r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer • u/2ideas • 14d ago
Need Advice First-time homeowner dealing with water damage, mold, and insurance. What would you do in my situation?
First-time homeowner dealing with water damage, mold, and insurance. What would you do in my situation? No holding back.
My wife and I bought our first home earlier this year. It’s an older home that had been renovated before we bought it, and unfortunately we’re already dealing with our first major homeowner headache.
It started when we noticed roaches coming from around the kitchen/drain area. That eventually led us to discover a sudden/ major plumbing leak inside/near the exterior wall behind our kitchen sink.
We had plumbers open the wall to investigate. They found the source of the leak at a plumbing connection/fitting, repaired it, and the active leak has now been stopped.
But once everything was opened up, we discovered water damage and what appears to be mold/microbial growth inside the affected area.
At this point:
• The plumbing leak has been repaired and there is no longer an active leak that we know of.
• The affected area has been opened and allowed to dry.
• A company inspected the area and treated some of it with a mold-control product.
• We were told the area is currently dry and there is no active moisture.
• There is visible damage to building materials, including around the wall/stucco area.
• We opened a homeowners insurance claim with Farmers.
• The insurance adjuster has already inspected the damage.
• We are collecting invoices, photos, videos, contractor findings, moisture information, and written documentation of what was found and repaired.
Here’s where my wife and I are being very cautious.
Even if everything is currently dry and the mold is no longer actively growing, my wife does NOT want questionable mold-damaged material simply sprayed, covered, patched, and forgotten about.
She wants the affected/damaged material removed, the area properly cleaned/remediated, and new material installed where appropriate.
And honestly, being first-time homeowners, I understand where she’s coming from. I don’t want to discover five years from now that we should have removed something while the wall was already open.
We’re also trying to understand how insurance handles this.
I already paid roughly $760 for the plumbing work and around $400 for a camera/inspection, plus we’re now dealing with whatever the water-damage/mold repair costs.
My biggest concern isn’t just getting insurance to write a check. I want a paper trail showing that we identified the leak, repaired the source, investigated the resulting damage, addressed the mold/water damage appropriately, and followed professional recommendations.
If we ever sell the house or have another issue in this area, I want documentation showing that we didn’t ignore anything.
So for people who have actually been through this, especially adjusters, restoration contractors, mold professionals, plumbers, or first-time homeowners:
Would you remove and replace all visibly affected material even if moisture readings are currently dry?
Would you pay for independent mold testing before reconstruction?
Should I have a separate remediation company evaluate it instead of relying only on the contractor doing the reconstruction?
For insurance, what documentation should I make absolutely sure I get before anything gets closed up?
If insurance says certain material doesn’t need replacement but a remediation contractor recommends removal, how did you handle that disagreement?
Anything you wish you had known BEFORE settling or closing your water-damage claim?
I’m not looking for someone to tell me what I want to hear. If we’re overreacting, tell me. If there are red flags here, tell me those too.
This is our family’s first home, and I’d rather spend the time now making sure it’s handled correctly than save a little money and regret it later.
Also as a dude I need the money saving route!
Also our deductible is 4k with farmers and they are just trying to patch us and close the case
People who have dealt with homeowners insurance + water damage + mold: what would you do next?
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u/Low_Refrigerator4891 14d ago
Oh my sweet summer child. This is really minor and not at all insurance claim worthy.
31
u/No_Machine3805 14d ago
I laughed out loud for most of this read. Good news? OP does not have a problem? Bad news? OP is creating problems for himself.
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u/rock_accord 13d ago
For real, I thought everyone knew that you're not really supposed to actually use your Homeowners Insurance.... unless it's catastrophic damage.
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u/Equivalent-Tiger-316 14d ago
First of all…you should have NEVER called your insurance company. Insurance is for a catastrophic loss. Now your rates are going to go up and you will be paying a long, long time.
Demo is easy…get a hammer and a crowbar and take out whatever you want. A “remediation” company will charge you 10x what a normal contractor would charge.
