BathroomShower ceiling above showerhead
The number one mold spot in any home. Steam rises and dries slow.
Launching May 2026 · iOS & Android
Got mold?
Got mold?
Find out in under 5 minutes.
Point your phone at the 160 spots a pro inspector checks. Get an AI mold screening in under 5 minutes.
5 minutes to answer
Free during beta
Use before you call a pro
App walkthrough preview
The app shows you exactly where to point.
No guessing. Every hotspot ships with a reference photo and a glowing scan target. Here are 12 of the 160.
Bathroom
BathroomShower caulk lines
Caulk breaks down and traps soap film. Black dots become a stripe fast.
KitchenFridge door seal
Food bits and humidity sit in the folds. Deep black in the gasket is mold.
KitchenUnder the kitchen sink
Supply lines, drains, and disposals all leak slow. Top kitchen mold spot.
BedroomUnderside of the mattress
You sweat half a liter a night. It soaks down with nowhere to dry.
BedroomCloset ceiling corners
Closets have dead air and cold exterior walls. Mold hides up high.
LaundryFront loader door seal
Water pools in the boot curve. Front loaders almost always grow mold here.
HVACCurrent air filter
A soaked filter grows mold on the dust. Black or gray mat means replace now.
LivingLiving room window sills
Condensation drips into the track and stays wet in the corners.
BasementFloor corners and cracks
Water seeps through cracks and wall floor seams. Discoloration is the first sign.
AtticRoof sheathing from inside
Cold sheathing plus poor ventilation grows black speckling across wide areas.
ClosetWalk in closet ceiling
Closets are dead air spaces. Cold ceiling corners are the first place mold appears.
Each scan target shows a glowing blue rectangle on the surface, the same one you'll see in-app. The full app covers 160 spots across 11 rooms with this exact reference system.
Browse the full checklist
Real AI scans
See what the AI finds in real photos.
Actual scans from our test set. Real mold photos, real Claude Opus 4.7 + fine-tuned vision classifier verdicts, no marketing fluff. Every verdict was generated by our live API.
Likely Mold
95% conf.
Extensive drywall colonies
"Dark speckling and colonial clusters with irregular edges across the drywall, strongly indicating active mold growth. Act within 7 days."
Likely Mold
94% conf.
Bathroom shower ceiling
"Steam trap at the ceiling corner with visible biofilm. Classic Cladosporium pattern. Check caulk lines and grout for follow-on colonies."
Likely Mold
92% conf.
Indoor wall discoloration
"Moisture wicking visible from baseboard upward. Rust on adjacent fixture suggests growth older than 6 months. Not tenant-caused."
Likely Mold
82% conf.
Basement wall colonies
"Dark patches on concrete where cold foundation meets humid air. Likely cause: inadequate basement dehumidification or groundwater seepage."
Suspicious
68% conf.
Shower liner discoloration
"Pink-orange streaks consistent with Serratia bacteria (not true mold but feeds mold). Replace liner and monitor grout for 30 days."
Suspicious
45% conf.
Grout line darkening
"Uncertain. Could be mold OR embedded soap scum. Recommend scrubbing test and rescan in 7 days to confirm biofilm vs dirt."
Built on real research
Informed by publicly available EPA and CDC guidance.
Our checklist and our AI are built straight from the same research used by the EPA, the WHO, Harvard, and the rulebook every real mold inspector follows.
EPAIf you can see mold, you have to fix it. Mold will keep growing until you stop the water.
World Health OrganizationLiving in a damp, moldy home raises your risk of asthma and breathing problems by 30 to 50 percent.
CDCMold spores can give even healthy people a stuffy nose, wheezing, red eyes, and skin rash.
Berkeley LabAbout 47 percent of US homes have visible mold or water damage that needs fixing right now.
Harvard T.H. ChanExposure to indoor dampness and mold is associated with increased risk of respiratory symptoms, asthma, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
IICRC S520Areas exceeding 10 square feet of mold contamination require professional remediation with containment, HEPA filtration, and post-clearance testing.
Backed by peer-reviewed research
Built on the same protocols and standards a certified inspector follows.
Mold Scanner AI is informed by peer-reviewed clinical research, EPA testing methodology, and the IICRC S520 industry standard. Mold Scanner AI is not a diagnostic tool.
