Mold Inspection in Bonners Ferry, Idaho

We test for mold in Bonners Ferry and across Boundary County, from the Kootenai River bottomland to the rural acreage on the hills above it. We do not remediate, and we take no referral fees from companies that do. There is no trip fee for Boundary County or anywhere else in North Idaho.

A standard inspection is $425. That covers the site visit, moisture mapping, thermal imaging, one indoor air sample plus an outdoor control collected the same day, all lab fees, and a written report. Jesse Futia, the owner and a NORMI Certified IAQ/Mold Assessor, does the visit and writes the report.

A town that grew up at a river crossing

Bonners Ferry is named for a ferry. Edwin Bonner started running one across the Kootenai River in 1864 where the trail met the water, and the town grew around the crossing. Early buildings stood on stilts to stay above the spring floods. In 1948 the Kootenai cut through a rain-softened levee at Bonners Ferry and sent water across a 2,500-acre district.

Libby Dam, upstream in Montana, was finished in 1972 and began operating in 1975. It lessened the threat of serious flooding. The Kootenai Valley north of town is still extensively diked and channelized, and much of the farmland behind those dikes was once floodplain and wetland.

Groundwater follows the river

For a building, the part that matters is groundwater. During the high water of 2006, farm fields in the valley started taking damage when the river reached about 1,755 feet, the point where groundwater comes up through the soil. The official flood mark is 1,764 feet. So the ground was wet nine feet before anything counted as a flood. Dikes hold back the river channel. They do not hold down the water table.

If your home sits on the valley floor or close to the river, a crawl space or basement can pick up water during a high spring river with no surface flooding at all. The pattern to watch for is a lower level that is damp in late spring and early summer and dry again by fall.

When you call, tell us when you have seen water or noticed a smell, and what the river was doing at the time. That history is often worth more than the moisture reading on the day of the visit, because we may be standing in a dry crawl space in October looking for evidence of a wet one in June.

Snow, deep cold and the thaw

Under the 1991 to 2020 climate normals, Bonners Ferry averages about 54 inches of snow a year on about 21 inches of total precipitation. The record low is 33 degrees below zero. That combination produces three recurring problems in local buildings.

Ice dams. Heat leaking into an attic melts snow on the upper roof. The meltwater runs down to the cold eave, refreezes, and backs liquid water up under the roofing into sheathing, wall top plates and ceilings. See ice dams and attic moisture.

Meltwater at the foundation. A winter of snow piled against a house lets go of a lot of water in a short window, often while the ground is still frozen and cannot absorb it. Add a spring river pushing the water table up and a lower level gets it from two directions at once. See snowmelt basement seepage.

Frozen supply lines. Deep cold finds plumbing in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated additions. A line that splits in January can leak slowly into a wall cavity for weeks before anyone sees a stain. See mold after a burst pipe.

Two different housing stocks

Inside city limits, Bonners Ferry has an older housing stock. Census estimates put about a quarter of the homes in town at 1939 or earlier, and the median year built is 1969. Bonners Ferry grew as a mining and lumber town, and the Bonners Ferry Lumber Company became one of the largest lumber mills in the world.

Houses of that age often have basements dug for storage and finished decades later, plus additions from different eras joined to the original structure. Finished walls in an old basement cover the surfaces that would otherwise show moisture first, and the joint between an addition and the original house is a common place for flashing to fail. Thermal imaging helps here, because it can show cool, damp sections behind drywall without opening anything.

Out in the county the picture changes. Across Boundary County most homes were built after 1970, and about 13 percent of housing units are mobile or manufactured homes. Rural homes on acreage bring their own list:

• Wells, pressure tanks and water treatment equipment inside the house, each with fittings that can weep
• Manufactured homes where skirting closes in the crawl space and the belly wrap can hold water from a plumbing leak out of sight
• Shops, garages and outbuildings converted into living space without the insulation or vapor control of the main house
• Homes closed for part of the year, with no one there to notice a leak until spring

If a property is used seasonally, see vacation cabin mold inspection. Air it out and warm it for several days before deciding whether to test, since a building that has been shut all winter smells stale on its own.

What the visit covers

1. History and walkthrough, including when problems appear during the year
2. Moisture mapping at foundation walls, rim joists, crawl space, ceilings under the roof plane and around plumbing
3. Thermal imaging to find cool, wet areas behind finished surfaces
4. Visual inspection of accessible attic and crawl space areas
5. One indoor air sample on a spore trap cassette plus an outdoor control collected the same day
6. Additional air, tape lift or swab samples where they answer a specific question, at $100 each
7. Analysis by an accredited lab, with results in 1 to 3 business days
8. A written report with the raw lab data attached

A typical three-sample job comes to about $525. Homes over 3,000 square feet run $550 to $650. A 24-hour rush at the lab adds $100. If a remediation company has already done work, post-remediation clearance is $375 flat for up to three samples. Full details are on the pricing page.

No license exists, so ask about independence

Idaho does not license mold inspectors or assessors, and Washington does not either. Anyone who claims an Idaho mold license is describing a credential the state does not issue. The useful questions are who issued a person's credential, whether you can verify it with that body, and whether the same company will bid the removal. See Idaho mold testing rules.

We only test. We never remediate and take no referral fees from remediation companies, so nothing in the report affects what we earn next. See why we do not remediate.

Boundary County coverage

Bonners Ferry, Moyie Springs, Naples, Copeland, Porthill, Eastport and the rest of Boundary County, up to the Canadian border about 27 miles north of town. We also work south through Sandpoint and Priest River. For waterfront property, see lake home mold inspection.

Call (509) 355-0038 or request a time. If a neighbor has the same question, mention it when you call.

Frequently asked questions

Do you charge a trip fee to come to Bonners Ferry? No. There is no trip fee anywhere we work, including Boundary County and the rest of North Idaho. A standard inspection is $425 with one indoor air sample, an outdoor control, all lab fees and a written report.

How much does a mold inspection cost in Bonners Ferry? $425 for a standard inspection. Additional air, tape lift or swab samples are $100 each, so a typical three-sample job is about $525. Homes over 3,000 square feet run $550 to $650.

My crawl space is damp in spring and dry by fall. Is that mold? Not necessarily. On the Kootenai valley floor, a crawl space can take on moisture when the river is high and the water table comes up, then dry out later in the year. Damp for part of the year is still enough for mold to grow on wood and stored items. A moisture survey and a look at the framing will tell you whether it has.

Can you inspect a manufactured home? Yes. We check the interior, the plumbing walls and the crawl space under the home where the skirting allows access. The belly wrap under a manufactured home can hide water from a plumbing leak, so tell us about any past leaks or soft floors.

Does Idaho require a license for mold inspectors? No. Idaho does not license mold inspectors or assessors, and neither does Washington. Jesse Futia is a NORMI Certified IAQ/Mold Assessor. Ask anyone you hire who issued their credential and whether they also do remediation.

How long do lab results take? Results usually come back in 1 to 3 business days. A 24-hour rush at the lab is available for $100 when a closing or contract deadline is close.