Mold Removal Cost And Risk In Polk County, IA

A typical professional mold job in Polk County runs about $1,400 to $5,500 before rebuild, using the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA price level. Below are the 32 ZIP code neighborhoods, the age of the homes, FEMA's water hazard ratings and Iowa rules.

1981Median year homes were built

49%Homes built before 1980

33%Homes rented, not owned

$248,400Median home value

215,016Housing units

497,441People

Housing figures from Census ACS 2019 to 2023. Remediation workers here earn a median $25.20 an hour, BLS May 2025 wage survey.

Half the homes in Polk County were built before 1981, and 49 percent went up before 1980. Older plumbing, roofs and window seals are where slow leaks start, and slow leaks are the mold most home policies leave out. About 33 percent of homes in Polk County are rented, so most households here carry an owner's policy on the building itself.

Housing age swings by neighborhood. ZIP 50311 has the oldest homes here, a median year of 1938, and ZIP 50111 the newest, 2008.

Typical Prices In Polk County

JobSizeNational RangePolk County Estimate
Mold Remediationa typical professional job$1,500 to $6,000$1,400 to $5,500
Mold Remediationan attic$2,000 to $7,500$1,850 to $6,900
Mold Inspection and Testinga visual inspection$200 to $600$200 to $550
Mold Inspection and Testingan inspection with samples$300 to $1,000$300 to $900
Mold Inspection and Testinga clearance test$300 to $800$300 to $750

Estimate is the national range times 91.7 divided by 100, the price level for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, rounded to $50. National ranges from Remediational cost guide, price level from BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.

The standard limited fungi endorsement caps mold at $5,000. Against a typical job here of up to $5,500, that cap falls short by about $500 at the top of that range. Read the form

Water Hazards FEMA Rates Here

FEMA rates Polk County high for cold wave, winter weather. Water from these events is where mold claims start, and flood water is a separate policy. FloodSmart says mold damage is not covered under standard NFIP flood policies. FloodSmart

HazardFEMA Risk Rating
Inland floodingRelatively Moderate
Coastal floodingNot Applicable
HurricaneVery Low
Cold waveRelatively High
Winter weatherRelatively High

Source FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025, county level.

ZIP Code Neighborhoods In Polk County

ZIPAreaMedian Year BuiltBuilt Before 1980Median Home Value
50007Polk County197559%$294,300
50009Polk County199730%$261,800
50021Ankeny200220%$295,000
50023Ankeny200720%$327,200
50032Polk County195973%Not published
50035Polk County200621%$297,100
50073Polk County199738%$275,700
50109Polk County199828%$337,400
50111Grimes200815%$285,700
50131Johnston20048%$347,100
50161Polk County196965%$204,600
50169Polk County197364%$211,100
50226Polk County200324%$390,600
50237Polk County198847%$326,300
50243Sheldahl197167%$175,000
50244Polk County197462%$235,600
50265West Des Moines198441%$267,600
50309Des Moines198248%$286,900
50310Des Moines195685%$213,800
50311Des Moines193884%$228,000
50312Des Moines194484%$274,400
50313Polk County195382%$161,800
50314Des Moines193877%$146,700
50315Des Moines196474%$164,000
50316Des Moines194685%$137,300
50317Des Moines196275%$165,200
50320Des Moines199431%$207,700
50321Des Moines198051%$294,100
50322Urbandale197953%$263,900
50324Windsor Heights195992%$251,800
50325Clive199526%$379,000
50327Pleasant Hill200023%$303,000

ZIP areas are Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, placed in the county that holds most of their land, per the Census 2020 ZIP relationship files.

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