CIRS Research
Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Peer-reviewed body of work documenting a 13-cluster symptom pattern and the HLA-DR genetic susceptibility found in roughly 24% of the population. Published in journals including Internal Medicine Review and Toxins.
ERMI & HERTSMI-2
EPA-developed dust DNA scoring. The Environmental Relative Moldiness Index and HERTSMI-2 quantify indoor mold burden via qPCR analysis of settled-dust species. Used in real-estate due diligence and post-remediation clearance.
IICRC S520 Standard
The professional remediation rulebook. ANSI-approved Standard for Professional Mold Remediation. Defines containment, HEPA filtration, and post-clearance testing requirements that every certified US remediator is required to follow.
MCAS & Mold Literature
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome connection. Clinical literature on the histamine and immune dysregulation reported in a majority of mold-exposed patients. Recognized in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Mycotoxin Detoxification Pathways
Published clinical recovery protocols. Peer-reviewed work on binder-based mycotoxin clearance, glutathione support, and limbic-system retraining for high-sensitivity patients. Indexed on PubMed under "mycotoxin detoxification."
Stachybotrys & Hidden HVAC
Field-protocol literature. Distinguishing cosmetic mildew from toxic Stachybotrys chartarum, plus HVAC-borne contamination patterns documented by the CDC, ACAC, and IICRC certification programs.
The Rulebook
What is IICRC S520 in plain English?
The IICRC S520 is the official rulebook that every real mold inspector in the United States follows. It tells a pro exactly where to look in your home, how to tell real mold from a water stain, and when the problem is bad enough to call a specialist. Our app walks you through a 160-point educational checklist informed by the IICRC S520 standard that certified inspectors follow. Similar list, same logic, on your phone, in five minutes. Not a substitute for a certified inspection.
Source: Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, ANSI, S520 Fourth Edition.
The checklist
Your home has 160 mold hiding spots.
Here are the top 25 spots from our Quick Scan, grouped by room, in plain English. The full app covers 160 spots across 11 rooms, guided by the same list certified inspectors use.
Shower ceiling above the showerhead
Steam rises here and dries slow. The number one mold spot in any home.
Quick
Shower ceiling corner
The coldest spot in the shower. Moisture traps in the seam and feeds mold first.
Quick
Shower caulk lines
Caulk breaks down and traps soap film. Black dots turn into a black stripe fast.
Quick
Under the bathroom sink
Slow drips from the P trap pool here and rot the wood from underneath.
Quick
Floor under the bed
No airflow plus dust buildup makes this the top missed mold zone. This is where the founder found his.
Quick
Underside of the mattress
You sweat half a liter a night. It soaks down and has nowhere to dry.
Quick
Closet ceiling corners
Closets have dead air and cold exterior walls. Mold hides up high where you never look.
Quick
Fridge door seal
Food bits and humidity sit in the folds. Deep black in the gasket is mold.
Quick
Under the kitchen sink
Supply lines, drains, and disposals all leak slow. The number one kitchen mold spot.
Quick
Dishwasher door seal
Trapped food and standing water make the seal a black mold magnet.
Quick
Front loader door seal
Water pools in the bottom curve of the boot. Front loaders almost always grow mold here.
Quick
Deep inside the lint trap
Lint plus humid exhaust plus warmth grows a fuzzy mold film deep in the housing.
Quick
Current air filter
A soaked filter grows mold on the dust. Black or gray mat means replace now.
Quick
Ceiling halo around supply vents
Cold air makes warm humid air condense at the grille edge and stain the ceiling.
Quick
Lower basement walls
Foundation moisture wicks up. White crystals plus black layers mean mold plus mineral deposits.
Quick
Floor corners and cracks
Water seeps through cracks and wall floor seams. Discoloration is the first sign.
Quick
Roof sheathing from inside
Cold sheathing plus poor ventilation grows black speckling across wide areas.
Quick
Showing 25 of 160 hotspots. The full app walks you through all 160 across 11 rooms with our fine-tuned vision classifier and Claude Opus 4.7 visual analysis.
Browse the full 160 point checklist
The mold problem
47% of US homes have mold or dampness.
Most Americans don't know the mold in their home is making them sick. Numbers pulled from peer-reviewed research, federal data, and the industry's leading mold experts.