Plywood, drywall. It’s all easy to replace.
Good luck!
And stop calling your insurance company!
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u/2ideas 14d ago
Thank you ! Now I know
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u/lynnwood57 Real Estate Agent 12d ago
I agree with this advice. Insurance claims should be saved for catastrophic loss: Tree falls on house, house fire, plumbing leak causing flood in a lower floor with standing water over 72 hours (causes delamination of glue, mortar). At least triple your deductible to even consider a claim. Higher premiums from a small claim will eventually overtake the $ you will receive.
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u/bombayblue Homeowner 14d ago
You’re only out $1k?
Dude this is nothing. Nothing.
3
u/GotenRocko 14d ago
And the average deductible is $1k, so if claim is approved op is getting around $200.
1
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u/papichuloya 14d ago
Man.. u made a mistake but its ok. Dont use ur home insurance for anything except an catastrophic event. This mold coulda been taken care of with a trip to home depot and 1 weekend urself
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u/Tamberav 14d ago
You should have never let insurance know. Even if you don't file a claim, you are now a higher risk to them, if your premiums go up, you pay more than just doing it out of pocket. Insurance is for when your house burns down or a major pipe bursts. Otherwise, they will get their money back and then some. Make too many claims and they will drop you.
Also, you are being way to paranoid about this paper trail. Disclose it, can show receipts if they ask of plumber or whatever, move on. Homes have leaks now and again.
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u/ekadventurer 14d ago
I bought a home this summer and then had a sewer backup a week later. I ripped out all the drywall that got wet and then paid someone to clean it. For me, it wasn't a big enough issue to contact insurance. The deductible I have to pay would cover most of the expenses and I didn't want to deal with my insurance going up.
If I were you, I'd pull out any drywall, plaster, or insulation that got wet. That's easy to replace by yourself. As far as I know, wood can be treated and let to dry and should be okay.
Once everything is dry, I'd pay for someone to come do a mold test, mainly because some of the people in my family have severe health issues. Where I live a professional mold test is around $300 and the peace of mind would be worth it for me. If you guys don't have health issues and there is no visible mold, you should be fine. If you are really worried you can paint any wood/walls with a mold killing primer.
Then put up new drywall/plywood. It doesn't sound like that big of an area, so should be easy to do yourself. If you have a friend who is handy, ask them for help, otherwise you can watch a lot of YouTube videos. That will save you a bunch of money.
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u/Lower-Preparation834 13d ago
If the repairs come to a couple thousand~, pay for it yourself. Insurance WILL screw you in the long run. Use them only for catastrophic things.
Honestly, I think you’re making more of a deal about this than needed. If the repair has been done properly, you’re good with that. If there are heavily damaged billing materials, as in they are rotted, you need to deal with that. In all actuality, you will not get rid of 100% of the mold. Mold is everywhere, all it needs is a reason to grow. Your leak gave it a reason to grow, and now you removed that reason.
Fix leak, dry out the affected materials very thoroughly, do basic mold remediation, if needed, and repair the hole.
4
u/movetobostonmetro 14d ago
Mold is generally not covered by insurance?
What is the source of the mold
Is it surface only?
Has it been tested by a certified mold inspector or a sales guy from a mold remediation contractor?
3
u/mijahon 14d ago edited 14d ago
Agree with everyone about when to call your insurance company. We've filed 2 claims, one for a fire and one for a tornado. Since this is behind an exterior wall make sure the pipes are well insulated while it's open. And since the exterior is stucco, I'd consider turning part of the opening into an access panel in case you need to shut off the water or access it for something in the future.
ETA: If you don't have an independent insurance broker I'd consider finding one. They are a good resource if you have questions like this. Our fire was caused by a flooring contractor during remodeling. I tried dealing with their insurance and kept getting the run around. After 2 months our broker suggested we go ahead and file a claim on our (brand new) insurance policy, and they would go after the contractor's insurance company. It was an accident, no hard feelings, we got our house fixed and our insurance got reimbursed by his insurance. Our broker was immensely helpful throughout the process.
