What Does Homeowners' Insurance Cover for Mold Damage?

5/20/2019 (Permalink)

Homeowners' Insurance coverage of mold can be tricky. Do you know what your plan covers?

You should check with your insurance agent as to the specifics of what your personal homeowner's coverage plan provides - this isn't extensive or a guarantee of coverage, just what is most common.

Homeowners' insurance usually covers mold if a "covered peril" caused the mold. In that case, your insurance policy will likely pay for repairs and clean-up.

Here are some of homeowners’ insurance covered perils:

• Fire
• Lightning
• Vandalism or malicious mischief
• Damage caused by vehicles
• Theft
• Falling objects
• Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from plumbing, heating, air conditioners, sprinkler systems, or household appliances
• Frozen pipes

Some real world examples when homeowners’ insurance will likely cover you in the event of a loss:

• An ice dam forms in a roof gutter during a rough winter, and water backs up under your shingles. The water leaks into your attic, soaks your attic floor and insulation, and creates mold.
• A pipe bursts in your home and dumps gallons of water on the floor and saturates drywall while you're at work. Mold begins to form before you call.
• A washer hose springs a leak and damages behind your washer. The washer hose isn't old, you stop the leak, and report the damage immediately, but not before mold forms.

These are "sudden and accidental" incidents. Insurance companies typically cover this type of damage. In fact, non-weather related water damage is one of the most common home insurance claims and one of the most expensive.

SERVPRO of Rockwall/Rowlett has experience working with insurance providers, and can help navigate the mitigation of your home damage with your insurance company.