47%
of US homes have visible mold or dampness
Berkeley Lab · Mudarri & Fisk
30–50%
higher asthma and breathing-problem risk in damp, moldy homes
World Health Organization
$300–$1,200
typical range for a professional mold inspection
HomeAdvisor 2024
4.6M
US asthma cases triggered by home dampness and mold every year
Mudarri & Fisk · CDC cited
How it works
Three simple steps. Five minutes. Your answer.
Open the app. Walk your home. Get a full mold report. Faster than booking an inspector.
1
Guided walkthrough
We walk you room-by-room with specific prompts: "point at the shower ceiling," "check under the bed." Zero guesswork. Zero missed spots.
~30 sec setup
2
Snap the hotspots
Capture the 160 spots certified inspectors check. Our AI cross-references visible mold, rust age, water damage, and material type.
~3 sec / photo
3
Forensic report
Verdict, confidence score, how long mold has been there, likely water source, tenant vs landlord fault, and a remediation plan.
Instant
Why this works
One photo isn't enough. We look for the cues around it.
Other apps see one thing. We surface four kinds of visual evidence in every scan, the same cues a certified inspector looks for in person.
01Age cues
Rust around a fixture means the moisture has been there a while.
Rust takes weeks to months to form. When mold sits next to rust, the leak isn't new — that area needs more than a wipe-down. Most apps don't surface this.
02Source clues
The stain shape on a ceiling points to where the water came from.
Most mold sits downstream of a slow leak. We map the stain pattern back to a likely source — a pipe, a roof joint, an HVAC vent — so the fix is permanent, not cosmetic.
03Pattern match
Colony shape, color, and edge tell the AI what's likely growing.
Speckled clusters with irregular edges look different from soap scum, efflorescence, or rust. We surface visual cues commonly associated with each — never a clinical diagnosis. A certified inspection is the source of truth.
04Honest limits
About a third of mold hides where a phone camera can't reach.
Inside walls. Behind HVAC. Under flooring. We tell you when the photo evidence is uncertain and a certified IICRC inspector should take over. Always.
Pricing
Scan your home. Free.
No credit card. No subscription. No paywall on your report. We earn when you click through to the products and pros we trust. Not from you.
Everything included
Mold Scanner AI
Free
Full report. Zero asterisks.
- Full 160 hotspot scan across 11 rooms
- Forensic verdict with confidence score
- 6 step reasoning: Type, Duration, Source, Liability, Health, Remediation
- Adaptive symptom checklist for environmental risk
- General remediation guidance
- Common moisture causes in rentals
- PDF export with full evidence log
Questions
Real questions. Straight answers.
Is this a replacement for a professional inspection?
No, and we'll tell you so on every report. Mold Scanner AI is a AI mold screening tool. Around 65-70% of mold is visible to a smartphone camera. The other 30-35% hides inside walls, HVAC, under flooring. For anything we flag as uncertain, or for high-stakes situations (real estate, litigation, insurance), hire a certified inspector. We help you know when to call them.
What is different about Mold Scanner vs other mold apps?
Other apps look at a photo and say "mold: yes/no." We surface additional visual cues — rust patterns on fixtures, ceiling cracks and staining, and surrounding moisture indicators — to help you understand what you are seeing. The output is a screening report, not a diagnosis. A certified professional should confirm anything important.
How fast is it really?
5 minutes for a quick scan (25 highest-risk spots). 15-20 minutes for the full 160-hotspot walkthrough. The AI processing takes ~3 seconds per photo. You walk your home with a friend narrating. We do the rest.
How do you protect my photos?
Photos go to our Vercel-hosted API, get processed by the vision model, and are NEVER stored on our servers. EXIF location data is stripped before upload. Nothing is used for training without your explicit opt-in. All traffic is HTTPS encrypted.
What does the app cost?
The 7 free tools on moldscanner.ai (humidity calculator, HVAC checklist, storm timer, post-flood checklist, tenant letter, black mold quiz, mold vs mildew checker) are free to use during the beta. The full Mold Scanner app is in private beta. Final pricing will be announced before the App Store launch in May 2026 and communicated directly to everyone on the waitlist.
When does the app launch?
iOS beta opens May 2026. Public App Store and Google Play launch follow a few weeks after. Join the waitlist for an early invite.
Early access
Find your mold
Find your mold
in 5 minutes.
Drop your email. We'll send your beta invite the day the app opens. While you wait, try the 7 free tools on moldscanner.ai, the guide, the checklists, the photo checker.
No spam. Launch announcements only.