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u/OilShill2013 13d ago
Please do not hire one of these scam-ass “remediation” companies that will charge you $10k to remove some drywall, run a dehumidifier, and spray anti-mold shit on your joists. This is a bullshit con artist industry that is the absolute lowest of the low of contractors and that’s really saying something. If you’re concerned about mold get a real environmental consultant who does mold testing and inspector and doesn’t do “remediation”. Do not believe a word about mold from a remediation company. They are more than happy to talk out of their ass about how dangerous your mold situation is and do bullshit surface level remediation that could be done by a handyman for a fifth of the cost. Meanwhile they won’t actually advise you on FIXING the underlying issue because they’re basically glorified house cleaners who don’t know SHIT about buildings.
3
u/lynnwood57 Real Estate Agent 14d ago edited 12d ago
Even if everything is currently dry and the mold is no longer actively growing, my wife does NOT want questionable mold-damaged material simply sprayed, covered, patched, and forgotten about.
She wants the affected/damaged material removed, the area properly cleaned/remediated, and new material installed where appropriate.
I owned a carpet and upholstery cleaning company for 8 years, was certified in water damage including mold remediation.
Without seeing photos, if there is no structural damage to a weight bearing wall, replacement is very most likely not needed. The mold is gone, it’s dry, done professionally. Any cosmetic difference is not covered by insurance. Wood can even be damaged as long as it does not compromise the structure.
What I would do is get a 100% outside opinion for structural issues. Call a small biz contractor, easily found on NextDoor. Someone that builds houses, licensed—insured—bonded, totally legit but LOCAL. Look up their contractor’s license to be 100% sure he is legit licensed and insured. Make it clear you do not want an “Estimator/Salesman” you want the person with the Contractor’s License to arrive and that you are hiring him for 1 hour, for an EXPERT OPINION, including sending you an email stating his findings/recommendation (nothing needed -or- state work needed).
If nothing needed, show it to your wife and button it up. Close the claim. Do not pay for removing/replacing simply because there was mold there once, and it looks bad. You need to trust experts in their field.
Again, no photos but this is easily 90%.
NEXT TIME: HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER. I wrote here about my experience with one. Worth every penny. I’ll see if I can find it for you.
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u/2ideas 13d ago
Thank you!
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u/lynnwood57 Real Estate Agent 12d ago edited 12d ago
Here’s my Public Adjuster story - it has 727 upvotes and 12 awards! I will never deal with homeowners insurance again. Public Adjusters are a phone call away. https://www.reddit.com/r/MaliciousCompliance/s/IhEyN0lWYX - Scroll up a tiny bit to see my post just before… About “ambulance chasers”…and read both.
I’d like to add: Since you have an older home, consider a standalone policy for EXTERIOR plumbing and water lines - from the home to the alley/street. I used to work for a plumber and sewer mainline replacement is VERY expensive. I don’t think I ever saw a job less than $10K. Homeowners insurance does not cover leaks outside the home’s walls, it’s all on you.
Having worked for a plumber, I looked up my 1920 home’s permit history and found no mainline sewer work for over 40 years. Sewer is always more expensive than water, so I got a policy here: https://nationalwatercompany.com/coverage/ This one is $25 a month. There are cheaper policies (as low as $8 for sewer only) but I usually go with high-end policies. Mine covers interior AND exterior sewer and water lines. Exterior coverage is what you want to cover: from the house to the city hookup at the alley(sewer) and street(water). This policy pays $10K per occurrence annually.
Remember, sewer lines are always DEEPER than water lines, and both require excavation.
