Grand Rapids particulars
Grand Rapids says it ended its combined sewer overflows in 2015: "In 2015 we completed a Sewer Improvement project," the city writes, and it "eliminated all Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) points in the sewer system." That is a statement about overflows to the river, and it does not promise your basement stays dry. The city's Footing Drain Disconnection Program explains why: footing drains tied to the sanitary sewer can overload it, producing sewer backups in basements in many areas, and disconnecting them sends the water to the stormwater system.
The program's number, 616-456-3057, is for that program and not an emergency line. The city has 197,768 residents, 75.3 percent of its homes date from before 1980, and the median home value is $225,500. Kent County was one of nine named in the 2023 storm declaration, DR-4757. For rebuilding after a loss, the Development Center at 1120 Monroe Ave NW, 3rd Floor, 616-456-4100, issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, and the city's renovation guide says a permit is often needed to modify walls, wiring, piping or ductwork.
It says nothing about fire or water damage specifically, and we found no sewer backup number on the pages we read. Neighbors include East Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Walker.
Mold remediation in Grand Rapids: what to know
The city's renovation guide says permits are often needed to add or modify walls, wiring, piping or ductwork, so replacing drywall that mold took is not automatically exempt. Call 616-456-4100. MDHHS says no state certification exists for mold remediators, so the permit is one of the few official checks you can see.
EPA says that if mold is visible, sampling is unnecessary, and IICRC S520, fourth edition, 2024, is the industry's standard.
Ask the Development Center if the work you are describing needs a permit. A company that says no permit is needed should be able to say why, and you can confirm it with the office directly.
Permits for mold remediation in Grand Rapids
MDHHS says the state does not certify remediators.
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Grand Rapids building department who issues restoration permits.
When mold cannot wait
- Mold followed sewage or floodwater.
- Growth covers a large area or has returned after cleaning.
- Someone with asthma, a lung condition or a weak immune system lives in the house.
- A small patch of visible mold under about 10 square feet on a hard surface, once the moisture is fixed.
- A musty smell with no visible growth and no active leak, which you can raise with your insurer first.
The first hour with mold
Try this first: stop the moisture and ask any company which edition of S520 its scope follows.
- Stop the moisture. A leak, a damp wall or standing water feeds mold, and cleaning without fixing it only resets the clock.
- Stay out of areas with visible or smelled mold if you have asthma, a lung condition or a suppressed immune system. MiReady says those people should not enter buildings with visible or smelled mold.
- Photograph the growth and the damp areas, and write down when the water event happened. Your insurer will ask.
- Measure the patch if you can. EPA says that under about 10 square feet, roughly 3 feet by 3 feet, most people can handle it; over that, or after a lot of water damage, read EPA's remediation guidance.
- Do not pay for a test first. MDHHS says it cannot test your home and does not recommend mold testing; its hotline is 800-648-6942.
- If the area is large, the water was sewage, or you cannot find the moisture source, request a company on the form.
What mold remediation costs
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Grand Rapids in particular. The same table is on the mold remediation page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,400 to $5,625 per job | Built from 3 national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio (0.94). No Michigan restoration company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Estimated range per square foot, not a quote | $12 to $32 per square foot | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio (0.94). No Michigan restoration company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, Michigan median | $22.30 an hour (middle half of workers: $19.66 to $26.65) | What the nearest federal occupation is paid (BLS May 2025, read through O*NET OnLine), not what you are charged. BLS has no water or fire restoration occupation. |
| Same occupation, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn median | $22.30 an hour (middle half: $19.83 to $27.17) | Pay, not price. Mapping to restoration crews is our inference. |
| Same occupation, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood median | $21.82 an hour (middle half: $19.66 to $27.50) | Pay, not price. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes 3 published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Michigan's hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio to the US (0.94, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine), the nearest federal occupation to a restoration crew. The wage rows in the table are what that occupation is paid, which is not a price. Restoration is priced from measured damage and equipment and is often paid by an insurer, so a real quote can land outside the range. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan restoration company that publishes a price we could count. Full method.
Questions about mold remediation
Does Michigan require a license to remediate mold?
The State of Michigan does not provide certification for mold remediators or mold testing companies, MDHHS says. That covers certification only, and no state mold license page turned up in our reading. Rebuilding work can still need the builder license.
Can I remediate mold myself?
For under about 10 square feet, roughly 3 feet by 3 feet, EPA says most people can handle it. For larger areas or after a lot of water damage, EPA points to its remediation guide. People with asthma or weak immunity should not do the cleanup.
Should I pay for a mold test in Michigan?
MDHHS does not recommend testing and cannot test your home, and EPA says sampling is unnecessary if mold is visible. Spend the effort on finding the moisture.