Gateway/IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)
IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)
The nonprofit certification and standards body behind the S500 water damage and S520 mold remediation standards.
| Type | Nonprofit certification and standards organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972, as the International Institute of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning |
| Key standards | ANSI/IICRC S500 (water damage), S520 (mold remediation) |
| Website | iicrc.org |
What the IICRC is
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is a nonprofit organization that certifies technicians and firms in the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries and writes the standards much of that work is measured against. It was founded in 1972 by Ed York as the International Institute of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning and later broadened to restoration.
The IICRC is an ANSI-accredited standards developer. Its standards are written by committees of restorers, industrial hygienists, insurers and other specialists and are revised over time.
The standards that matter after a loss
- ANSI/IICRC S500, the standard for professional water damage restoration. It covers how water is categorized by contamination (Category 1, 2 and 3), how drying is planned and monitored, and when materials should be removed rather than dried. See IICRC S500 in our glossary.
- ANSI/IICRC S520, the standard for professional mold remediation. It covers assessment, containment, removal of contaminated material, cleaning and verification. See IICRC S520.
Insurance adjusters often refer to these standards when reviewing a restoration estimate, which is one reason documentation that follows them tends to move through a claim with fewer questions.
Technician certifications
Individual technicians earn IICRC certifications by course and exam. The ones most relevant to water and mold work are:
- WRT (Water Damage Restoration Technician): water categories, extraction and drying basics.
- ASD (Applied Structural Drying): moisture measurement, equipment placement and drying science for structures.
- AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician): mold remediation practice under S520.
Gateway owner Jake Lusby holds IICRC WRT and ASD certifications.
How to check a contractor
The IICRC publishes a public lookup of certified technicians and certified firms on iicrc.org. A certificate shows training, not the quality of a particular job, so ask the contractor how they will document moisture readings and drying progress and whether the work plan follows S500 or S520.
Key takeaways
- The IICRC writes S500 (water) and S520 (mold), the standards most restoration scopes and insurer reviews refer to.
- WRT, ASD and AMRT are individual technician certifications earned by course and exam.
- Certification can be checked on iicrc.org.
Related glossary terms
Related services and guides
Identifiers
References
Reviewed by Jake Lusby, owner of Gateway Water & Mold. Part of our entity reference pages. See our editorial policy to report an error.
Why a defined water damage process matters
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