Home › Guides › Hiring a mold company in Tennessee: licenses and permits
Tennessee does license mold remediation contracting, but the rules depend on the size of the job and, for smaller jobs, on the county. Add Metro Nashville's permit rules for rebuilding after water damage and it's easy to lose track. Here's how it fits together, using the state contractor board's own pages and Metro Codes guidance.
The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors requires a contractor license before a company bids or contracts on a project of $25,000 or more as the prime contractor. Each license comes with a classification, which defines the kind of work allowed, and a monetary limit, which caps the project size. The board's classification outline lists S-F Mold Remediation among its agricultural and environmental specialty classifications. Specialty classifications don't require a trade exam, though new applicants still pass the state's Business and Law exam.
Most residential mold jobs come in under $25,000. For those, the board's home improvement license applies to residential remodeling projects from $3,000 to $24,999, but only in counties that have adopted the law. The board lists them as Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. So in our area:
| County | Home improvement license ($3,000–$24,999) |
|---|---|
| Davidson (Nashville, Antioch, Madison, Hermitage) | Applies |
| Rutherford (Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne) | Applies |
| Williamson (Franklin, Brentwood) | Not on the board's list |
| Sumner (Hendersonville, Gallatin) | Not on the board's list |
| Wilson (Mt. Juliet, Lebanon) | Not on the board's list |
The state's definition covers repair, replacement, remodeling and alterations to residential buildings, which can take in cutting out and replacing drywall, flooring and insulation. The board requires home improvement licensees to carry a $10,000 surety bond plus general liability and workers' compensation insurance, according to the board.
The board's classification outline has no category for mold inspection or mold testing, so you won't find an inspector's state license to look up. Judge inspectors by training and independence. The federal disaster cleanup guide from EPA, CDC, FEMA, HUD and NIH suggests professionals affiliated with or certified by NEHA, AIHA, IICRC or ACAC. More on that in mold inspection and testing.
Metro Codes' guidance for weather-damaged homes separates tear-out from rebuild. No permit is needed for the demolition and clean-up: removing wet drywall, carpet, doors and the like. A building permit is required before drywall is installed and before any damaged electrical, plumbing or HVAC system is repaired. Licensed electrical and HVAC contractors pull their own permits and get their work inspected, insulation goes in to the energy code (Codes lists R-13 for walls and R-19 for floors), and then the Building Division does a framing inspection before the drywall goes up. A homeowner living in a single-family house can pull the permit, but Codes warns that the owner then becomes responsible for code compliance, including the subcontractors' work. Its advice: if you've hired a contractor, have the contractor pull the permit. Properties in a mapped flood hazard area have additional permit requirements, according to Metro Water Services.
Once you know who to trust, our cost guide helps you judge the price.
Sources: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, contractor license, classification outline and home improvement license; Metro Codes, How to Obtain Permits Associated with the Repair of Weather Damaged Homes (2021); Metro Water Services, 2026 flood brochure; EPA and partner agencies, disaster mold cleanup guide; EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home.
For projects of $25,000 or more, a contractor license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors; the board lists Mold Remediation (S-F) as a specialty classification. Smaller residential jobs in adopting counties such as Davidson and Rutherford need a home improvement license from $3,000 to $24,999.
For weather-damaged homes, Metro Codes says demolition and clean-up need no permit, but a building permit is required before new drywall is installed, with a framing inspection first.
Use the state license lookup at verify.tn.gov and confirm the classification and monetary limit match the work you are hiring for.
We are a referral service and send nobody out ourselves. Leave your town and a line about what is going on, and a local, independent mold business will phone you to talk it through and quote. Water still running? Close the main shutoff or the fixture valve before anything else.