Larry and his team have been wonderful. I wish we had found him at the beginning of our journey, but are thankful we have found him now. He proceeded detailed knowledge of how we would approach our particular problems, gave tips on don't yourself options, and truly seemed to work to give the most he could for the least amount of money possible. I had a sense of relief and comfort as we spoke and know that he will hem us hey our home in the place we need. Someone who understand CIRS is so vital. read more

DISHONEST and VASTLY OVERPRICED, if you want my quick opinion. We had Larry and his team come to our house to do a mold assessment as one of our children had symptoms of mold exposure. After conducting the assessment, they initially left very positive. It was not until they called with the test results that things became dire. After they walked me through all the recommendations that needed immediate attention, I was left devastated. This would have taken months of construction work, an inconceivable amount of money and ruined parts of our house. Every wall covering had to come down, walls needed opening, a waterproof membrane needed to be dug all around the house..... our house was rebuilt only 6 years ago. So I decided to become my own expert at mold assessment. I consulted with my architect, two trusted builders, my HVAC company and another mold assessment company who charged me 1/5 of what Safestart charged. All these people could have benefited from me by conducted the remediation work, yet every single one of them disagreed with Safestart's assessment. I retested all areas, and the levels came back completely normal. I understand that Safestart has a dishonest way of testing. They clearly aim to be alarmist and cause panic with their clients to carry on with more remediation, more testing...of course one of the engineers who conducted the testing also happens to own an HVAC company and many of their recommendations were HVAC related. All I can say, is shame on you Larry & Darren. Your dishonesty caused me so much distress and you took advantage. I am armed with contrary proof of your testing. Sell your company, retire or do whatever you need to but stop taking advantage of clients who are just trying to make their families healthy again. If you are reading this review don't waste your money or put yourself in a stressful state by using this company. There are other companies that do much better work, are honest and do not try to take advantage. We spent over $7000 for the Safestart assessment and all the tests they recommended! They are not worth a penny. The only good thing that came out of this is that I can share my experience and that I have become very knowledgeable about mold testing and remediation! read more

I have worked remotely with Larry Scwartz and Michele Fisher on and off since 2020 after my entire family was diagnosed with CIRS and our house had tested positive for mold (and eventually actinomycetes and endotoxins). They are both consummate professionals and offer the deepest knowledge of creating a safe place to live for those susceptible to CIRS. They taught me what I needed to know about the types of biotoxins that contribute to CIRS and where they typically come from, creating a biotoxin-free home, and the tradeoffs with attempting to create this. Once I decided how to proceed, they guided me through the process, consulting on what was needed, interpreting results, and recommending effective protocols for remediation. They were there for me as I had to find or create "clean" safe housing multiple times on this journey. I am thrilled to say I've healed from CIRS and have been living in a clean home "temporarily" for 2 1/2 of the past 5 years. I just found my dream home and they have been beside me again as I tested and am embarking on some preventative steps. They've taught me "how to fish", so I need much less of their consultation each time I am looking at a home, whether for me or my network of friends and family. I respect this approach. I am deeply grateful for the instrumental part they played in me regaining my health, my daughter's health, my sense of safety, and my happiness. I have my life back! P.S. Another air quality "expert" trained in CIRS, recommended by a CIRS doc, completely dismissed my concerns at first. A friend of a friend referred me to Larry, who helped her through her family's dire CIRS circumstances. Larry and Michele are the real deal! read more

So helpful responsive and caring. Larry and His Crew are available timely and educated on the travesties of Mold and the Nightmares CIRS brings to people. Use SafeStart for mold detection and You will have a launching pad with which to turn things around and regain Ur health and once Thrive rather than simply survive! Thanks, Joe and Sandy Zedella read more

I did a distance consult and I definitely would not recommend this service. Overall I found the Safestart team to be disorganized and unprofessional. Their primary concern was taking my money--they charged me for every single minute possible at an egregious rate, including when I asked that they clarify the vague and contradictory report they gave me after the consult. Do yourself a favor and just do a hertsmi or ERMI test yourself and/or hire someone local. read more

