Does Insurance Cover Mold Removal?

4/3/2018 (Permalink)

SOMETHING TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION

If you find mold in your home the first question you are probably going to ask is, does insurance cover mold removal? A home insurance policy is purchased to cover any potential damage that may occur to a home, but the problem is that many homeowners are unaware of the fact that there are potentially dangerous situations that may occur in the home that might not be covered by your insurance policy.

Insurance policies can be cumbersome and tricky when it comes to coverage details, especially if mold is involved. Most insurance policies for homeowners do not specifically cover mold damage, although there are specific situations when they will pay for mold cleanup. The general rule is that mold cleanup will be covered if it is the result of a coverable event. So for example if a pipe bursts and it causes mold, that should be covered. If you have a humidifier built into your heating system and you set it too high and it causes mold, that won’t be covered. Mold will generally not be covered if it was caused by neglect or a lack of maintenance.

Most states have limitations on the amount of mold coverage that can be paid out by an insurance company, so it is a good idea to find out if there are limitations in the state where your home is located. Also, it is common for homeowners insurance policies to not cover flood damage, or any mold that results. If your policy doesn’t cover flooding, you might want to consider having a separate policy for flood insurance. Keep in mind that almost any water intrusion into your home at the ground level would be considered flooding and not be covered.

READ THE FINE PRINT

When you are reviewing your home insurance policy, the most important thing to do is to read the fine print and understand the coverage. Ask questions of your insurance agent, such as:

• Are there limits to the insurance payout for damage that occurs to the home?
• Will mold remediation be limited to certain types of disasters?
• Will basic insurance cover mold removal, or would a higher coverage policy be better?
• Is air testing covered to confirm that all traces of the mold have been removed.

If you suspect mold in your home and would like to speak with a SERVPRO representative...

Call SERVPRO of Redondo/Manhattan Beach

(310)939-9293