Kevin was very thorough, pleasant to deal with, and profession. Had a good experience getting my basement tested for mold with RTK.

TLDR: Disappointing Experience with RTK Environmental - Incomplete Mold Testing Led to Major Consequences After medical testing revealed my wife had dangerously high levels of mold in her system, we hired RTK Environmental with the expectation that they would help us identify the root cause in our home. I communicated clearly and repeatedly that this was a serious health issue, and that we wanted testing to be thorough and comprehensive. While our technician, John, was responsive and pleasant, the testing ultimately fell short in critical ways. RTK missed some of the most significant mold sources in our home--specifically in the basement and garage, which later proved to be major contamination zones. Their clearance testing gave our home a "green light," and we were told it was safe for my wife to return. Unfortunately, she became ill again almost immediately upon reentering the home. After speaking with RTK about this, the owner did come to our home. While more knowledgeable about mold illness, he did admit that they were not on the forefront of this. Even still, during his visit he found more sources of mold than the original tester had. We have now been displaced for five months, including three months post-remediation, during which we worked with another company that took a much more investigative approach. Their testing uncovered severe contamination, including dangerously high levels of Stachybotrys (black mold) and Chaetomium--toxins that were completely missed by RTK's original inspection and clearance process. In hindsight, RTK's attempt to save us a few hundred dollars by discouraging more extensive testing--and their lack of mold-specific expertise and thoroughness--has led to tens of thousands of dollars in additional expenses and months of lost time, stress, and health setbacks. I strongly urge anyone dealing with health-related mold concerns to seek out a company that specializes in source-level testing and takes environmental illness seriously. This experience has been both financially and emotionally devastating for our family. read more

Absolutely bizarre experience. I'm still a little dizzy and it's not even over. Why/how is it they're still in business? Flood damage in my NYC apt. Called RTK for asbestos/mold check. I was told $1500. The asbestos guy showed up and 30 mins later told me he'd finished and left. That's it - no card, no introduction, no discussion of the work, not even how are you? He just turned round and left. Since then I've heard absolutely NOTHING from RTK regarding asbestos risk. They simply won't talk to me about it. In fact they won't even bill me for it. (truly) A few days later a woman showed up to check for mold. She did her work and charged me $865 for it, on the spot, using a card reader - which is perfectly OK, of course, but is the exact opposite business practice from the asb guy. Obvious question - are they workers from different contractors with (totally) different practices and standards? Meaning their results will probably not be comparable or standardized and so pretty much meaningless. Couple of days later I called to get the reports and the closing invoice - figuring $635. I was told it would be $3,865 - that's $3,000 for a 30 minute asbestos check and $865 for mold and, so far, NO REPORTS. What are they doing? So I objected to the $3,865 charge and said the quote was $1,500 and I'd already paid them $865 so if they sent me the reports and an invoice for $635 I'd pay it and we could all move on. I've heard NOTHING from them so now my offer's withdrawn. I've made other arrangements and no longer need RTK's reports. I will get the $865 charge reversed (no reports delivered) when it appears on my statement. So RTK ends up with $0, a derogatory on their credit report and reviews like this. The whole process has been total insanity. I simply cannot fathom what they're doing at RTK. They don't even bother to bill you for it (appropriately so). (exit stage L shaking head) read more

Excellent company. Exemplary in their field. I contacted them regarding a home I'm purchasing. The initial general inspector pointed out a section of mold. They recommended I reach out to a company specializing in mold evaluation. I called a number of companies. RTK was the first to get back to me and set up an appointment; I didn't have to wait long. Everyone from office staff to 'technicians'/examiners were pleasant and patient with my load of questions. Everything was explained to me in a manner that was fairly easy to understand. The results of the testing came back fairly quickly. They strongly recommended I get a remediation done. I requested a referral. I respect that they could not refer me as they need to remain neutral and not seem to be steering me in any one direction or company. I highly recommend RTK. read more

