DIY Mold Cleanup Limits: EPA's 10 Square Foot Rule
EPA draws one line for homeowners and three categories for professionals. Several states then draw their own line for when a hired company needs a license. This guide puts them on one scale.
The homeowner line
“If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself.” (U.S. EPA, Mold Cleanup in Your Home) Above that, EPA points to its remediation guide for schools and commercial buildings, which sorts work by area:
| EPA category | Area | Containment | Protective equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | less than about 10 sq ft | No containment level set for this size | N-95 respirator, gloves and eye protection |
| Medium | 10 to 100 sq ft | Limited containment: a single layer of 6-mil polyethylene sheeting | Half- or full-face air-purifying respirator with HEPA cartridge, disposable paper overalls |
| Large | greater than 100 sq ft | Full containment: double layers of polyethylene and a decontamination chamber or airlock | Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) and a breathable disposable body suit |
- 1Mold patchmeasure the whole area
- 2EPA homeowner line3 ft by 3 ft ≈ 10 sq ft
- 3Small areaN-95 respirator, gloves and eye protection
- 4Medium area6-mil poly sheeting
Where state licensing starts
- Florida: more than 10 square feet (s. 468.8411(3) and (5), F.S.).
- Texas: 25 contiguous square feet or more (Tex. Occ. Code § 1958.102(c)).
- New York: more than 10 square feet (N.Y. Labor Law § 930(6)).
- Louisiana: jobs valued over $7,500 (La. R.S. 37:2150.1; LSLBC mold remediation classification).
- District of Columbia: a contamination level set by regulation (D.C. Code § 8-241.02(a)(1)).
Florida and New York start licensing at the same size EPA uses for its homeowner line. Texas starts later, at 25 contiguous square feet, so a patch of 18 square feet there is past EPA's line but outside licensing. Louisiana counts dollars instead.
What the line is worth in dollars
Using Angi's published mold rate of $10–$25 per square foot (arithmetic, not a quote): 10 sq ft is $100–$250; 25 sq ft, the Texas line, is $250–$625; 100 sq ft, the top of EPA's medium category, is $1,000–$2,500. Location ranges are on mold removal cost by location; the home page check does the arithmetic for any area.
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Mold Cleanup in Your Home (EPA archive copy) and U.S. EPA, Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, Chapter 3 (EPA archive copy) (read from the EPA archive copies), checked 2026-10-20
- Florida: Florida Statutes s. 468.8411 (Definitions), Online Sunshine / Florida Senate, checked 2026-10-20
- Texas: Tex. Occ. Code § 1958.102 (Exemptions), statute text via Texas Public Law; official text at statutes.capitol.texas.gov, checked 2026-10-20
- New York: N.Y. Labor Law § 930 (Definitions), New York State Senate, checked 2026-10-20
- Louisiana: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Mold Remediation classification, checked 2026-10-20
- District of Columbia: D.C. Code title 8, chapter 2B (Indoor mold), Council of the District of Columbia, checked 2026-10-20
- Angi, How Much Does Mold Remediation Cost? (updated Jul 9, 2026), checked 2026-10-20
Questions
How much mold can I clean myself?
EPA says that if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases you can handle the job yourself.
What protection does EPA list for a small area?
An N-95 respirator, gloves and eye protection.
Does a homeowner need a state license to clean their own mold?
In the licensing states checked here, the laws exempt owners working on their own home in Florida and Louisiana, and in Texas within the statute's size limit; New York's law licenses contractors. Each state page lists the exemptions.