Texas Law & Licensing
Contracts, communication and project records
In plain English
Chapter 7 treats paperwork as part of the job. R520 recommends a written contract that names who pays and how, what happens on default or termination, whether an insurer is involved, any warranty, how the effectiveness of the work will be judged, and how changes are handled. Every page should be initialed and signed, and each party given a copy. Change orders should be in writing, since disputes often grow out of verbal changes.
The guide lists the records a remediator should keep. They include the contract, scope of work and protocol, any IEP reports and specifications, signed inventories of salvageable and unsalvageable contents, daily logs, photographs, moisture and humidity readings, meeting notes, subcontractor contracts and insurance, and a list of everyone who entered containment. Significant issues should be discussed and then confirmed in writing.
When a customer refuses a recommended step, or a job departs from the Standard for a sound reason, R520 says to document it, explain the possible consequences in writing, and seek a signed waiver. It notes a waiver may not fully protect a contractor who knowingly took on a job that could not succeed. Texas note: Texas adds its own required documents for regulated projects, including the assessor's protocol, the contractor's work plan and notice to TDLR before work starts.
Key points
- Use a written, signed contract and written change orders.
- Keep the protocol, IEP reports, logs, readings and photographs.
- Have the customer sign the contents inventory.
- Document any departure from the Standard and the reasons for it.
- Texas requires its own protocol, work plan and TDLR notification.
Official text
This topic is covered in our own words because the standard behind it is copyrighted; we cite it below rather than reproduce it.
Citations
- IICRC S520 Reference Guide, IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation — Reference Guide — Ch. 7, pp. 80–86. Best practice