Mold Remediation in Gallatin, TN

When Town Creek came up

Town Creek near downtown is normally dry. In May 2024, after hours of rain, it overflowed. The Barton Drive neighborhood was hit hardest, with water under and into homes, and residents found their crawl-space HVAC units and ductwork ruined. One resident said the water ran higher than in 2010.

That's a common pattern here. Water that collects under a house soaks insulation, the vapor barrier and the floor framing, and ductwork in the crawl space can hold moisture and spread it. EPA advises against running an HVAC system you suspect is contaminated with mold. Wet insulation usually has to be replaced, and the framing has to dry out before anything is sealed back up.

Station Camp Creek has its own history. In May 2017, it overflowed onto Lower Station Creek Road, a helicopter rescue followed, nearly a dozen drivers got caught by rising water, and homes on Cumming Lane flooded.

The city and its water

Gallatin is the Sumner County seat, built around a traditional open square with a historic district at its center, about 24 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. Station Camp Creek runs through it, Town Creek and Rankin Branch run through town, and the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake are about 3 miles south. The Sumner County Flood Insurance Study covers Gallatin, including FEMA map revisions on Rankin Branch and a detailed study of Station Camp Creek.

Much of the housing is fairly new; the median home was built in 2002. Newer homes still sit over crawl spaces in many cases, and a crawl space that floods once can stay damp long after the creek goes down.

City contacts

City of Gallatin Building Codes, at 132 W Main Street, handles permits, plan review and inspections inside city limits. Mold removal doesn't need a permit, but replacing structural framing, ductwork connections or a damaged floor system may require one.

Gallatin Code Enforcement is run through the Gallatin Police Department and handles property maintenance and building code violations, including tenant complaints about poor housing conditions. Renters can file by phone or online.

The Sumner County Health Department's main office is in Gallatin. EPA says mold can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs, and that people with asthma or weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy areas. Take health concerns to a health professional.

Licensing and your call

Tennessee requires a contractor's license for projects of $25,000 or more, with S-F as the mold remediation classification. Sumner County isn't on TDCI's list for the separate Home Improvement license. We connect callers with independent local companies; look up the one you choose on TDCI's Verify a License search, and consider a separate inspector to check the finished job.