Air duct cleaning: Contractor says its mold

[Leonard Smith]

Hello BP family, My wife and I had a contractor come out to do our air duct cleaning. My wife was the only person here when the contractor got here as I was still at work. After the cleaning he says that there is mold and that the cost to remove it is $1050. I had a buddy of mine who does mold inspection look at the video and he says its more than likely just dust build up and the coils just need a good cleaning which is a couple hundred vs the $1050. I will try and post the video so you all can see as well. My friend also said this is a common practice among some dishonest contractors to play on people's ignorance to make more money. What are your thoughts?

[Mike McCarthy]

Remember that mold needs two things to grow, moisture and a food source. In a house, the food source is often the drywall paper backing, or wood. In an HVAC system, there isn't really anything for the mold to eat other than the dust. So it's rare to see any excessive mold around.

I'd find someone who will clean the coils for a more reasonable price.