After being beat down with two very sick children that were ages 16 and 14 and finding our way through "the other side" of medicine that gets at the root cause of illnesses we were eventually connected to Larry and Michelle and the SafeStart team. It was painful at first to accept what Larry and Michelle were teaching us. But, ultimately, they saved our lives! Through Larry's and Michelle's kind guidance we were able to salvage our home which provided the bedrock for our children's healing and well being. Without Larry and his team all the money and time we spent trying to get our kids better would have been for naught if we did not have the proper evaluation of where they were to recover which was home!! All and all words cannot adequately express our profound gratitude for their services. (Christine, 2021) read more

DO NOT USE. Safe Start charged me 50% of the cost of doing the inspection $1,095 before we had an initial consultation call. I was referred to them by my doctor so I felt okay to sign the contract. However, during the 20 minute call, Larry and Darren were suggesting we needed services other than what Michelle stated and they seemed to not be able to answer our questions to our satisfaction. Michelle also said it would be a month to get results and the inspectors said 2 weeks. They were everywhere with their answers, contradicting themselves and needless to say, we did not feel comfortable moving forward with them. When I asked for a refund, they only gave me $545 of my deposit back, stating I needed to provide 48h notice to cancel. Our call was on Thursday at 5pm and the appointment was on Friday at 9am. There was not 48h provided between the call and appointment and I cancelled immediately (within 10 min) of our initial call. Needless to say, I am planning on going to the BBB and am very unhappy about this. Stay away from this company. There are plenty of others who provide the exact same service for half the cost. Also, paying $450 for 20 min of time for them to ask the same questions on the questionnaire is outrageous, especially when they charge $200 for virtual consult. More concerned with making money vs doing the right thing. Stay away read more

So happy with Larry Schwartz. There was a snafu initially, and he made sure to right things, which speaks of the integrity in getting the job done right. And it wasn't simply a report with numbers they gave. He talked to us to individualize our goals for our home, giving us recommendations, based on budget, time, etc. I didn't feel pressured to do anything. It felt very honest. And the vibe from Michele was the same. After years of struggling with health issues and being paralyzed at what option to take, I feel like I have sound footing on which to move forward. Many thanks to them. read more

We needed an air quality specialist and hired Larry Schwartz/Safestart Environmental to test our home. His credentials put him at the top of our list. We hired Larry two different times and both times he did a very thorough job, he found the issues and had a company he recommended to come in and clean up.... under his supervision. He then came back out to retest and make sure our home was safe. Larry has an amazing machine that can actually test the inside of your walls without having to open up the walls. I have recommended Safestart Environmental to family & friends and I will continue to, I completely trust him and his capabilities. read more

Larry Schwartz at Safestart is the one I trust. He has helped our family through two large remediation projects, and I am forever grateful. He's one of the top experts in the country in air quality, mold remediation, and also the health implications. He is current with the most recent information regarding the health aspects, because about 25 percent of the population will have a more serious problem due to genetic variation. Larry has contacts with the other top experts all across the country, so is very knowledgeable about the medical issues in addition to the cutting edge remediation methods. We had a very specialized situation. Due to chemical sensitivity of one of our family members, we needed to be extremely cautious in the materials used. Larry was able to recommend a product called Caliwel, which is a much more natural formula and yet able to effectively kill the mold and seal the area. Every other company could only refer to the same standard chemicals which were not feasible for us. Larry can give an unbiased opinion because he does not do the actual remediation. He provides the inspection, air sampling, and a plan which another remediation company must follow. In the past, I had been pressured by another company that used scare tactics to try to pressure the customers into a huge expensive project. The average person does not understand what they are dealing with regarding a mold problem, and the companies can be unreliable. Larry will even tell you if certain small areas might be a project that the homeowner can handle on their own. He will give specific strategies for someone to take care of it themselves, or on the other hand to recommend a reliable company for a large job, for example an attic. We have needed to deal with each of those types of issues and it turned out great. The main reason however, that I would highly recommend Larry Schwartz is the fact that he is decent, kind and reliable. He helped us through this situation, which as one could imagine was highly stressful for our family. Larry provided reassurance, set priorities, and imparted a sense of calm during the entire ordeal. Recommendation: Yes. read more