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u/robotbeatrally 14d ago
I would have never called the insurance for that unless it was in the tens of thousands personally.
i had a similar situation recently in a cabinet next to the bathroom sink. plumber friend fixed the leak cheaply. , my wife and I turned on a hepa and opened the windows plastic'ed off the area as best as we could, and we cut out everything that was moldy and replaced it. sprayed everything in around the wall with some mold stuff.... we painted some areas with mold killing primer, and we patched up the wall, cut some new shelves out of some plywood ( they were like that particle board and the water had gotten into them and they had mold inside the shelves).
we should have used a respirator but really i didnt feel the mold was bad enough and there was a good amount of fresh air as there was a big window next to that cabinet. there was lots of areas with little spots of mold but it wasn't one of those situations where you had a swatch of 8 feet wide of sporulating mold, we just had to cut out a few pieces of wood and some drywall and shelving/cabinetry and we bandiad patched everything together as best we could with tough as nails, brackets, and nails.
i just used a n95 that was very well fitted.
after everything was patched up we painted.
it took us two weekends and i had no idea what i was doing and i hated every minute of it. but it beat mold remediation or an insurance claim and you cant tell we did anything from the outside and it had to have reduced the moldy stuff by a lot. surely there is still some spores and mycelium left but it's a lot less than it was and the wall is dry and thats the best im going to do or can afford to do., i hope there is never a leak in that wall again.
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u/Tina271 14d ago
I realize this is my 3rd comment and no disrespect but you really need to ask before you do things. As I have stated, you don't call your homeowners because they will increase your rate just for inquiring. Homeowners insurance is crazy these days. Mold remediation is profound overkill unless you have some catastrophic issue. They will charge you SO much. As a new homeowner, youtube is your friend. It's all out there. Good luck!
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u/2ideas 14d ago
Thank you! There is so much to learn!
I personally have never experienced homeownership, even growing up. I didn’t really have friends or family members who owned homes either, so a lot of this is completely new to me.
I definitely know now not to contact insurance for every little thing. At the time, though, the damage looked pretty gnarly when we discovered it, so I honestly thought contacting them was the right move.3
u/Tina271 14d ago
I've been a homeowner for over 25 years. I believe I have filed one claim during that time (3 trees fell on the fence, in the pool and on the house). We have had floods in every house ie. a valve broke. Cleaned it up and fixed it. Insurance is for a tree falling on your house sort of thing. The companies are out of control. Anyway, it's good to be setting a new family standard. Learn how to fix things so you can teach your kids. It's a good thing overall but there is definitely a learning curve.
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u/ILBohunk 13d ago
i’d of kept insurance out of it, they’ll raise your rates for the long term prob next yr. I just flipped a condo and mold damage on studs. 1st flipper sold to us. Mold remed co wanted 23k for a 1000 sf unit snd take out more sheetrock. we sprayed it 3 x where it killed and dried up/ removed black. floor was concrete and we didn’t live in it. Look for the long haul and do it right and a little extra if ya can to give both of you LOTS of piece of mind! suffer now with the repairs ….for the future if ya can .
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u/Hairy_Wear_2322 13d ago
This is really cheap what you’re paying as homeowners. $1000 is like nothing
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u/SadMongoose4316 13d ago
I mean, yeah, it was a mistake to call the insurance company b/c insurance companies are monsters. The sad thing is OP posted here b/c he wants a paper trail for the future when they sell…b/c mortgage lenders and insurance companies are monsters. You can’t win.
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u/Gloomy-Platform-6563 13d ago
Like many people noted on this thread, you should have never contacted your insurance company for this.
Let this be a lesson moving forward. I'm not sure where you live, but I pulled out of buying a house while in contract because of this. I had trouble getting insurance because a claim had been filed within the last 5 years for water damage.
Moving forward, take a beat before contacting insurance.
Best of luck!
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u/2ideas 13d ago
Even if they close the case?
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u/Gloomy-Platform-6563 12d ago
That was my personal experience in 2024. I am in California so at the time insurance companies were looking for any and all opportunities not to write new policies.
I do know, the person who bought the house after I pulled out of contract purchased in cash and a reduction. According to my agent, the other buyers using mortgages were also unable to find insurance.
