Surviving 1980s–90s homes
Aging roofs under heavy snow, original bath fans, water heaters and pressure tanks in basements, and walkout basements that take runoff from uphill. See basement and crawl space mold.
Mold Remediation in Black Forest, CO
Black Forest is 15,738 people on five-acre ponderosa lots northeast of Colorado Springs, almost entirely owner-occupied, on wells and septic, with hundreds of homes rebuilt since the June 2013 fire. We connect Black Forest homeowners with independent local mold inspection and remediation companies for free, no-obligation quotes.
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Five-acre lots under the pines
Black Forest has had a five-acre minimum lot size since 1965, which is why it looks the way it does: 5,533 housing units spread across ponderosa forest at about 7,369 feet, near the high point of the Palmer Divide. The 2020 census counted 15,097 residents; the ACS 2024 5-year survey counts 15,738, a median home built in 1996, and 95.8% owner-occupancy, the highest of any place we cover. Almost nobody here rents, so the tenant rules on other pages rarely apply.
Homes are on private wells and septic systems rather than Colorado Springs Utilities, and most have basements or walkouts cut into sloping lots. Snow is heavier than in the city, and spring melt runs downhill toward foundations.
After the fire: a decade of new construction
The Black Forest Fire started June 11, 2013, burned about 15,500 acres and 511 buildings, killed two people and forced roughly 35,500 evacuations before containment around June 20. El Paso County received federal disaster declaration DR-4134. Rebuilding was slow: 57% of lost homes had been rebuilt 23 months later. A county survey found about a third of 522 wells damaged.
The result is a neighborhood with two housing eras side by side: 1980s–90s homes that survived, and 2014–2020 rebuilds that are now reaching the age when builder details fail. Mold calls in Black Forest split the same way.
Post-2013 rebuilds
Finished basements that hide seepage, ice dams on complex rooflines, window and flashing details, furnace humidifiers run high in dry winters. See attic and ice dam mold and condensation mold.
Costs, insurance and who does what
Published national ranges: basement $1,500–$4,000, attic $1,000–$4,000, crawl space $500–$2,000, whole jobs $1,500–$9,000 with a national average near $3,500 (Fixr 2025, This Old House 2026). Not quotes. Black Forest quotes come from the companies; the cost guide explains the drivers, and tear-out of finished basement drywall and flooring is the usual one here.
Insurance: mold after a sudden covered event such as a burst pipe is often covered up to a sublimit, commonly $1,000–$10,000; seepage, slow leaks and groundwater usually are not, and septic backup needs its own endorsement. Smoke and soot from wildfire are a separate claim and a separate cleanup. Document before you clean; nobody can promise what a policy pays.
Black Forest is unincorporated, so permits come from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department under El Paso County rules. Cleaning finishes usually needs none; rebuilding framing or moving plumbing or electrical does, and the company pulling a permit must be PPRBD-registered. Colorado has no state mold license; ask about IICRC S520 or ACAC training, general liability insurance and a written protocol. We do not verify any of it.
Black Forest mold questions
My Black Forest home was rebuilt after the 2013 fire. Can a new house have mold?
Yes. Post-2013 rebuilds are now a decade old, which is when builder-grade flashing, window seals and bath-fan ducting start to show. Finished basements hide seepage, and ice dams on the Palmer Divide push meltwater under shingles. Mold needs moisture, not age. A moisture-meter inspection finds wet material in a new house as easily as an old one.
Is smoke or soot damage the same thing as mold?
No. Smoke, soot and ash cleanup is a separate service, and the Colorado Division of Insurance issued guidance in October 2025 that insurers should not apply sublimits to wildfire smoke damage. Mold comes from water: fire-suppression water, a roof opened by fire or hail, or a burst pipe in an evacuated house. Some restoration companies do both; ask for separate line items.
What if my well or septic is the water source?
Say so on the form. Well pumps, pressure tanks and treatment equipment leak slowly in utility rooms and crawl spaces, and a septic backup is Category 3 water that needs full remediation. There is no utility to claim against; check whether your policy has a septic backup endorsement. After the 2013 fire, about a third of 522 surveyed wells were damaged, so some systems have been repaired or replaced since.
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