Recently, in a dynamic new video from ISSA Media, entitled “Hidden Heroes: How Restorers and Assessors are ‘Disease Detectives’ and Critical to Safer Indoor Spaces,” Jeff Cross helped Doug Hoffman of NORMI^TM and I to spotlight a growing movement in the cleaning and restoration industries—connecting building environments directly to human health outcomes. This conversation isn’t theoretical; it’s deeply practical.

Active partners in protecting health

Hoffman noted that restorers, remediators, and cleaners often serve as the “paramedics” of built environment health. They are among the first on-site and are uniquely positioned to identify problems before people fall ill and medical professionals become involved. He outlined how professionals can level up their assessments and become active partners in protecting health by using data-driven, science-based strategies that link clean buildings to clinical outcomes.

I mentioned that “We’re bringing the right people to the table at the right time,” adding that professionals now can become “disease detectives” through specialized training and collaboration with other industries, such as the healthcare community. As Hoffman put it, “When you assess the environment correctly, you’re going to have a better outcome, and that’s the goal.”

Discussions with building managers everywhere show that there is a heightened awareness around indoor air quality (IAQ), facility maintenance, cleaning for health, moisture intrusion, mold growth, and building-related illnesses. The demand for qualified building assessors is rapidly increasing.

This article will help professionals identify training opportunities in becoming an assessor and how to turn their skills into a profitable business or full-time career. The path to monetization begins with recognizing the value of your expertise and positioning yourself as a health-first assessor or disease detective. The issues you will be dealing with are not just maintenance issues; they are health, liability, and reputational risks.

Understanding the role of an assessor

A professional building assessor investigates the built environment for issues such as:

• Moisture intrusion
• Water damage
• Microbial and fungal contamination
• Mold presence
• Indoor air quality (IAQ)
• HVAC system performance issues, including temperature and humidity
• Structural concerns affecting building and human health.

Assessors can work independently, but the key to being successful is to create partnerships with restoration companies, cleaning contractors, HVAC specialists, industrial hygienists, or property managers. It is essential to develop partnerships, and not just transactions.

This isn’t just about spotting visible mold. It’s about using science, instruments, and investigation skills to diagnose hidden issues that impact health, safety, and building performance. You will need to be able to report your findings so that they guide remediation, cleaning protocols, air purification strategies, and regulatory compliance.

Evaluate your current knowledge and skills

Start with an honest self-assessment:

• Do you understand building science fundamentals (airflow, condensation, humidity, IAQ, surfaces) and a systems approach, recognizing that all building components are interconnected?
• Have you been trained in identifying microbial growth beyond visible mold?
• Do you have the knowledge and skills to use tools like moisture meters, thermal cameras, or particle counters?
• Can you interpret laboratory results or use a sampling design for bioaerosols, identifying areas of contamination that include adaptive cluster sampling, stratified sampling, and systematic and grid sampling?

If you’re already working in cleaning, janitorial, housekeeping, HVAC, restoration, remediation, or facility maintenance services, you likely have a solid foundation. Now it’s time to build on it.

Get trained and certified

To be an assessor, credibility and competence matter. You need to be a certified professional who can follow standardized protocols. Fortunately, there are multiple pathways. Here are a few:

• NORMI, the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors, offers the Certified Mold Assessor (CMA) certification that provides training to meet specific state requirements for licensure (where applicable). It will help you develop an IAQ profile using investigative techniques and write protocols for either sanitization or remediation, based on IICRC S500, IICRC S520, NYC guidelines, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations, and the NORMI Professional Practices.
• IICRC, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, offers a variety of certifications, in particular: Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT), Building Moisture Inspection (BMI), and Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT).
• ACAC, the American Council for Accredited Certification (CMI), offers the Council-certified Microbial Investigator credential, which requires at least two years of documented field experience.

