Yes, always. We use independent, accredited third-party laboratories for all mold sample analysis. We do not have an in-house lab, and that is intentional. The independence of the laboratory is essential for the integrity of the results. If we analyzed our own samples, there would be a conflict of interest: finding contamination leads to a remediation job. Using an independent lab removes that conflict entirely.
Why Independence Matters
Insurance carriers know that contractors who analyze their own samples have financial incentive to find contamination. Independent laboratory results carry far more weight with adjusters because there is no conflict of interest in the chain. When our testing documentation arrives with a claim, the lab report is from a third party with no financial relationship to the remediation scope. That matters for how quickly and cleanly claims are processed.
What Our Labs Provide
The laboratories we use are accredited and certified for environmental analysis. They provide quantitative results identifying mold genera, spore concentrations in spores per cubic meter of air, and comparative analysis against the outdoor control sample we always collect. Indoor air quality is evaluated relative to outdoor background levels, which is the correct scientific approach. An indoor count that is elevated relative to outdoor baseline indicates a contamination source inside the structure.
Post-Remediation Verification
After any remediation we perform, we provide post-remediation verification testing using the same independent laboratory process. This gives property owners documented confirmation that contamination levels have been reduced to acceptable levels before we close a job. It also provides the clearance documentation that insurance carriers , and future buyers , may require. See Nevada insurance coverage for mold and future buyers may require. More about our testing process or schedule an inspection.
Why We Made This Choice Deliberately
When I started Mold Eliminators in 1996, it was common for remediation companies to do their own sampling and their own analysis. The financial incentive problem was obvious to anyone who thought about it for thirty seconds: a company that tests and remediates has a strong financial reason to find contamination. I decided early on that we would never be in that position. We use labs that have no financial relationship with us and no knowledge of whether a positive result leads to a job.
I have never regretted that choice. The cases where our testing came back clean and I told a homeowner they did not need remediation are some of the most important calls I have made. A family in Summerlin called me convinced they had a serious mold problem after finding some discoloration under a bathroom sink. Air sampling came back clean. Surface sampling identified the discoloration as efflorescence, a mineral deposit from water evaporation, not mold. I told them so and they did not pay us for remediation work they did not need. A few of my Yelp reviews mention exactly that kind of call. I consider it the best possible description of how this should work.
What the Lab Process Actually Looks Like
After samples are collected, they go into sealed cassettes with a chain of custody form that documents who collected them, where, and when. The lab receives the cassettes without knowing who the client is. Results come back as a written report identifying species present, spore concentrations in spores per cubic meter, and comparison against the outdoor baseline sample. That outdoor baseline is the critical variable. An indoor Cladosporium count that sounds high in isolation may be normal if outdoor counts that day were similar. The comparison is what gives the number meaning. We walk you through the results before the report is finalized so nothing in it is a surprise.
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