Mold Removal in Fox Island, WA

An island on the water

Fox Island is an unincorporated island in south Puget Sound, part of Pierce County, about 5 miles from Gig Harbor and 29 miles southwest of Seattle. The Fox Island Bridge, opened in 1954, links it to the mainland at Artondale. Hale Passage runs along the north shore and Carr Inlet to the southwest, with little Tanglewood Island just offshore. Much of the island's residential property is waterfront.

Waterfront homes face a few specific moisture pressures:

• Rain driven sideways by storms off Carr Inlet or down Hale Passage, testing window and door flashing on the water side.
• Humid marine air that keeps crawl spaces, garages and storage rooms damp.
• Second homes or rooms left closed for weeks, where mildew spreads across furniture, mattresses and closets.
• Decks and bulkhead-level rooms that sit close to the water and dry slowly.

Keeping some heat on, running a dehumidifier in lower rooms and making sure bath fans vent outdoors all help.

Flood maps and permits

Because the island is unincorporated, Pierce County Planning & Public Works' Development Center in Tacoma issues building, plumbing and mechanical permits, including permits for repairs after floods and storms. Pierce County provides floodway and floodplain maps through Surface Water Management and its public GIS. Countywide, repairs after flood damage need permits, work exceeding 50 percent of a structure's value over five years must bring it up to current code, and federal flood insurance is required for federally backed loans on structures in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas. Check your parcel before rebuilding a shoreline home after water or mold damage. The mold cleanup itself is not described as permitted work.

Renters and health questions

Pierce County Code Enforcement covers unincorporated areas like Fox Island, but it says it does not handle public health concerns such as mold. Mold questions go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, whose Healthy Homes program offers mold resources for tenants. Renters should give the landlord written notice of leaks and moisture problems; Washington landlords must keep homes weathertight and provide Department of Health mold information.

Getting help on the island

When you call, you are connected with an independent company that serves Fox Island. Ask about scheduling for island addresses and whether one visit can cover the crawl space, attic and any closed-up rooms. Washington has no state mold license or certification, so check construction contractor registration on L&I's Verify a Contractor tool and get the scope in writing, including how the company will confirm materials are dry before anything is closed back up.