Short answer: yes. If you own the home, Texas lets you remove mold yourself — any amount, not just patches under 25 square feet. The licensing threshold most articles quote applies to people you hire, not to you.
The catch is not legal, it is paperwork. Doing the job yourself means you cannot get the certificate that Texas insurance law uses to stop a mold history from following your house — unless you take one extra step at the end. That step is the most useful thing on this page.
What it costs to have the work done professionally is in the water damage and mold remediation cost guide. This page is about the law.
The 25-square-foot rule, and who it actually applies to
Texas licenses mold work under Occupations Code Chapter 1958, administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The number everyone quotes is 25 contiguous square feet:
- Under 25 contiguous square feet, anyone can do the remediation without a license — a handyman, maintenance staff, you (§1958.102(c)).
- 25 square feet or more, the work generally has to be done by a licensed mold remediation contractor, working to a protocol written by a licensed mold assessment consultant — and TDLR does not allow the same person to do both on one project.
- The exception is owners. An owner of residential property with fewer than 10 dwelling units does not need a license to assess or remediate mold on it (§1958.102(e)), and TDLR’s rule says that exemption applies “regardless of the total surface area” affected (16 TAC §78.30(b)).
Three limits that “any amount” leaves out:
- It is about owning, not living there. A landlord who owns a rental house, or a building with fewer than 10 units, is covered too. A tenant is not — a renter is held to the under-25-square-foot rule like anyone else.
- Ten units or more, and the owner exemption does not apply.
- Hired help does not borrow your exemption. Pay an unlicensed contractor and they are limited to under 25 square feet. If they open a wall and find more than that, TDLR’s rule says they must stop work immediately (16 TAC §78.30(d)); a licensed remediator has to finish it.
What you give up by doing it yourself: the certificate
When a licensed remediator finishes a job, the law requires them to give the owner a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation within 10 days (§1958.154). It carries a statement from the licensed assessor that the mold identified for the project has been remediated — and, where the assessor is reasonably certain it will not return, that the underlying cause was fixed too.
That piece of paper matters because of Texas Insurance Code §544.303. An insurer may not make an underwriting decision on a residential property policy based on previous mold damage, or a previous mold claim, if the property was remediated and either:
- (A) there is a certificate of mold remediation under §1958.154 establishing with reasonable certainty that the underlying cause was remediated; or
- (B) an independent assessor or adjuster inspected the property and determined it does not contain evidence of mold damage.
TDLR is blunt about route (A): “Only a licensed remediator is authorized to give a CMDR.” Do the work yourself and that door is closed. Route (B) is not.
How to keep the insurance protection if you do it yourself
TDLR’s own FAQ describes this exact situation: a homeowner who is not eligible for a certificate because the work was done by unlicensed people may have an inspection done by an independent mold assessor or adjuster who is licensed to perform mold assessment. The certificate form has a section for it — signed by a licensed mold assessment consultant on projects that unlicensed people were legally allowed to do, certifying the property shows no evidence of mold damage (16 TAC §78.150(c)).
- Fix the water first. Mold is a symptom. If the leak or the humidity problem is still there, it comes back, the inspection fails, and you have paid twice.
- Decide early whether you want an assessor involved. TDLR notes that a consultant who did not write a protocol before the work cannot later declare the project cleared — they can only inspect afterward. The inspection is what route (B) asks for, but if you want the strongest paper trail, bring the assessor in before you start.
- After the area is dry, have a licensed mold assessment consultant inspect it and complete the certification section of the form. Use one who is independent of anyone who sold you anything.
- Keep it with your closing documents. If you sell, Texas law expects sellers to give buyers copies of mold remediation certificates issued for the property in the previous five years (§1958.154(b)).
Where the protection does not reach
- TWIA, the Texas FAIR Plan and surplus-lines insurers. The definition of “insurer” in Insurance Code §544.301 excludes all three, so §544.303 does not bind them. Coastal and hard-to-insure homes are often on exactly these policies.
- It is about underwriting, not coverage. The statute limits decisions based on past mold. Whether your policy pays for a new mold loss is a separate question, answered by the policy itself.
When it is worth hiring out anyway
Legal is not the same as sensible. Large areas need containment, negative air pressure and proper protective gear, or the cleanup spreads spores through the rest of the house. Mold inside HVAC ductwork, or following a sewage backup, is a different job from a patch of drywall. And if anyone in the house has asthma, a weakened immune system or a respiratory condition, ask their doctor before disturbing a large area. For what professional remediation costs in Texas, see the water damage and mold remediation cost guide. For the other repairs Texas does and does not let you do yourself, see the Texas home repairs you are not allowed to do yourself.
Where this comes from
- Texas Occupations Code §1958.102 — exemptions, including the 25-square-foot rule and the owner exemption.
- Occupations Code §1958.154 — the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.
- 16 TAC §78.30 and 16 TAC §78.150 — TDLR’s mold rules on exemptions and the certificate.
- Texas Insurance Code §544.303 and §544.301 — the underwriting protection and who it binds.
- TDLR Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQ.
- SB 1255 (2025) — amended Chapter 1958 effective September 1, 2025. It did not change the owner exemption, the 25-square-foot rule or the certificate section.
Written by Jimmy Hall, a Texas homeowner — not a contractor, plumber, electrician or adjuster. Why that matters. Reviewed September 2026. This is general information about Texas law, not legal advice for your situation. Think something here is wrong? Tell us.
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