Mold Inspection in Fife, WA

Why would a Fife home have moisture under the floor?

Fife is a tideflat community on low, flat land stretching from the Port of Tacoma, and in some parts the water table is only 10 to 15 feet below ground. Southern parts of the city lie in the Puyallup River floodplain. Low, flat lots drain slowly through the wet season, so crawl spaces can hold damp soil or standing water for weeks at a time. An inspector should check the vapor barrier, the soil beneath it, the sill plates and the bottom of the floor framing, then work up through the house to bathrooms, windows and the attic.

Does being in the floodplain affect repairs?

It can. Fife's municipal code includes a flood damage prevention chapter administered by the community development director. If an inspection leads to removing and replacing drywall, flooring or framing, check with the City of Fife Community Development Department, which issues building permits, before rebuilding, and mention that the home sits in a flood-prone area. Permit coordinators there review the applications and can explain what the flood rules require for your address.

I rent in Fife. Who can help with mold?

Start with written notice to the landlord about the leak or moisture. Washington landlords must keep units reasonably weathertight and give tenants Department of Health-approved information about mold, and DOH says landlords are responsible for fixing building problems such as leaks or faulty ventilation that cause moisture. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has said it doesn't have regulatory power over rental housing issues, though it has seen more complaints such as mold. A private inspection report can document conditions if the problem continues. This is general information, not legal advice.

One more local note

Fife is about 27 miles from Seattle along I-5, next door to Tacoma, and much of the city mixes homes with warehouses, dealerships and highway businesses. If you manage a small commercial building here, the same approach applies: find the water first, then size the cleanup. In homes, the most useful report names each wet area, the reading taken there and the likely cause, so repairs can be lined up in a sensible order.