IICRC Certifications, Explained
The IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) is the standards body behind most restoration credentials in the US. In the 45 states with no mold licence, IICRC certification is usually the only verifiable credential a restoration firm can hold. Here's how to read them.
The certifications that matter most
| Code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WRT Water Damage Restoration Technician | Trained in the science of water losses: extraction, moisture assessment and drying of structures per the IICRC S500 standard. |
| ASD Applied Structural Drying Technician | Advanced structural drying — in-place drying of walls, floors and assemblies using controlled airflow and dehumidification. |
| AMRT Applied Microbial Remediation Technician | Mold and sewage remediation: containment, negative air, removal of contaminated materials per the IICRC S520 standard. |
| AMRS Applied Microbial Remediation Specialist | Advanced microbial remediation credential — held by only 39 US certified firms. |
| MRS Mold Remediation Specialist | IICRC's specialist mold designation — held by roughly 100 US certified firms. |
| CDS Commercial Drying Specialist | Large and complex commercial drying projects: multi-story losses, document recovery, large-loss logistics. |
| FSRT Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician | Fire and smoke losses: soot chemistry, corrosion mitigation, smoke odor and structural cleaning. |
| OCT Odor Control Technician | Identification and neutralization of odors from fire, water, biological and chemical sources. |
| HST Health and Safety Technician | Jobsite health and safety: hazard communication, PPE, respiratory protection and OSHA-aligned practice. |
| CPT Contents Processing Technician | Pack-out, inventory, cleaning and storage of building contents after a loss. |
| TCST Trauma and Crime Scene Technician | Biohazard remediation: blood and bodily-fluid cleanup, unattended death, communicable-disease precautions. |
| CCT Carpet Cleaning Technician | Professional carpet cleaning methods, fiber identification and spot treatment. |
| UFT Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning Technician | Cleaning of upholstered furniture and fine fabrics. |
| BMI Building Moisture Inspection | Assessment-side credential: locating and documenting moisture intrusion in buildings — held by only 61 US firms. |
How to weigh them
- For water damage: WRT is the baseline; WRT + ASD means they can dry structures in place rather than demolishing.
- For mold: AMRT is the core credential. AMRS (39 US firms) and MRS (about 100) are the advanced tier — genuinely rare.
- For an insured loss: firms certified across water + mold + fire ("full stack" on our profiles — about 3,100 US firms) can carry a claim end-to-end.
- Certified Firm ≠ certified technicians. A company can hold IICRC Certified Firm status while listing no individual technician certifications — about 5% of certified firms do. Our profiles show exactly what's on record.
Every profile on Water Fire Mold Lookup decodes the firm's certifications automatically — find a firm →
Related reporting
- Only 137 Firms in America Hold IICRC's Advanced Mold Credential — We counted every U.S. certified firm. The advanced mold designations are far rarer than the marketing suggests
- The Mold Test You Were Sold Online Was Built for Research, Not for You — EPA developed ERMI as a research tool. It says so. Here's what the agencies actually say about consumer mold t