Colorado’s dry air keeps mold from being an everyday headache like it is in Florida. But when it does show up here, water is almost always behind it, and whether your homeowners policy helps comes down to one question. How did the water get there?
Sudden water, usually covered. A pipe that freezes and splits during a January cold snap, or a water heater that gives out, is the kind of sudden and accidental damage most policies cover, including the mold that follows. The same goes for a roof that storm damage opened up, something we walked through with hail damage in Boulder.
Slow water, usually not. A drip under the sink for months, a bathroom with no fan, a basement that just stays damp. Insurers treat that as maintenance, and mold from it is typically excluded.
Watch the mold limit. Even when mold is covered, many policies cap mold cleanup at a set amount, often somewhere around $5,000 to $10,000. Real remediation can run higher once drywall and flooring come out, and some carriers sell an endorsement to raise that cap.
The usual Colorado suspects.
- Frozen pipes in older homes and mountain cabins
- Ice dams pushing snowmelt under the shingles
- Swamp coolers that leak or get left running
- Spring runoff seeping into basements
That last one is flood territory, which a homeowners policy excludes, mold and all. Along creeks and low spots, flood coverage in Boulder is worth a real look.
Sewer backup is its own thing. Water coming up through a floor drain usually needs a sewer backup endorsement. Without it, the water and the mold can both be left out.
Not sure what your policy says about mold? Send it our way. Our team reads these for Colorado homeowners every week, from Denver home insurance to cabins up in the hills, and there’s never any pressure.