Is My Water or Fire Damage Restoration Company Licensed and Insured in Louisiana?

General water and fire damage restoration work — extraction, structural drying, smoke cleanup — doesn't have its own dedicated LSLBC classification in Louisiana; it falls under the same general/residential contractor thresholds as other trades. But mold remediation, which frequently follows water damage, is different: it requires its own specific LSLBC Mold Remediation license, and as of August 1, 2026, that license comes with a real, newly-strengthened insurance requirement.

The mold remediation license, specifically

Mold remediation projects above $7,500 in labor and materials require a contractor to hold an LSLBC Mold Remediation license, which requires 24 hours of board-approved training and renews every 1, 2, or 3 years. Since mold can begin growing within 24-48 hours of standing water, "does the water damage crew also handle the mold" is a question worth asking upfront rather than after the fact — and the answer should come with a real license number.

A 2026 law raised the insurance bar

Under Act 757 of the 2026 Legislative Session, effective August 1, 2026, Mold Remediation license holders must now carry both General Liability ($50,000 minimum) and Workers' Compensation insurance, submitted directly to LSLBC by the contractor's insurance agent at application and renewal. This is one of the few trades on this site where LSLBC actually mandates a specific insurance floor — most other classifications leave insurance entirely up to you to verify.

Verify a restoration company's license

Search LSLBC's Mold Remediation classification page and the general LSLBC portal to confirm mold remediation licensing specifically, if that's part of the job.

Insurance: what to actually check

• For mold remediation specifically, confirm the $50,000 General Liability + Workers' Compensation minimum is in place (this is now a hard LSLBC requirement as of August 2026).
• For general water/fire extraction and drying work without a specific license tier, ask for a Certificate of Insurance directly, the same as any other unlicensed-classification trade.
• Confirm whether the company bills your insurer directly, which can speed reimbursement and reduces confusion about scope.

What to ask before you hire

• "If mold shows up, do you handle that yourselves, and what's your Mold Remediation license number?"
• "Can you send a COI, and does it meet the $50,000 general liability minimum if mold work is involved?"
• "Will you document the damage with photos before starting, for my insurance claim?"

Red flags

• Starts demolition or drying before any photos are taken — complicates your insurance claim.
• Offers mold remediation without a license number when the job is above $7,500.
• No mention of moisture-meter verification — a surface can look dry while the material underneath stays wet, seeding mold weeks later.

This is general information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements, including the 2026 insurance changes, directly at lslbc.gov. Ready to compare vetted local restoration companies? Browse water damage restoration pros near you on GulfServicePros.