Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover Mold?

8/16/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO technicians are here to help and will inspect crawlspaces for mold growth.

Over here at SERVPRO of Lexington-Bedford and Waltham/Weston/Watertown/Wayland, we have been getting a lot of calls concerning mold. With the unusual amount of rain and humidity in July, followed by high temperatures, microbial growth has been very prevalent this summer. SERVPRO has an excellent relationship with insurance companies and we are happy to work with them directly so you do not have to. A common question that comes up is, “Does my homeowner's insurance cover mold remediation?” This is a fair question to ask but is difficult to answer. In the late 90s to early 2000s, most insurance companies changed the coverage in homeowners' policies to limit mold remediation. This is because there were too many claims being filed that amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid out by insurance companies. Because of this, policies got more specific about what they would and would not cover.

As a general rule of thumb, mold remediation is covered by insurance if it is a result of a specific problem that is covered by your policy. Furthermore, you must demonstrate that the mold damage was sudden, accidental and that you reported it immediately. For example, if your roof had a leak that you promptly fixed and in the process found microbial growth in the attic due to water damage, it would most likely be covered. But if you let the leak in the roof go unattended for a year before addressing it and then you found mold all throughout the attic, it would not be covered. The difference is that the roof leak is accidental but not fixing it immediately is negligence in which case the subsequent mold growth could have been avoided. It is important that you document everything in as much detail as possible to show your adjuster. If you come across mold in your home or business give us a call immediately to begin remediation. If it is covered by your insurance, we will work with them directly so you do not have to.