All types of insurance, including home insurance, can be a maze to figure out and get through. If mold is a concern in Kingman, Kansas, you may wonder – does every home insurance cover mold? Or under what conditions is mold damage and restoration covered and not covered? And is there a limit to the amount of mold damage that is covered?
BRIEFLY, ABOUT MOLD
It may be a surprise to some to learn that mold is literally all around us. That thought could also be a bit disconcerting. Mold can grow under the right conditions both in nature and inside a home in Kingman, Kansas. All that is essentially needed for mold to grow anywhere is moisture/water, a food source (furniture, wood, and other materials), and a mold spore to be left alone in those conditions for about 24-48 hours. This doesn’t mean mold will always grow, but given the right conditions, mold has an exponentially larger possibility of growing if water/moisture issues continue past that 48 hour mark. Because the possibility of someday experiencing some sort of mold damage is not 0% anywhere, it becomes a responsible move to find out if your insurance covers mold damage, to what extent, and under what circumstances.
THIS BEGS THE QUESTION, DOES INSURANCE COVER MOLD DAMAGE?
Mold is generally covered by homeowner’s insurance in Kingman, Kansas, when it’s caused by a “covered peril” (an event or circumstance covered in your homeowner’s insurance policy, such as accidental water damage). If mold is “resulting damage” from a covered peril then it will usually be covered when the mold resulted from a specific problem that is covered by the policy.
TO WHAT EXTENT IS MOLD DAMAGE COVERED?
Some insurance companies place a cap on the amount they will pay out for mold removal. So even if your homeowner’s insurance company in Kingman, Kansas, accepts the claim, it may not cover the full cost of the mold repair and removal. So it’s important to note that the amount your policy may pay for mold removal and remediation might not cover all of the mold damage costs.
For example a homeowner’s insurance policy with mold coverage might be limited to $10,000, so any costs incurred over this amount would be the responsibility of the homeowner’s insurance policy owner in Kingman, Kansas. With some homeowner’s insurance policies, you can add mold coverage with higher limits in exchange for a premium increase.
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS MOLD DAMAGE COVERED AND NOT COVERED
As mentioned above, if mold is “resulting damage” from a covered peril, then mold damage will usually be covered when the mold resulted from a specific problem that is covered by the policy in Kingman, Kansas.
For example, your homeowner’s insurance policy may also cover mold damage resulting from:
- A broken water heater.
- Water damage caused by extinguishing a fire.
- A burst or frozen pipe.
That being said, the policy may cover mold damage from a broken appliance, but it’s unlikely that it’ll pay to replace the device. This is because most insurers cover only the resulting water and mold damage, not the cause of the damage in Kingman, Kansas.
However, mold caused by neglect or a lack of regular upkeep isn’t typically covered by home insurance policies. This includes mold damage from:
- Improperly sealed doors or windows.
- An unaddressed leaky faucet.
- Poor ventilation in a moist room, like a bathroom.
- Sump pump failure and water backup damage.
- Flood damage is generally excluded.
Let’s talk about flood damage, though, for a moment; while it is generally excluded from standard homeowner’s insurance coverage, additional flood insurance can be purchased to cover flood damage. But, even if you have flood insurance in Kingman, Kansas, your policy may not cover mold damage. For instance, some insurance policies will only cover mold damage if you can’t access your home after flooding for specific reasons.
GENERALLY, TYPICALLY, USUALLY
You’ll notice that a lot of the above information contains these types of words. The reason for that is not all homeowner’s insurance policies are the same in Kingman, Kansas. It is important to learn and know the specifics of your particular homeowner’s policy so that if a mold issue or other issue arises, you are prepared as much as possible. Discussing any questions or concerns you have about your policy with your homeowner’s insurance company is always a good idea.
It is unfortunate when mold issues occur in a home, but unfortunately, they can and will happen. That’s why it’s so important to know what is and what isn’t covered, to be prepared both before and after an emergency or a mold issue is discovered in Kingman, Kansas.
If you’ve begun to suspect or have confirmed that you have a mold issue, please give us a call here at FreshCo Cleaning and Restoration. We can schedule an in-person mold inspection with one of our mold inspectors as a first step in getting the mold issue resolved.
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“FreshCo worked for my parents after we discovered a large amount of mold spreading due to a crack in our tile shower floor. They were thorough, communicated in detail with my parents, and worked well as a team to complete the tear out and remodel on time with their estimates. I would most definitely recommend this company and hope to hire them again in the future.”
— Jenna H. in Wichita, Kansas
