How do I know if my home insurance policy covers mold?

As mentioned in Does my insurance cover mold damages? Home insurance companies usually don’t cover mold damage unless it’s directly related to a “covered peril.”  But the good news — there are exceptions.

A peril is an event, like a fire or break-in, that may damage your home or belongings. So the perils covered by your homeowners insurance are listed in your policy.

The list of mishaps you’re protected against (“perils” in industry speak) is actually pretty broad. Here’s a look at what the Insurance Information Institute says are some of the most common perils covered by a typical homeowners insurance policy:

1. Fire and smoke
2. Lightning strikes
3. Windstorms and hail
4. Explosion
5. Vandalism and malicious mischief
6. Damage from an aircraft, car or vehicle
7. Theft
8. Falling objects
9. Weight of ice, snow or sleet
10. Water damage

Check your homeowners insurance policy to learn what perils it covers. And to see if there is any language about mold claims. Some insurers offer limited coverage for mold claims. So this may mean limiting how much the insurer will pay for a mold-related claim. Or an insurer may increase the cost of a home insurance policy if you have mold-related coverage.

If you find yourself without any mold coverage. You can buy an endorsement to your insurance policy that adds mold coverage.  Because an endorsement is when an insurance company adds additional coverage to a regular home insurance policy, for an additional fee.

Some home policies provide a limited amount of coverage for mold claims. But this can be by capping the amount the insurer will pay, for example at $5,000, or stating that the insurer will only pay for certain services, such as clean-up, and excluding others, such as testing and remediation.