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Mold Damage Insurance Claims
Mold is generally covered by homeowners insurance only when it’s caused by a “covered peril” (an event or circumstance covered in your homeowners insurance policy, such as accidental water damage).
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Mold?
Homeowners insurance is designed to cover you against various types of damage, but you may be wondering whether that includes mold. It’s a good question to ask, particularly if you’re purchasing an older home and want to avoid any potentially costly surprises. The answer isn’t always clear-cut. “Generally, standard homeowners insurance policies can cover mold to an extent,” “It depends on what caused the mold.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mold coverage isn’t guaranteed by your homeowners insurance policy.
- Typically, mold damage is only covered if it’s related to a covered peril.
- Mold damage caused by flooding would need to be covered by a separate flood insurance policy.
- Proper preventative measures can help minimize the odds of having to deal with a mold issue.
Covered Perils and Mold Insurance
Homeowners insurance policies spell out a list of “covered perils,” meaning instances of damage to the home for which you’re eligible to file a claim. The main cause of mold formation is water seeping into the structure of your home, so you need to know which water-related covered perils are included in your policy.
For example, your policy may cover you if mold results from any of the following:
Water leaks associated with a malfunctioning appliance
- Water damage caused by a burst hot water heater
- Water damage caused by firefighters extinguishing a fire in your home
In these instances mold would be “resulting damage” from a covered peril. It’s important to distinguish between resulting damage and initial damage. For example, if your water heater breaks and a leak causes mold to form in the walls, then your policy might pay for the walls to be repaired and the mold to be removed but not for the replacement of the hot water heater.
It’s important to note that the amount your policy may pay for mold repair and removal might not cover all of the resulting damage. “This extent of mold coverage is typically limited—for example, a company may cap mold removal and remediation at $10,000 for a single occurrence,” says Pat Howard, homeowners insurance expert at Policygenius. Higher coverage limits may be available, but if you’re unsure about what’s covered, Howard suggests talking to your agent to find out what options you have.
Mold Caused by Floods or Acts of Nature
In some cases mold can grow as a result of water damage from outside forces. Whether your homeowners insurance covers mold in that instance depends on what caused the damage to begin with.
“Mold that’s a result of storm surges, like floodwaters, is usually not covered by standard homeowners insurance,” Harper says. “That’s because standard home insurance policies don’t cover flood damage—you need flood insurance for that.”
If you have a flood insurance policy and your home is flooded due to heavy rains, a hurricane, or another act of nature, then your policy may extend to mold removal and repairs necessitated by flooding. Flood insurance costs on average around $700 per year in addition to your regular homeowners insurance premium, though it may cost more if you live in an area that’s at higher risk for flooding.
That may be worth the investment, however, if you’re concerned about mold resulting from a flood. According to FEMA, just one inch of water in your home can cause $25,000 in damage. Flood insurance with mold coverage could help mitigate some of the cost.
Mold that results from other acts of nature, such as a hurricane or an ice storm, may be covered under your homeowners insurance policy. For instance, if a hurricane tears your roof off and water gets inside the home, causing mold to grow, you might be able to file a claim for that along with other damages to the home.
A Mold Claim is not always easy to adjust and often times they are denied or paid way to low. These Mold Damage Claim problems may be avoided if it is presented properly to the insurance company. If you suspect you have a mold problem contact us immediately and we will send out one of our experienced adjusters to evaluate the situation. We feel we have a bit of an advantage dealing with mold claims as Insurance Assurance Inc. is a Florida Licensed Public Adjuster and has more than twenty years of experience as a mold inspector.
Our job is to help the insureds like you with a mold damage claim. Our passion and expertise is to put an accurate amount of dollar value on your loss and relentlessly fight to recover it from your insurance company.
Typically our collections are 100’s % higher than the Insurance Company’s original estimate. Call today for a FREE consultation. If we inspect your loss and if our investigation finds the Insurers offer fair, you at least have the peace of mind of having a free professional second opinion.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Florida License No. D032331
866-432-7093/(321) 735-6428
