As you can probably imagine, once the initial response to a disaster is over and family members or employees are all accounted for, this is one of the first questions people ask any remediation and restoration company whether it is a Utah disaster cleanup company like UDK or a similar business in other states.

The answer inevitably becomes: “it depends.” Whether or not your homeowners’ policy will cover your particular damage depends both on your individual policy as well as the circumstances surrounding the disaster. The two most confusing cleanup jobs in terms of whether or not there will be coverage are water damage and mold.  Here is a brief primer of homeowners’ policies vis-à-vis disaster coverage.

Water Damage

Most insurance will cover water damage caused by storms, broken water pipes, fixtures, and appliances. Damage to the structure itself will be covered, along with damage to contents that comes as a direct result of the disaster. Insurance will only cover losses due to rain, however: if a river floods as a result of the same storm, the structure and contents will not be covered; which brings us to the topic of flood damage.

Water damage that comes as a result of flooding from a stream, lake, river or ocean is NOT covered under homeowners’ policies. Even mud flow damage will fall under this category. You must purchase insurance separately through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program in order for these kinds of losses to be covered.

Mold

Most policies will definitely cover mold remediation, cleanup, and restoration efforts if the fungus is present as a DIRECT RESULT of a covered event such as a non-flood water-related disaster. If the mold is present due to owner neglect or growth has occurred over a long period of time, then cleanup is usually NOT covered. This is why it is so essential to have your home professionally inspected for mold anytime you suspect it may be present.

Bottom Line: Check Your Policy

The above scenarios are meant to be a general guideline only: for specifics about what your policy does and does not cover, be sure to check with your insurance agent.