Is This Mold Remediation Quote Fair? A Buffalo Checklist

Is this mold quote fair?

A fair quote follows the assessor's written plan line by line and says who fixes the water. A quote that reads "mold remediation, basement" and one number can't be compared to anything, so get the breakdown before you judge the price.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Sources listed at the end

Start with the plan, not the price

On a job over 10 square feet, New York requires a licensed assessor's written plan before a licensed remediation contractor starts. Section 945 says the plan lists the areas, estimated quantities, methods, clearance criteria, a cost estimate and a timeframe. That gives you something most states don't: an independent scope to hold every quote against. If a quote covers more than the plan, ask why. If it covers less, ask what got left out.

If a remediation company is quoting off its own inspection and there's no separate plan, fix that first. It can't legally be the assessor on your property.

What the quote should list

Square footage of each area, and whether it gets removed or cleaned.
Containment: how many rooms, and whether negative air is used.
Materials coming out, by type.
Drying equipment and how long it runs, if there's active moisture.
Any product applied, by name (EPA-registered for that use if the plan names it).
What happens when a wall opens and there's more: a unit price, not "time and materials."
Who fixes the water, and whether that's in this price.
That the job isn't finished until the assessor's clearance passes.

How padding shows up

Fogging the whole house when the growth is in one corner of the basement. Pages of branded products and no square footage. Air scrubbers billed for days after the work ended. "Antimicrobial treatment" of framing that was never wet. Rebuild costs folded in with no detail. None of these is automatically wrong, but each should be in the plan or explained.

The cheap quote has its own failure mode. Skipping containment or painting over growth makes for a low number now and a larger one in two years.

The contract

Home repair work in New York is a home improvement contract under General Business Law section 771: in writing, signed, with the work and price spelled out, and with notice of your right to cancel until midnight of the three business days after signing. Get a signed copy before work starts. The FTC's advice adds the obvious parts: don't pay the whole job up front, and be wary of anyone who knocks on your door after a storm, which in Buffalo means after every big snow.

Questions Buffalo homeowners ask

Should I get more than one mold remediation quote?

Yes, and New York makes it easy to compare them because every company should be bidding on the same assessor's plan. Two or three quotes against one plan tell you more than any published average.

Can a mold company charge me for a test and then do the removal?

Not on the same property in New York. The assessor and the remediation contractor must be different, independent licensees under Labor Law section 936.

Can I cancel a mold contract after signing?

Under General Business Law section 771, a home improvement contract must tell you about your right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Emergency work you asked for can be an exception if you signed a separate waiver.