Black Mold Removal in Colorado Springs, CO
Found dark, slimy growth behind a baseboard and searched for the worst-case name? Here is what black mold is, what it is not, and how independent local remediation companies handle it. Free quotes, no obligation.
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What people mean by black mold
"Black mold" usually refers to Stachybotrys chartarum, a greenish-black mold that grows on drywall paper, wood and fiberboard when they stay wet for a long time. It needs a chronic water source: a pipe dripping inside a wall for months, a basement that seeps every spring, a roof leak nobody traced.
Here is the part the scary articles skip. Many molds are black, including common ones like Cladosporium on every window sill in the city. Color tells you nothing about species, and species tells you less than you would think about what to do. The EPA and CDC both say all indoor mold growth should be removed and the moisture fixed, whatever kind it is. The remediation steps for Stachybotrys are the steps for any mold.
The useful questions are "where is the water coming from" and "how far has it spread."
Health, stated carefully
Any mold can irritate eyes, skin, nose and lungs, and can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms in people who are sensitive; people with weak immune systems or chronic lung disease are at more risk. Those are the CDC's general statements, and they apply to Stachybotrys the same as to anything else on a wet wall.
What this page will not do is tell you that one species is poisonous or that your symptoms come from the wall. No website can, and companies that sell fear are selling something. If anyone has symptoms, see a doctor and describe the house. Then get the growth removed. Two separate conversations with two separate professionals.
If you rent: within 72 hours of notice of mold associated with dampness, Colorado law requires the landlord to install containment, stop the water source and run HEPA filtration, then maintain containment through remediation and do post-remediation testing. Where health or safety is affected, you can request a comparable unit. Minor mold on surfaces that normally get wet is excluded. General information, not legal advice; see the tenant mold rights guide.
Where black mold turns up in Colorado Springs homes
Because it needs long-term wetness, Stachybotrys shows up where water sits unnoticed in a dry climate. A 2017 local news story about a tenant in an Old Colorado City apartment traced growth to a bathroom pipe leak inside the wall. The usual list:
- Behind the baseboard in a finished basement that seeps each spring.
- Under a kitchen or bathroom sink with a slow leak, or around a toilet flange where the subfloor stayed wet.
- Inside a wall where a line froze and split and the leak went unnoticed until the drywall stained. See mold after burst pipes and floods.
- On roof decking and ceiling drywall under a hail-damaged roof or ice dam. See attic mold.
How the companies remove it
Trace the water and map the spread
Moisture meter and thermal camera on the surrounding walls and floor. Heavy surface growth usually means more behind it, so the scope is set by meter readings, not by what is visible.
Contain and run negative air
Plastic sheeting, a zipper door, registers sealed, and a HEPA air scrubber so disturbed spores stay in the work area. Removal of heavy growth stirs up a lot of material.
Remove the material
Drywall, insulation, carpet pad and anything else porous with growth is cut out, bagged and removed. Wiping heavy growth on drywall is not a fix; the material comes out.
Clean the structure
Framing, concrete and subfloor are HEPA vacuumed, cleaned and, where staining is deep, sanded or blasted.
Dry and confirm
Equipment runs until framing reads dry. A visual clearance follows, with optional independent sampling.
Rebuild
New drywall, trim, paint and flooring. Framing or plumbing changes need a PPRBD permit pulled by a PPRBD-registered contractor. Full sequence on the process page.
Black mold removal cost
Species does not change the price. Size, material and moisture do.
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mold remediation, per sq ft | $10–$25 (avg ≈ $18) | This Old House 2026; Fixr 2025 ($10–$30) |
| Typical whole job | $1,500–$9,000 (national avg ≈ $3,500) | Fixr 2025 |
| Small area ≈ 50 / 100 / 200 sq ft | $500–$1,250 / $1,000–$2,500 / $2,000–$5,000 | This Old House 2026 |
| Mold inspection / testing (separate) | $303–$1,044 (avg ≈ $670) | HomeAdvisor 2025 |
Typical published ranges, not quotes (Fixr Aug 2025, This Old House Mar 2026, HomeAdvisor 2025). Colorado Springs quotes come from the companies, not from this site.
Be suspicious of a surcharge for "black mold." Full detail and a calculator on the cost guide.
Insurance, asbestos and older homes
Insurers care about the cause, not the color. Growth from a sudden covered event such as a burst pipe may be paid up to the mold sublimit, commonly $1,000 to $10,000; growth from a slow leak or seepage is usually excluded. Photograph everything before removal and read your policy before you count on it.
Heavy growth often means heavy tear-out. About 39 percent of Colorado Springs homes predate 1980, and a wall section over 32 square feet crosses Colorado's residential asbestos trigger level. In a home built before 1989, ask whether an asbestos test of the texture, joint compound or flooring is needed before tear-out; an asbestos building inspector holding Colorado state certification does the sampling. Pre-1978 homes bring EPA lead-safe rules. The asbestos before tear-out guide covers the trigger levels.
Questions to ask the companies
- What is the water source, and will your scope say how it gets fixed?
- How did you decide how much wall to remove?
- Will you use containment and HEPA filtration, in writing?
- Is the price the same as for any other mold of this size?
- What training do your techs hold, and can you send proof of general liability insurance?
Get black mold removal quotes in Colorado Springs
Tell us where the growth is, how large the area is and what has been wet nearby. Independent local remediation companies reply with quotes; you choose who to hire.
Independent local companies reply to you directly. No obligation, and you decide who to hire. Prefer to talk? Call (719) 642-1761
Black mold questions
How do I know if it is black mold?
You cannot tell by color. Many common molds are black or dark green, and Stachybotrys, the species people mean by black mold, is only one of them. It tends to appear slimy and dark on paper-faced drywall and wood that stayed wet for a long time. Only a lab can identify the species, and the EPA's position is that all indoor mold should be removed regardless of type.
Is black mold dangerous?
Any mold can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in sensitive people, and that applies to Stachybotrys as much as to the common types. Claims that it is uniquely poisonous are not well supported by the CDC's summaries, and nobody can assess your risk from a photo. If anyone in the home has symptoms, see a doctor. Separately, get the mold removed and the water fixed, whatever species it is.
Do I need a test to confirm it is black mold before removal?
Not usually. The EPA says that in most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary, and the removal method does not change based on species. Testing is useful when you need documentation for a landlord, buyer or insurer, or when mold is suspected but hidden. Spending on a lab report before spending on the fix rarely changes the outcome.
How much does black mold removal cost?
The same as any other mold removal of the same size, because the process is the same. Fixr's 2025 whole-job range is $1,500 to $9,000, and This Old House's 2026 per-square-foot range is $10 to $25. A company that quotes a premium because the mold is black is charging for the word, not the work. These are published ranges, not quotes.
What should I do right now if I found black mold?
Stop the water if it is still coming. Do not scrub or disturb a large area, since that puts spores into the air. Close the room off, keep children and pets out, photograph it, and request quotes. If you rent, notify your landlord in writing; Colorado law gives them 72 hours to contain it, stop the water and run HEPA filtration. If anyone has symptoms, see a doctor.
Seeing or smelling mold? Get a clear plan.
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