Twin Home Experts vs MI&T: Los Angeles Mold Inspection

Pros

1. Use certified accredited mold laboratories
2. Well reviewed online
3. Local family operated company
4. Experts in leak detection, from rain to plumbing
5. We specialize in not only testing & inspecting for mold, but locating the water source that caused the mold
6. Offer testing not just for mold, but for VOC, smoke damage, water and sewer spill damage
7. Many certifications and licenses such as a C36 plumbing & B building license and a c20 air conditioning ducting license giving us true insights as to the sources of potential mold
8. Fully licensed insured & bonded
9. Test, inspect, detect and remediate the mold all in one call
10. Provide same day service with no extra fees
11. Same day lab results with no extra fees
12. Leave air scrubbers/air purifiers if environment is toxic while waiting for results
13. Bill insurance directly if mold testing & remediation is covered
14. Don’t sub contract out or refer anyone for monthly referral fees
15. Well reviewed and have been servicing the Los Angeles area for 30
16. Years
17. Mold preventing solutions and guarantee of up to 10 years giving you peace of mind
18. Huge warehouse with drying equipment, air purifiers and mold inspection tools

Cons

1. Clients that want only a mold testing & inspection company. (We can be considered a conflict of interest)
2. Our reporting beyond the mold lab results is not as detailed as MIT
3. We don’t perform in wall cavity testing, as we do not believe in its readings or method
4. No post testing after another company removed the mold

Pros

1. Well reviewed online
2. Provide detailed reporting using a third party accredited mold lab & their in house reports are simple to read
3. Perform in wall testing for clients who want it
4. Large nationwide company
5. Pretty quick turn around
6. Only test & inspect for mold
7. Pricing is fairly reasonable
8. Perform post testing for mold removal companies and provide a clearance

Cons

1. Don’t specialize in finding the water source that caused the mold in the first place
2. Mold remediation companies pay MIT monthly to be LISTED on the mold reports that come back positive for mold
3. Only have certifications for mold testing
4. They don’t perform leak detection
5. Don’t perform mold removal
6. Charge more fees for next day results
7. No licensing: but they do answer the question on their site, below.

“MI&T | Mold Inspection & Testing operates within all state and federal regulations on mold. Unfortunately there are very few states that actually have regulations on who works in this industry and what qualifications are needed in order to offer mold inspection services. Rest assured that we have developed our own criteria to ensure that the technician servicing you most certainly be an expert in the field.”

As of 2016, the only states that require a person to be licensed to perform mold inspections are as follows: Florida , New York and Texas . Each of these states provides education requirements,  and you eventually must pass a state exam in order to obtain a license and offer the service. Of these three states, only Texas requires the company itself to be licensed and MI&T is licensed by the state of Texas.

The mold industry is getting bigger and bigger and as evidence continues to mount supporting the negative impact mold can have on one’s health, people are becoming more and more concerned with this type of issue. With any industry that has money exchanging hands, you will have people looking to exploit the situation and taking shortcuts like skipping education, not being insured, etc. MI&T fully supports states increasing regulations on all levels to help consumers avoid scams.

Air sample

• $289 for up to three samples – two inside and one outside, as the baseline
• $45 per sample there after (typically same day or next day results for no additional fees)

Swab/Tape lift sample

• $189 for the first two samples
• $45.00 per sample there after

What we inspect

• All interior walls with a Moisture Meter and/or Thermal Imaging Camera to identify areas more likely to have hidden mold.
• All closets, under sinks, under stairs, around windows/doors or any areas where water is present. (Bathrooms, Utility Rooms, Kitchens, etc)
• Inspector will enter an attic or crawlspace if a red flag within living areas suggests there may be a problem (water stains, visible mold, etc). If customer asks to check these areas specifically while on site we will oblige but it is usually not necessary.

Inspection fee

• Residential: $300-350 (Location Dependent) includes inspection, reports, and 2 mold tests (1 Control, 1 Inside)
• Commercial (Isolated Area): $300-350 (Location Dependent); includes inspection, reports, and 2 Mold Tests (1/1)
• Commercial (Entire Building): $500 includes inspection, reports, and 2 Mold Tests (1 /1)
• Each additional sample is $75
• Inspector does a full visual inspection of the property. This includes areas of concern and general areas that typically have mold growth.

When comparing Twin Home Experts vs MI&T, both are reputable companies. It depends on if you want a company like Twin Home Experts that can perform all the services in one call – test, inspect, detect and remove the mold, or MI&T that just focuses on mold testing & inspection only, and will refer out the other services if there are mold issues, leaving you to do more research on the issues or their findings.