should name the moisture source, the containment, what gets removed and cleaned, and how the result is measured.
• Ask how the job is proven finished. Independent clearance testing by an accredited lab is the check that doesn’t depend on anyone’s credentials.

For a longer phone script, see questions to ask a mold remediation company. For the record, we’re an IICRC Certified Firm, our team holds CMR, CRMI and CCMI credentials, and we’re glad to show you the paperwork. We’d still rather you judge us on the clearance report at the end, because that’s where credentials either show up in the results or don’t.