Homeowners insurance covers mold damage, but only if it was caused by a covered hazard. To file a mold insurance claim, you must document it with photos and provide the home insurance company with an explanation of how the mold started.
Homeowners insurance
does not usually cover damage or mold removal, unless it is the result of a covered hazard. If the mold in your home was caused by something sudden or accidental, such as a broken pipe or some other incident covered by your policy, you can be protected.However, if mold has existed for weeks or longer, your policy probably won't cover the costs.
Home
insurance will not cover the remediation and removal of mold, unless the mold is the result of a covered hazard, and coverage is often limited. One situation in which a home insurance company will cover the insurance claim is during the winter, when an ice dam causes damage. If you file a home insurance claim, your insurance agent or an appraiser will contact you and inspect the damage as part of the insurance claim process.Home insurance companies will cover sudden and accidental damage, but they don't cover damage that could have been prevented with maintenance. Even if you successfully file a successful claim with your insurance company to remedy the mold, it won't be fully covered. However, coverage for sump pump and water reserve failures may not resolve gradual problems, such as water seeping through the foundation of the house. However, if there was a fire and the water used to put out the flames caused mold to grow, your home insurance policy would cover mold damage.
Taking preventive measures, especially after severe storms, can stop mold growth and save homeowners hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage costs. Since your home insurance policy may only offer limited coverage related to mold, there are a few things you should consider to avoid the enormous cost of trying to get rid of mold. A standard home insurance policy probably won't cover mold damage caused by a pipe that leaks under the kitchen sink either, since insurance companies expect you to perform regular home maintenance to avoid these problems. You should always ask your insurer what your home insurance policy covers and isn't covered.
Now, most states allow home insurance companies to exclude mold from coverage, except when the mold was the result of a problem covered by the policy. Homeowners insurance generally covers mold only when it's caused by a hazard covered by an event that your home insurance policy will pay for, such as accidental water damage. Homeowners insurance generally covers damage to the home caused by fire, vandalism, smoke, or weather events such as lighting, wind, or hail.