For anyone who is mold-sensitive (CIRS, auto-immune, MTHFR gene mutation, mold toxicity) PLEASE do NOT use this company. The owner of RTK is more knowledgable than his employees and very kind, but using them ultimately cost us 30k in a failed remediation attempt, and what mold was left thrived with having more resources available to them and we ended up losing the rest of our belongings. We worked with John Osterberg. John dismissed numerous problem areas that I brought to his attention as fine; all of which turned out to be chaetomium, the second most toxic mold there is. He found a handful of the most obvious issues, but cleared us post-remediation to move back into a home that had an extremely high Endotoxin count with a heavy toxic mold load. Their testing simply is not sophisticated or thorough enough. But there were signs in their data - more than one of our clearance tests from them found chaetomium, and RTK told us this was ok and people would "die for these results." We learned the hard way that there should be zero counts of chaetomium in your newly remediated home. We Inspect will take longer and be more expensive, but they will find what is making you sick. Please use them. read more

Ronald Anderson came several times after a flood in our apartment. Not only professional, he was efficient and prompt and, most of all, very sweet to our dog who has been traumatized by all the activity and demo. His results came back quickly and he followed up with a courtesy phone call as well as email in advance of the mold lab report. We recommend him HIGHLY. read more

So happy I found RTK, I had a really good experience. They were flexible with my schedule and worked around me. I also had the best customer service and a really smooth inspection. Ron was great, super friendly, so knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. He was very efficient, it was the most quick and painless experience. Would absolutely recommend this business. read more

We paid the bill for RTK Environmental Group for the comprehensive lead test that was demanded by our tenants ( their child initial screening later turned out false positive for lead). Testing was booked by tenants but during the test when we were present we paid the bill and made sure that report will be sent to us, homeowners. Bottom line is: 1. Roger ( inspector) was nice, we think he did a good job with tests taken. and two stars are only for his good and comprehensive job. 2. Bill was hefty and even if we paid it and made sure that all our information is taken and that it should be sent to us it was SENT TO OUR TENANTS, I think this mistake is unacceptable. 3. The finding on the report XRF was that we have to do no amendments ( whatever lead found in the walls was covered with intact year old paint) BUT we received some measurements that looks clearly erroneous and we did not get any professional follow up with at leas some explanation on why we could have such reading. The answer I had hoped for: There could be an equipment error, there could be a reading error, there could be other explanation with the possible real cause that we at least could do something about. Below is an example: The ceiling that is currently a sheetrock had a reading of 12.8 on the report. Original plaster ceiling was removed in 2019 due to the leak ( even insurance company was involved). So, the ceiling in this room is pure new sheetrock since summer 2019. why such a high reading if it is new sheetrock and no plaster above it? ( next bedroom, yet another room, has actually a situation when original ceiling plaster was laminated by sheetrock and that laminated ceiling report reading is negative for lead). We could even accept high sheetrock reading of 12.8 could be a very rare case that sheetrock bought in Home depot in 2019 could have an extremally high lead content if only the next room ceiling that was affected by the same leak and was replaced by sheetrock at the same time in 2019 has a reading of 0.3 on the same report. Obviously, the sheetrock was bough for both ceilings at the same time, same place. I called the company in hope to get some explanations on this obvious anomaly ( not questioning the good quality work of the inspector, Roger, who did the reading). This company are professionals in this area after all and might have an explanation why such high reading could happen. An explanation that I received on the phone when I called: 1. This is 50K equipment and it could not be wrong ( which I did not question to begin with). 2. If you have such a high reading, you have to hire an amendment company to replace this ceiling. ( Replace sheetrock installed and painted in 2019 with sheetrock in 2023?). BTW, report by itself does not recommend to replace anything, all paint is listed as intact. 3. On question why another ceiling was reading normal with the same sheetrock they did not give me any answer. read more

We had RTK come to do lead testing in a rental property and we were impressed by their professionalism. Booking the appointment was easy, the technician was on time, and the report was clear and comprehensive. We would highly recommend this company. read more

Great experience with the team at RTK. They are professional, thorough and very responsive. Mold can be a scary situation especially when it is in your home and they walked me through everything, offering suggestions and solutions along the way. I couldn't recommend them more! read more

This group practices should be reviewed by the state. I'm working through my insurance company and they only see fit to work directly with the insurance company even though it's my own home I wasn't emailed or sent the report. It's best to go with a company that cares more about the home owner than insurance company. I have more testing and work to do in my home. I wouldn't use them. read more

When I became suspicious that there might be a mold issue in my basement I called RTK because of their professional reputation. They were excellent in guiding me through the right resources to help with the remediation process. I was elated to receive word that the final testing passed with flying colors! Thank you for helping me during a scary time in which I had to handle this. I will be forever grateful to you. Cindy H. read more

