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HiringOdor Removal

When should I hire an odor removal company?

Hire one when the source is something you should not handle yourself: mold over about 10 square feet, hidden mold you cannot find, sewage or flood water, smoke after a fire, or a smell that returns after you dried and cleaned. For a small damp spot or a spill, cleaning and drying it yourself usually does the job.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Try the cheap fix first

    For a small damp spot, dry it, fix the water source and scrub hard surfaces with detergent and water.[1]

  2. Step 2: Measure the mold

    If mold covers more than about 10 square feet, plan on a professional.[1]

  3. Step 3: Call your insurer if it is a covered loss

    After a fire or a sudden pipe burst, report the claim before you sign a contract with a restoration company.

  4. Step 4: Check the company's credentials

    Ask a mold company for its certification, and look up any contractor's licence number at DPOR.[4][5]

  5. Step 5: Check references

    Make sure the contractor has experience with your kind of problem, and check references.[1]

  6. Step 6: Get three written bids

    Ask for at least three bids based on the same set of specifications and do not automatically take the lowest.[5]

  7. Step 7: Ask how they treat the source

    Ask whether the quote removes and dries the source or only treats the air, and what is done if the smell returns.

  8. Step 8: Sign a written contract

    Get the scope, price and start and finish dates in a written contract before work begins.[5]

Hire when you cannot safely remove the source

An odor company is worth hiring when the cause of the smell is something you should not tackle yourself or cannot reach. For a small damp spot or a spill, drying and cleaning it is usually enough. The EPA's rule of thumb for mold: if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet, in most cases, you can handle the job yourself.[1]

Past that, or in the cases below, a professional is the better call.

The top and control panel of a portable LG dehumidifier with a humidity setting display, standing on a tiled floor
Photo: Chong Tian Lin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Signs it is time

  • A large or wet job. If there has been a lot of water damage, and/or mold growth covers more than 10 square feet, the EPA says to consult its remediation guide, which is focused on schools and commercial buildings but applies to other building types.[1]
  • A smell you cannot trace. Mold may be behind drywall, under carpet or above ceiling tiles. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional.[2]
  • The HVAC system may be involved. Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold.[1]
  • Sewage or flood water. The EPA says to call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water.[1]
  • Smoke from a fire. Soot and smoke odor settle into surfaces and the structure; that is restoration work, usually part of an insurance claim.
  • The smell returns after you dried and cleaned. Something is still damp.
  • Someone in the home has health concerns. The EPA advises consulting a health professional before starting a mold cleanup.[1]

What a good company does

A good company asks what happened and when, finds and fixes or reports the source, removes materials that cannot be cleaned, dries the area and then treats the air and surfaces. If the quote is only a fog, an ozone treatment or a "deodorizing" with no word about the source, expect the smell to return. On ozone, the EPA says the levels needed to do that are above those generally thought to be safe for humans, so it belongs only in an unoccupied space, never as the whole fix.[3]

Check who you are hiring in Virginia

For mold, Virginia's Consumer Protection Act requires mold remediation contractors be certified by a nationally or internationally recognized certifying body for mold remediation.[4] The Virginia Department of Health does not assess the credentials of, or make recommendations regarding, specific mold specialists, so ask the company for its certificate and the standard it follows.[4] Make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold, and check references.[1]

For contracting work, the Virginia Board for Contractors says: "Unlicensed contracting is against the law."[5] If the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor's License is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work.[5] A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid, so look the number up on the DPOR site.[5]

Compare bids and sign a contract

The Board's advice is to solicit at least three bids, make sure all of them are based on the same set of specifications, and not automatically accept the lowest.[5] Read what each includes: source removal, drying, disposal, air treatment, a return visit. Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.[5] Make sure the scope, price and dates are in it.

Stop and call a pro if

  • Anyone mentions an odor treatment that requires you to stay in the house. Ozone and similar treatments are for unoccupied spaces.[3]
  • A company wants a large deposit up front, will not put the scope in writing or cannot show a certificate or licence. Move on to the next bid.
  • The smell came with sewage backing up, a gas smell or electrical trouble. Those are a plumber, the gas utility or an electrician first, and not an odor job.

Getting help in Virginia

Read how to get rid of a musty smell for what to try first, and what odor removal costs in Virginia for what drives a quote. If mold is the cause, see what professional mold remediation involves. More are in restoration answers and the restoration directory.

When you are ready, describe the smell and where it is once and local pros can quote it.

Common questions

Can I just rent an ozone machine instead of hiring someone?
It is not a good idea in a home you live in. The EPA says ozone can reduce odors in unoccupied spaces but that the levels needed are above those generally thought safe for humans.[^epa-ozone] It also does not remove the damp or mold causing the smell.
Who should I call first for a musty smell: an odor company or a mold company?
Start with finding the moisture source. If it is a leak, a plumber or roofer stops the water; if there is visible or suspected mold over about 10 square feet, a certified mold remediator; if the smell followed a fire or flood, a restoration company. A company that offers only air treatment without asking about the source is a warning sign.
Does an odor removal company in Virginia need a licence?
A professional mold remediator needs a mold remediation certification, which Virginia's Consumer Protection Act requires.[^vdh-mold] For other work, a Virginia contractor licence is required once the job is valued at $1,000 or more.[^dpor] The VDH does not assess the credentials of specific mold specialists, so verify them yourself.
How many quotes should I get?
At least three bids based on the same set of specifications, so you can compare what each one includes, and do not automatically accept the lowest.[^dpor]
Should I call my insurance first?
Yes, if the smell comes from a covered loss such as fire damage or a sudden burst pipe. Report the claim before signing with a company, and ask the insurer what documentation it needs. What is covered depends on your policy, so check it.

Sources

  1. [1] Mold Cleanup in Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] What are ionizers and other ozone generating air cleaners?, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Mold, Virginia Department of Health. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.