Larry Schwartz has become a member of our family. There are no words to describe how he managed an absolutely horrific situation with such empathy and care. We could not have gotten through this without him - entirely independent of the scientific portion of the problem. He understood everything. My son was diagnosed with CIRS and mold issues - so significant over the past 7 years that he hasn't been in school for the past 3 plus years. Having to move out of our house, our home, and get rid of practically everything was beyond overwhelming. We felt like we were getting rid of our memories, but we weren't. We took the memories with us. A whole lesson for life and what is truly important. "Saint Larry," as my family affectionately refers to him, did testing and follow up testing, assisted with referring us to a company for remediation and small particle cleaning of our new house and somehow navigated us through it all. The stress level was quite high. He was there for us at our darkest time, quietly cheering us on and reinforcing the focus: to get our son well - eyes on the prize. Larry still remains readily available for questions (and there are a lot), volunteering his expertise and thoughts on different issues. He listens! He validates! He cares! It is not just a job or even a career, but a passion, a mission. He goes above and beyond the call of duty. All of these fine qualities and attributes mean so much to those of us who have had negative experiences with the medical community, school system, even family or friends, who are ignorant or just uneducated of our plight. It is an arduous pathway - and Larry could make or break a situation like this. He made it. There are no words to adequately thank him for what he has done... Michele Fisher, the Senior Consultant at Safe Start, is an incredible addition to the company - she has walked the path herself and, like Larry, gives of herself each and everyday. She has credibility. That is so rare these days, so rare to those of us on this long path... Michele is such a resource and has a light within her that is magnetic - she remains positively focused and can give her own perspective, which I know meant a lot to my son. A gift. Safe Start is so lucky to have Michele - the clients are even luckier to have Michele. Thank you! Larry, Michele and Safe Start are life changing - they change lives... read more

I liked Larry on the phone when I was shopping around for mold inspectors for our new house. He seemed caring, but now I realize it was only for the money he would earn. I told him I was shopping around, and he called me back again to say why he was qualified to do the job. He sounded genuine, so I decided to choose him. When he was at our soon to be house, the meter marked red at some points, and I asked him why and he brushed it aside. I only really became mistrustful of Larry when after the inspection I sent him a text and an email, both of which he was responsive to before we hired him, but he never responded after. I finally caught him on the phone and he sounded nervous like he was hiding something. I have not been feeling well since we moved to our new house with swollen glands and stomach pains, and now I wonder if there is mold! Our story sounds eerily similar to the other negative review I read on yelp so obviously this guy can't be trusted. I have never written a bad review on yelp, and in fact I wrote a great review for the general home inspector who was there the same day as Larry. I told this Larry that my little guy was very sensitive to any toxins and that I was also. He obviously only cares about his bottom line. Go with someone else if you want quality work. He might have all the machines but what's more important is the guy working the machines. read more

The information I learned has changed my life and has made it possible for my son and I to heal. Without Mr. Schwartz, we would've continued to be exposed to toxic mold and my son's illness would never have improved. My son is only 9 years old. Because of Mr. Schwartz's evaluation of our home, and his detailed explanations of what's happening, I am able to make our home safe for my son and am able to start him on the road to recovery. All because of Mr. Schwartz and Safestart Environmental. I am eternally grateful. This company is exceptional. read more

Beware of this company! Larry, the owner, did a mold inspection in the home I was buying. His report- NO MOLD!. After closing I was told by my handyman and finish carpenter the attic had mold. Larry returned to re-inspect. He agreed there was mold but he could not see completely due to the old owners belongings in the way. He may as well have been looking it a dark room and reported no mold. Now that the lights are on and he can see clearly he changes his mind. His answer to his incompetent and incomplete inspection, is you should have noticed it pre-closing. I am not a mold specialist. He is and was paid to do a complete professional inspection. Larry boasts of all his accreditation's, I think he needs a refresher coarse in mold inspection. Spend your money wisely do not use this company. read more

I have worked with Safestart Environmental to remediate my home from mold and make it safe for me to reside there. Larry, President/CEO, is one of the most kind, concerned, and compassionate people I have ever met. After inspection and testing, he developed a plan specifically for my house and guided me through finding and scheduling the contractors involved - a restoration firm; duct, carpet, window treatment cleaners. He also guided us through dealing with the contents of our house and their cleaning. It was a very difficult time for me as I was very sick from the exposure. I don't know what we would have done without Larry's expertise and knowledge. I'm back in my home again and couldn't be happier. I continue to work with Larry in making environmental upgrades to the house. Consulting with him on improvements has saved me time and money over and over again. I am very pleased with Safestart's work and highly recommend them. read more