RTK was hired upon recommendation of my Chubb insurance adjuster as an approved vendor to conduct a mold assessment on my condo. My condo had been through major water damage due to a burst pipe and after significant remediation work had taken place, I wanted to get a second opinion on whether it was now mold free. Robert Lankau, my assigned inspector came to conduct the test and assessment, and in particular noted that there was significant mold on my kitchen cabinets that was present (post cleaning that took place as part of the remediation). I pointed out to Robert that I had been having discussions with my insurance adjuster on whether these should be replaced or restored. My strong view was that between the mold and other visible damage to the cabinets, they should be discarded replaced and the insurance adjuster was trying to get away with paying for restoration. Robert said that it's his recommendation that once mold penetrates wood, even after attempted cleaning there can be future issues and that the cabinets should be discarded and replaced. Post RTK's visit I called my adjuster to point out Robert's view and the adjuster said he would follow up with him to discuss. Lo and behold, post this discussion, when Robert's written report came back a few days later stating that mold was found on the cabinetry, his recommendation had suddenly changed to agree with my adjusters view that they should be sent to a professional to restore and repair them rather than be discarded as he had originally stated to me. I called and emailed Robert multiple times to discuss why this had changed and got a one line email to one of my emails and no further responses to my follow ups. Calls to their office and owner have also not been returned. At this point I have to question RTK's integrity and independence. read more

Ok so you can read my previous review and find that I had an issue. To update the story however the owner of the company actually called me personally shortly after I posted and resolved things quite effectively. Overall I would definitely give them another chance. read more

My mother had become very ill. After going to many doctors they could not figure out what was causing her to be so sick. One of my friends suggested that we might have the house tested for mold. I thought that's odd, why mold? Thinking she was a bit crazy, I started to look into this a little further and had discovered that my mother was experiencing the same symptoms that mold can cause. Therefore after some research and a few phone calls, we decided to go with RTK. I would like to greatly thank RTK for being so kind to my mother as she is older, has a hard time getting around and can be a bit of a pill at times. They went beyond the call of duty! From the first contact with the staff, to my mother calling almost on a daily basis asking all kinds of questions, to the owner of the company following up with a final phone call. We received the results in a timely manner which was most important due to my mother being so ill. Time was of the essence. We were most impressed including my mother and these days that is almost impossible. A company with a heart! That is hard to find today. Thank you RTK! read more

Amazing group of people that offer exceptional service in a timely manner.

Dear RTK Team, My wife and I wanted to thank you so much for all that you have done for us. As you guys are aware of our situation, we found our dream home in Cresskill, NJ, after years of searching. This was our moment to build the future we wanted for our two boys, ages 7 and 4. Being a person who used to live in a town that have two superfunds (one state level and one federal level, right next to the elementary school that my boys would have attended nevertheless) and an EPA designated cleanup site; I have developed an extreme level of OCD and wariness for environmental health, second guessing myself if I am going overboard. When I first called your office to explain what I was trying to do, an environmental inspection for a real estate transaction, I thought maybe you guys would think that I am crazy or too extreme. Not only RTK did not think that of me, Jackie probed me for more details and then worked with me to formulate an environmental inspection plan that would addressed all of my concerns. To be honest, I was certain that this environmental inspection would come back clean and that this would simply be a peace of mind for me When we discovered a high level of chlordane in the soil of the property, I began to worry, what does all of this mean? I ended up calling Tom around 6:30 in the evening, he gracious took my call while commuting home to discuss and we ended up speaking further the next morning. Tom even recommended me to speak with Rob, the owner, for his take as Rob has been doing this for many years and certainly would have richer details to add to the findings, which I did end up speaking with Rob. In the days followed, I must have been the most popular person in your office, I probably have called 3 times a day as now I potentially may be locked into a contract where I need to afford the seller an opportunity to remediate the issue. During these few days, every single person at RTK that I have spoken to (shout out to Dylan and Meegan as well), was highly professional and exhibited a genuine level of care and concern for my wellbeing and best interest and helped me addressed all of my concerns. Today, the seller's attorney agreed to lawfully void and cancel the contract in its entirety. I feel my OCD and wariness was vindicated from this experience and perhaps this may be the moment that I have prevented a potential health hazard for my family. On behalf of my family, particularly my two boys, thank you; thank you for all that you do. Best, Dan read more

