Coverage for Water Damage

• Roof leaks caused by construction deficiencies, design issues or structural defects are usually not covered. In other words, homeowners' insurance companies will not pay for leaky roofs and any resulting mold growth if those leaks are caused by poor workmanship or lack of maintenance. However, insurers will cover property damage caused by rain or hail. Since rain and hail are common weather conditions, homeowners' insurance carriers do not exclude them.
  
  

Exclusions

• If a roof leak occurred over time and not immediately following a covered weather-related event, an insurance carrier will not cover it and will typically attribute any resulting mold to a preventable and foreseeable problem. Homeowners' insurance policies will cover mold caused by single, unforeseeable storms; however, carriers will not cover mold problems that slowly accumulated over time.
  
  

Limitations

• Homeowners' insurance policies generally do not cover incidental environmental or weather-related damage. Homeowners can purchase flood insurance, earthquake insurance or other types of natural disaster insurance to cover specific disasters in high-risk states or flood zones. Most lenders will require this additional coverage if homeowners live in flood zones.
  
  Furthermore, many insurance companies specifically exclude coverage for mold, regardless of how the mold issues arose. In other words, even if the mold damage occurred as a result of a covered peril, insurance companies commonly exclude mold damage but cover water damage.
  
  

Considerations

• Since state laws can frequently change, do not use this information as a substitute for legal advice. Seek advice through an attorney licensed to practice law in your state.