Choose your service offerings

After completing your certification, the next step is to establish credibility. This includes using your certification titles, sharing your digital badges on professional profiles, and building a strong presence both online and personally that outlines your services, technologies, and commitment to occupant health. A good way to start this is by attending conferences such as The Experience Convention and Trade Show, where cleaning and restoration professionals come together, or the ISSA Show North America, held every November in Las Vegas.

The key to success lies in reframing the assessor’s role from inspection to diagnosis. As Dr. Andrew Heyman, chair of NORMI’s Medical Advisory Board, states, “You’re testing behind walls, beneath surfaces, uncovering unseen triggers. Whether it’s mold, allergens, or poor ventilation, clients need experts who can translate complex data into actionable health and safety strategies.”

Tailor your services based on your interests, your market’s needs, and your technical ability. Create value-driven service tiers such as:

• Pre-remediation mold inspections
• Post-cleaning clearance assessments
• HVAC hygiene inspections and air sampling
• Moisture mapping and diagnostics that incorporate thermal imaging
• IAQ assessments and bioaerosol sampling
• Occupant health risk evaluations
• Preventive IAQ programs for schools, offices, or long-term care facilities.

Invest in equipment, but do it strategically

You don’t need a truckload of gadgets to get started. Begin with essential, affordable tools like:

• Moisture meters (pin and pinless)
• Infrared thermal imaging camera
• Hygrometer (for humidity and temperature)
• Bioaerosol sampling pumps or cassettes
• Particle counters
• Air flow measurement tools (e.g., anemometers)
• Personal protective equipment (PPE, like gloves, respirators, coveralls).

Develop a partnership with a laboratory and build up to more advanced testing tools as your income grows.

Forming partnerships with cleaning, restoration, HVAC, and property management companies can help provide a consistent revenue stream. Offer third-party verification services to support their work or co-market health-driven initiatives like “Assessment Verified Clean.” This positions you as a neutral authority and adds professional legitimacy to cleaning outcomes.

Educate potential clients

Educating potential clients is a powerful marketing strategy. Use videos, blog posts, webinars, or LinkedIn articles to highlight common hidden building risks and how your services help mitigate them. Sharing case studies and walkthroughs where you’ve uncovered mold behind walls or helped reduce IAQ complaints in offices can build trust and lead to referrals.

To build long-term revenue, propose subscription-based or seasonal building health plans. These could include quarterly IAQ checkups or annual mold risk audits. Schools, elder care facilities, and corporate campuses often benefit from consistent monitoring aligned with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) cycles or seasonal weather patterns.

Build a report template and documentation process

Your value lies in your ability to communicate findings clearly and professionally. Your inspection report is your product. It should include:

• Observations and photos
• Measured data and laboratory results
• Identified risks and their likely causes
• Recommendations based on standards
• Maps or schematics
• Scope of cleaning or remediation needed.

Use templates and software to ensure consistency and professionalism.

Market your expertise

Use low-cost marketing strategies to establish your reputation and attract clients. Your target clients might include:

• Property managers
• Schools and universities
• Government agencies
• Cleaning companies
• Restoration companies
• Hotels
• Real estate professionals
• Healthcare facilities.

Continue learning and specializing

The best assessors are always learning. Clients will pay a premium for specialized knowledge. Explore niche topics like:

• Legionella and waterborne pathogens
• Post-flood building recovery
• Wildfire smoke contamination
• Building envelope failures
• Eco-friendly cleaning and sustainability audits.

Finally, your role is not just to find problems, it’s to protect lives and improve health and safety in the built environment. With the proper certifications, tools, and strategies, assessors who prioritize occupant health can command premium rates and build trust with a wide range of clients.

By turning technical expertise and certifications into clearly branded, health-centered services, any professional in the cleaning, restoration, or remediation industries can unlock new income streams and help reshape how society views the connection between building performance and human well-being. The opportunity is clear: Buildings need experts who can identify invisible threats, and professionals like you are well-positioned to answer that call.

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner is a university professor and senior director at ISSA and manages the Making Safer Choices program, developing collaborative partnerships with members, universities, and ISSA.