Clearance test
Also called: post-remediation verification, PRV, mold clearance, clearance testing, post-remediation testing
An independent inspection after mold remediation that confirms the work is complete: a visual check that affected material is gone and surfaces are clean, moisture readings, and usually air samples compared to outdoors. $200–$600; the written report insurers, buyers and landlords ask for.
Remediation is invisible when it’s done right — clean framing behind new drywall — so the proof is a test, not a look. Clearance is performed after the removal and cleaning and before the containment comes down, by someone who isn’t the remediator: an independent mold assessor, an industrial hygienist, or a licensed inspector in states that regulate mold work. Several states require the separation; everywhere, it’s the difference between a remediator grading their own work and a third party grading it.
What it checks: that all porous material with growth has been removed, that remaining surfaces are visibly clean and dust-free, that the framing reads dry on a moisture meter, and — on most jobs — that air samples taken inside the containment show spore counts and types comparable to an outdoor control sample. Surface tape-lifts or swabs may be added. The result is a written report with the lab data; a failed clearance sends the remediator back in at their cost.
It’s $200–$600 as a standalone visit, sometimes bundled with the pre-remediation inspection by the same assessor. Get one whenever there’s an insurance claim, a sale or purchase, a landlord-tenant situation, or a health complaint driving the job — the report is what those parties will ask to see. For a small DIY surface cleanup, it’s unnecessary; for a DIY wall section with no claim and no sale, it’s a judgment call at $300.