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Is Mold Removal Covered by Homeowners Insurance?
Ryker Bingham | Oct 20, 2021
The mold that took over your home wasn’t visible as it was growing behind a wall, but the odorous stench and breathing issues you’ve had since are certainly attributed to it. Once the wall was deconstructed, you realized your mold issue was more serious than you thought. Is mold remediation covered by insurance?
If the mold was caused by a named peril under your homeowner’s insurance policy, then your insurance could pay for mold removal. Should the mold be attributed to any other source, you’d have to pay for remediation yourself.
Before you call your insurance representative, you might want to keep reading. This article will provide important information on how your homeowners insurance policy could help cover mold remediation & whether it's safe to remove mold yourself.
What Are Named Perils?
Many homeowner’s insurance policies have what is referred to as covered or named perils. There are 16 such perils in all, explains the experts at Insurify.com. Those perils include "fire, theft, vandalism" and so much more.
Your policy might include all of the 16 perils, but more than likely it has only some. If a named peril is on your homeowner’s insurance and damage occurs from that peril, you’d receive a reimbursement for the damages in part or in full, according to the International Risk Management Institute, Inc. or IRMI.
You don't see mold on the list of 16 named perils, but that doesn’t mean mold removal isn’t covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. If the mold was caused by a named peril, then your insurance plan should kick in.
Say that your water heater breaks or a pipe bursts and one or more rooms in your home end up destroyed. Black mold begins growing on the walls and other surfaces. Since water overflow is a named peril, if you have water damage insurance, your mold remediation should be covered.
Other perils can lead to mold damage as well. For example, if your dishwasher short-circuits and floods the kitchen, you might be eligible for mold removal coverage since short-circuiting is a named peril.
If you had a house fire and the fire department caused unintentional mold after using their fire extinguishers, that mold damage would fall under fire. You more than likely have fire protection as part of your insurance policy, so you wouldn’t have to pay for mold removal out of pocket.
It is worth noting that all insurance policies are different. If you have questions about whether mold removal is included as part of your plan, you should contact your insurance provider and ask.
Will Insurance Pay The Complete Cost for Mold Removal?
You just got off the phone with your insurance agent and you’re happy to report that mold removal is part of your policy. Now you’re ready to begin calling mold remediation experts and asking for quotes.
You know that your insurance might not cover the full cost of mold removal, but exactly how much reimbursement should you expect? That depends on your insurance provider and the type of homeowner’s insurance policy you selected, notes Investopedia. Considering the expense of mold remediation though, insurance companies will limit the payout for mold removal.
Can I Remove Mold Myself if Insurance Doesn’t Cover It?
Just as there are many instances in which your homeowners insurance will cover the cost of mold removal, there are just as many cases in which they won’t. If the mold isn’t caused by one or more of the 16 named perils, then insurance cannot help.
That’s also true if your neglect caused the mold. For instance, if you have a bathroom without ventilation and you’ve been meaning to install a vent fan for years, but the room gets moldy, you can’t expect insurance to pay you anything.
With limited options, you’re thinking that perhaps you’ll remove the mold yourself. This is inadvisable if the mold is anything more than surface-level. In that case, you’ll need a bit of bleach.
For extensive mold damage, however, it’s worth going to the professionals, even if it's going to be expensive. Living with mold is dangerous. Those with allergies or asthma can have their symptoms exacerbated. Even if you’re otherwise healthy, breathing in mold is not good for you.
How to File an Insurance Claim for Mold
Once you spot mold in your home and you’re positive your homeowners insurance will cover it, it’s time to make a claim. You should leave the mold undisturbed. Take photos of the mold, but otherwise, stay out of that room. Close the door so no one else in your family goes in there either.
Contact your insurance agent once you discover the mold. An insurance adjuster will come out to the property soon to review the situation and determine how much remediation will cost. If you have photos of the room from before the mold damage, that can help the insurance provider as well, but it isn’t necessary.
Conclusion
When mold spreads in your house, its removal can be costly. Homeowner’s insurance can step in and pay for part of the remediation, but only if the mold was caused by a named peril on your policy.