When Mold Damage Is Covered Under a Homeowners' Insurance Policy

7/28/2020 (Permalink)

Mold damage to ceiling in a Geneva, IL home

When Is Mold Damage Covered?

If you have a hidden moisture issue in your home, you could soon end up with a bigger problem: fungus growth. Mold, in particular, spreads quickly in wet areas. By the time you discover the mold, it may already be widespread throughout your Geneva, IL, house.
Attempting to clean the mold yourself can make the problem worse. However, mold remediation professionals can remove the spores and help prevent them from coming back. Your homeowners' insurance may even pay for this cleanup.

Checking Your Insurance
Most insurance policies do not directly include mold coverage. Still, your insurer should pay for mold-related expenses if the mold resulted from a covered peril such as:

• Vandalism
  
• Lightning
  
• Theft
  
• Fire
  
• Frozen pipes
  
• Accidental discharge of water from appliances, sprinklers or plumbing
  
  

Even if the fungus growth did not result from a covered peril, you may still have some limited coverage in your homeowners' policy. The insurer may only cover certain services or just pay a portion of your expenses.
You can also purchase mold insurance as an endorsement, or add-on, to your homeowners' policy. Keep in mind, however, that the insurer may reject your endorsement request if your home has a history of mold problems.

Filing a Claim
If you do think your mold damage is covered by your insurance, you need to file a claim as soon as possible. You should also take steps to mitigate further harm to your home. Otherwise, the insurer may decline your claim.
You should avoid getting too close to the mold. However, you should open doors and windows to dry out the wet areas. You should also stop any active leaks that may be fueling the mold growth.
Mold that results from a sudden peril such as fire or lightning may be covered by homeowners' insurance. You can also purchase a separate mold endorsement to your policy. To ensure that your insurance claim is accepted, take steps to reduce the fungus growth before the mold cleanup experts arrive.