I have mold! Is it covered by insurance?

Mold. That ugly, smelly stuff growing on your walls and furniture. You see it and call your insurance company to report a mold claim. After all, you have coverage in your policy for mold/fungi so you should be covered right?
 
There are many causes for mold growth, especially living in South Florida where the climate is warm for most of the year. You come home from your 10 day vacation to find mold growing in your home and it is everywhere, including your furniture and clothing. You have no idea how this happened and call your insurance company to file a claim. The adjuster comes out to inspect the damage and boom, the insurance company denies your claim stating there is no covered cause of loss. 
 
You pay your insurance premiums so how can this be?  Your policy says you are covered for mold, so what gives?  What you do not realize is that you are only covered for mold when the mold is caused by a peril/loss that is covered under your insurance policy.  What caused the mold?  Is it humidity?  Is it a plumbing leak that caused water damage to your home and then mold started growing? Did you have storm damage to your home where water entered and damaged the interior of your home and belongings which resulted in mold growth?
 
There could be many reasons why this happened and the burden of proof is always on you to prove your damage and what caused the damage.  Humidity, in and of itself, is not a covered loss.  Water damage is often a covered loss, as well as any resulting mold growth, as long as it has not been going on for a period of time and the cause of the water has been remedied to protect your property from further damage. Your insurance policy covers damage that is sudden and accidental. However, some insurance companies exclude water damage all together resulting in no mold coverage.
 
We get many calls regarding mold damage that ask “should I file a claim?” You first have to know what is causing the mold and if that cause is covered under your policy. Contract us here and we can help you understand what is and is not covered in your policy with our comprehensive insurance policy review.