Mold Removal in Clinton, WA

Clinton is an unincorporated community on south Whidbey Island in Island County, about 25 miles from Seattle in a straight line. It's the Whidbey end of the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry, and much of it sits on a high bluff above Saratoga Passage.

Older houses, mostly owner-occupied

Island County's Clinton subarea plan describes the housing in detail. About 61 percent of homes were built before 1980. Roughly 97 percent of units are single-family, with only a handful of multi-unit and mobile home units, and about 82 percent are owner-occupied. Very little new construction has been added.

Older houses usually mean older roofs, original windows, vented crawl spaces and fewer exhaust fans. In a climate that stays damp from October to April, those are the places mold shows up first: crawl space framing, attic sheathing over bathrooms, and the corners of rooms along cold outside walls.

Bluff, shoreline and water table

The county plan says a majority of Clinton sits on a steep bluff parallel to the shoreline with landslide potential, and the shoreline is part of the Clinton Critical Drainage Area. The entire Clinton shoreline is designated a FEMA high-risk flood area, with king tides and sea level rise a specific concern. The plan also notes possible inland flooding from a higher water table.

On December 27, 2022, a king tide combined with low pressure flooded shorelines across Whidbey Island, and Clinton saw high water. If water ever enters your home, EPA advises drying within 24 to 48 hours; after that, assume mold.

Upslope, groundwater is the bigger story. Water moving through a hillside can seep into lower floors and crawl spaces for weeks after the rain stops.

Permits and complaints

Clinton is unincorporated, so Island County Planning & Community Development's Building Department issues permits, with offices in Coupeville and at the Camano Annex. Mold cleanup isn't permitted work, but rebuilding can be. County Code Enforcement takes complaints online, but its listed complaint types don't include rentals or mold.

For the renters

Give your landlord written notice of leaks or moisture. Washington law requires landlords to keep units weathertight and to provide Department of Health-approved mold information. This is general information, not legal advice.

Health and hiring

Island County Public Health's environmental health work includes safe housing. EPA says mold can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs. You'll be connected with an independent local company; Washington has no state mold license, so verify L&I contractor registration on the Verify a Contractor tool.