MODULE 2: XACTIMATE FOR MOLD
Mold-Specific Line Items
The Essential Items for Every Mold Job
Line Items You Need to Know
Mold remediation has line items that don't exist in water mitigation.
Containment construction
HEPA filtration
Full body PPE
Specialized disposal
The Cost of Not Knowing
If you don't know these items exist, you can't bill for them.
If you can't bill for them, you're doing the work for free.
Six Essential Categories
1. Containment
Barriers, negative air, decon
2. Air Quality
Scrubbers, negative air machines
3. HEPA Vacuuming
Standard & detailed
4. PPE
Suits, respirators, gloves
5. Antimicrobial
Treatment & encapsulation
6. Disposal
Bags, haul off, fees
CATEGORY 1
Containment
Required on every mold job. It's in the protocol, prevents cross-contamination, and it's billable.
CONTAINMENT
Poly Sheeting
- 6 mil polyethylene barrier material
- Billed by the square foot
- Containment is three-dimensional
10x10 room with 8ft ceilings = floor + walls + ceiling
Calculate all of it, not just floor area
CONTAINMENT
Framing & Sealing
Framing
Lumber and labor to build frame structures for freestanding poly walls
Tape & Sealing
All seams must be sealed. Don't skip it - it adds up
CONTAINMENT
Negative Air & Decon Chamber
Negative Air Setup
Initial setup of machines and ductwork.
Setup is separate from daily charge
Decontamination Chamber
If protocol requires one, that's separate construction with additional materials and labor
CONTAINMENT
More Containment Items
- Entry/Exit Construction - slit entry or zippered doorway
- Floor Protection - additional poly or RAM board inside containment
- Containment Maintenance - checking seals, repairing breaches, maintaining pressure on multi-day jobs
CONTAINMENT
Containment Value
$1,000 - $3,000
on a typical job
Miss these items and you're giving away that revenue
CATEGORY 2
Air Quality Equipment
A huge part of mold billing. Multiple pieces of equipment running for multiple days.
AIR QUALITY
Air Scrubbers & Negative Air
Air Scrubbers
HEPA filtered units that clean air inside containment
Billed daily per unit
Most jobs need at least 2
Negative Air Machines
Create negative pressure - air flows in, not out
Billed daily per unit
AIR QUALITY
Ducting & Filter Changes
Ducting
Flexible duct routing exhaust outside
Billed by linear foot
Filter Changes
HEPA filters need changing when loaded
Each change is billable - filter + labor
Heavy contamination = multiple changes
AIR QUALITY
Setup vs. Daily Charges
Most equipment has both charges.
Setup Charge
Bringing equipment on site and positioning it
Daily Charge
The rental for each day of use
Don't combine these or skip setup. They're separate for a reason.
AIR QUALITY
Air Quality Value
Equipment typically runs 3-8 days on a mold job
At $100-$200/day per unit with multiple units...
$1,000 - $3,000
CATEGORY 3
HEPA Vacuuming
After you remove contaminated materials, all surfaces need HEPA vacuuming.
It's in every protocol and it's billable:
Equipment charge + Labor by square foot
HEPA VACUUMING
Standard vs. Detailed
Standard HEPA
Flat, accessible surfaces
Detailed HEPA
Irregular surfaces, cracks, crevices, exposed framing
Pays more because it takes more time
Exposed framing with irregular surfaces = detailed work. Bill accordingly.
HEPA VACUUMING
Contents & Calculation
- HEPA vacuuming contents - furniture, stored items (separate line item)
- Calculate total square footage including walls, not just floors
Proper calculation significantly increases your legitimate billing
Typical value: $500 - $1,500
CATEGORY 4
PPE - Personal Protective Equipment
Extensive protection. Full body, every day, for every worker.
PPE
PPE Line Items
Tyvek Suits
Disposable, thrown away after each entry
Bill per person per day
2 workers x 3 days = 6+ suits
Respirators
Half or full face with cartridges
Separate charges for cartridges
Changed regularly, often daily
Gloves
Disposable, multiple pairs per day per worker
Boot Covers
Changed when exiting containment
PPE
Common Mistake
Billing one Tyvek suit per worker for the whole job.
WRONG. Workers wear a suit each day, sometimes multiple suits per day.
$300 - $800
typical PPE cost per job
CATEGORY 5
Antimicrobial Treatment
- Applied after removal and HEPA vacuuming
- Billed by square foot - calculate total surface area
- Different methods: spraying, wiping, fogging
Treatment
Kills spores on surfaces
Encapsulation
Seals in remaining material
If protocol calls for both, bill both. Value: $500-$1,200
CATEGORY 6
Disposal
Everything from containment must be properly bagged and disposed.
- Disposal bags - heavy duty, per bag or unit
- Bagging labor - separate from demolition
- Haul off charges - loading and hauling, per load
- Dumpster rental - if job generates enough debris
- Disposal fees - tipping fees at the dump
DISPOSAL
Document Everything
Keep receipts. Weight tickets if applicable.
This supports your billing.
$300 - $1,000+
Every bag, every haul, every dump fee - it's all billable
Recap: All Six Categories
Containment
Poly, framing, tape, negative air, decon, entry, floor
$1,000-$3,000
Air Quality
Scrubbers, negative air, ducting, filters, setup + daily
$1,000-$3,000
HEPA Vacuuming
Equipment, labor/SF, standard vs detailed, contents
$500-$1,500
PPE
Tyvek, respirators, cartridges, gloves, boots
$300-$800
Antimicrobial
Application/SF, encapsulation
$500-$1,200
Disposal
Bags, labor, haul off, dumpster, fees
$300-$1,000
Add It Up
A properly billed mold job includes...
$3,000 - $10,000
beyond just demolition and removal
If you're only billing demo and a few equipment days,
you're missing most of your billable work
Coming Up Next
High-Value Mold Items
The line items contractors miss most often.
Another $2,000 - $5,000 that most people leave on the table
ACTION ITEM
Your Next Step
Pull up your last mold estimate.
Compare it to what we covered.
Did you include containment construction?
All air quality items?
Full PPE per person per day?
If not, you know where you left money.