My home flooded during Hurricane Helene and now there’s black mold growing on the walls, furniture — and it smells horrible. Will my insurance cover mold removal?

When is mold covered by homeowners insurance?

Generally, your homeowners insurance policy can cover mold damage and removal if something suddenly goes wrong inside your home, such as a pipe bursting and flooding a section of your house.

But your policy won’t pay for mold removal in situations where there was neglect — such as if you failed to address a leaky shower you knew about for months, and water seeped into the ceiling below it and caused mold.

All told, you’ll need to review your homeowners insurance policy to see if the cause of the mold is a covered peril. If not, your insurer will refuse to pay for the damage, and understandably so.

You should also know that if your home floods because of a hurricane and mold damage ensues, that's not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. It could potentially, however, be covered under separate flood insurance if you have it and immediately take action to prevent mold growth. But it can depend on the provider.

For example, even National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance policies don’t cover mold damage. Only through the Individuals and Households Program can someone get financial assistance to remediate mold caused by a disaster. And this relief is only available if FEMA inspects your home and determines you can’t physically inhabit it.

That’s why FEMA recommends people document the flooding and begin cleanup as soon as possible if they can access their property to prevent major damage.

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How to pay for mold remediation if your insurer won’t cover the bill

Even if your flood insurance policy includes coverage for mold damage, and your situation is eligible for coverage, the amount your insurer will pay may be capped at a specific amount. It all depends on the policy you have.

According to home servicing company Angi, the average cost of mold remediation is $2,363, while it typically ranges from $1,223 to $3,749. But the price you're looking at will depend on factors that include the location of the mold, the extent of the damage, and the specific work that needs to be done to address the problem.

If you have mold on a single wall due to water that came in from a particularly intense storm, you may be looking at a lower price to fix it than if you have mold that was caused by leaky pipes behind a main wall in your home. In the latter situation, it may be necessary to open up the wall, replace the piping, and then rebuild that wall entirely.

If you’re facing mold damage following a major weather event like Hurricane Helene, it’s worth applying for Individual Assistance through FEMA. In a dire scenario, you may be eligible for free mold removal. But even in more minor cases, cleaning and sanitization services may be provided to prevent further spreading of hazardous mold.

If you won’t be getting help footing the bill for mold remediation from your insurance company, you may be able to take out a home equity loan or line of credit and use the funds to pay for the work needed.