I do NOT recommend RTK Environmental. First, I thought I was dealing with a reliable Manhattan based firm. Instead, the inspector confirmed that the people who answer the phones are sitting in CT and have no idea about what is happening outside the office. The request was for an environmental inspection of the air in my 2-bedroom apartment and to check for mold spores including behind a bathroom wall that is deteriorating due to moisture following numerous water leaks. The RTK report is clearly a boiler plate form/letter containing mostly educational information and only regurgitates the labs results which they outsource. I expressed my dissatisfaction to RTK by email the received a followup call from Robert who was condescending and recommended that I "patch the wall and see if I feel better". Don't waste your time and money with this company. read more

Seems like the problems the previous reviewer mentioned still exist REGARDING COMMUNICATION 1. Inspector Pete came out on a Friday to test for mold. I paid an extra $25 per test to get next day results fully understanding that meant Monday due to the weekend. Monday no results no phone call Tuesday. I have to call in afternoon asking where the report is. Pete leaves message he has been busy and it has to go through quality checking before he can give it to me. .??? Wednesday- call main office again and finally get at 5 pm- Meegan refunds my $100 STRIKE ONE 2. Have the mold remediation and retest on Monday. Meegan offers one day testing free due to previous problem. So Pete calls at 4 next day( ok I'm thinking he feels bad for previous lack of follow through) and says he will give me results between 5:30 and 6. I wait and wait. It's been a month of dealing with mold and I am anxious for the final result. Finally I call him and leave a message at 6:45 and get a call back at 7. He says he didn't call when he said he would because he was running personal errands and " things happen" ! Really? After the first time,not giving me the report timely and telling me you when you will get to me, you decided to run errands and not call when you said?? And shrug it off to things happen?? STRIKE TWO 3. Says I will get the detailed report, the next day Tuesday. I don't, nothing. Once again send off email to main office at end of day because I actually thought , silly me, there at last might be follow through. Pete calls the next morning and apologizes because he had emergencies. STRIKE THREE If I didn't keep after him , I'm sure like the previous reviewer I would be waiting weeks for the results. Mold is scary for people and keeping them waiting to give results is unacceptable. At least have the business professionalism to say you couldn't get to it and when you can. P.S. This review would be one star if not for Meegans help but she can't work miracles when someone else doesn't follow through read more

RTK was hired to test for mold in a home inspection. The finished report contained a chain of custody for an entirely different address. RTK did not even read through their own report for sending. When approached about the error, they sent back a questionably amended change of custody. All credibility on the report was lost. Save your time and money and hire a competent company. read more

Finding out there's mold in a home is a dreadful and scary experience. From the initial call to the inspection itself to the follow up reports, I felt we were in the hands of pros. Everyone we spoke with on the phone at RTK was courteous and helpful. Responses were thoughtful, intelligent, and there was a genuine effort to accommodate our schedule and needs. The inspection was thorough and we had ample opportunity to ask Robert Weitz (the inspector) questions. We requested expedited services and we got our report exactly when it was promised. Written report was completed ahead of schedule. Without reservation, I recommend RTK. read more

received an unacceptable level of mold report and cracked pipe report and extensive mediation solution. Called another Plumber .........No Cracked pipe.condensation from a water pipe .....no mold... simply changed the air filters on the heater / A/C . read more

RTK was recommended to me by Chubb after I was told I had a mold issue in the house I was renovating. From the first phone call they were nothing but professional, highly responsive, and spent whatever time it took to make me feel educated and comfortable with my situation and the path forward. Meegan went the extra mile and made sure someone came out t inspect asap, and continued to assist me from start to finish. After his inspection, Tom was instrumental in providing me the information/explanation I needed to make my decision about the extent of my remediation. I can't say enough about these guys. They have been with me every step of the way through a daunting process. read more

Excellent service in regards to a timely inspection, detailed report, and customer support/solutions from Meegan. There was a communication breakdown somewhere along in the transaction however once I was on the phone with Meegan the problem was solved quickly. I paid for the services the day of or at least thought I did back in January and recieved my reports on time about 5 days after the inspection but the owner was under the impression that RTK was sitting on my reports until I paid for the services. Turns out the inspector misplaced my billing information and this was not communicated to the owner or myself. Despite this little error in communication I still recommend RTK because of their timely and professional service. I think some of the other reviewers here may be the type of people that can't be pleased no matter how hard you try. Give RTK a call and speak with their professional staff for yourself and you be the judge. read more