Mold & Homeowners Insurance

2/25/2019 (Permalink)

Is mold covered in your homeowners insurance policy?

Mold is never an easy thing for homeowners to deal with, but it’s one that definitely needs to be talked about. We have previously covered home mold prevention, but what about if you already have mold growing in your home? What is the role of home insurance when it comes to mold remediation? Lastly, does homeowners insurance make provisions for mold?

Homeowners Insurance & Mold

Generally speaking, homeowners insurance does not cover damages caused by mold. There are exceptions to this when mold remediation can be covered. The instances in which a insurance provider will cover mold clean up usually pertain to mold caused by issues already covered by the policy. Examples of this would be if mold growth was the result of a broken pipe, or if firefighting efforts resulted in mold. Conversely, if the mold was the result of poor home maintenance, such as allowing a dripping pipe to persist or an area of ongoing humidity has not been addressed, then it is not likely covered by the policy.

Filing a Mold Claim

Step one of filing any insurance claim is to call your insurance provider and inform them of the damages. Your insurance company will then provide you with next steps. You will want to gather as much information as you can, so take lots of photos. Make sure to take photos prior to any remediation efforts. Mold only needs 24 hours to start growing. You will want to get a mold remediation company out as soon as possible to begin the drying phase however, you should consult with your insurance provider prior to scheduling to make sure that the remediation efforts will be covered by the policy.

After your claim is instated and all the damages have been resolved, make sure to retain all pertinent documentation. If the problem returns and is the result of the original cause, your insurance company will be liable to cover the expenses of removing it.