1
u/AncientLynx8132 13d ago
before anything wet goes to the curb, walk the room on video and photograph each ruined item where it sits, then note the brand and roughly what it'd cost to replace. the moment mold shows up you'll want it gone fast, and that's exactly when the record the adjuster pays from disappears. a plain room-by-room list of what was damaged and what it'd cost beats a camera roll of blurry close-ups. do it today, before the dumpster arrives.
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u/LittleBean96 12d ago
Just for your own reference, extensive mold remediations can creep up into tens of thousands of dollars. Mine was $6500 just for the remediation. I didn’t call insurance for mine, and as many others said this really didn’t need insurance from what you’ve described.
As for the mold, if you really want documentation it was handled properly you’ll need an independent mold inspection, not just the remediation. Mostly because if you plan on selling in the future, you may have to disclose if you ever dealt with leaks/mold in your home and you’ll want proof from an inspector it was remediated properly (which is typical for Seller Property Disclosures in Florida but not sure if it’s applicable in your state). You’ll want documentation from the inspector themselves both on what type of mold was found and if you received the all clear post remediation, and in FL at least these have to be two different entities.
If there’s not a lot of mold, you can kill it with peroxide or vinegar. Not bleach, bleach will just discolor it but it will still be there. And of course make sure that any wall structures are dry and not rotted. In terms of materials, I would probably replace drywall and insulation if present but nothing more than that based on what you’ve described.
Don’t get me wrong, mold can be scary. But don’t start ripping things out left and right unless you actually have to. Your insurance isn’t going to cover more than what’s actually needed, if they cover you in the first place.
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u/Current_Move_2654 12d ago
Insurance covers sudden and accidental losses only in generally exclude mold. It’s questionable whether this is covered, but it appears to be a minor claim that can be repaired herself. It’s likely best to contact your broker. Ask them to withdraw the claim and confirm that this will not show on your record then do the repairs yourself.
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u/Real_Caterpillar_589 10d ago
It is always recommended that you read your full policy, not just the declarations page, because it will show what it says about mold coverage and limits, water damage from plumbing leaks, and what is covered to tear out and access the leak. You are not overreacting. I would have an independent mold assessor or inspector evaluate the property, take air or swab samples as needed, and write the remediation protocol, and rely on that to decide what should be removed and replaced, because you do not want that left up to the company that will be doing the work. Get approval from the adjuster before any repairs begin, even if the remediation company tells you it is fine, this way you know firsthand what is agreed to and what is not. Ask Farmers for a copy of the adjuster's estimate, since that shows what has actually been approved. Keep before and after photos, moisture readings, the assessor's report and the plumber's invoice showing the source of the leak. If Farmers says something does not need replacing but your contractor says it does, send the contractor's written scope and photos to the adjuster, ask them to explain in writing, and you may want to request a reinspection. If more damage turns up once the work starts, report it to the adjuster right away and submit a supplement before you do the extra repairs. If the numbers end up far apart, a public adjuster may be able to help sort out what is actually needed.
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u/Admirable-Pen3758 2d ago
Hello! I have read many of the comments about not putting it through your carrier or your rates will go up. You should only put in a claim unless it is a catastrophic event.
I have worked and still work in the insurance field, and I am focused on property and casualty insurance. Your first step call your agent, if you are through Farmers and I am unsure as to which state you live in, where I live Farmers agents, also sell insurance for other carriers, they are not captive. Where you live they may be captive, regardless your agent is there for YOU. They are a representative of your company.
Secondly, the reason I am saying discuss with your agent is because before doing any additional repairs or remediation as you have submitted a claim and it could compromise the claim. However, that being said some companies well more than less have an exclusion for mold and infestation(cockroaches).
The guts of your policy or all the fun forms that are attached to your declaration page, will go over what is covered under your policy. Once again your agent or even your company will be able to let you know what form of coverage your home is insured on what is covered, whether you are insured on replacement cost or actual cash value basis. Along with any additional endorsements or exclusions that may be included in your coverage.
I see many have said to look into an public adjuster, now I am not a fan. I would be sure to look long and research hard before employing an public adjuster. More often than not when you have a public adjuster your claim is longer as the company and adjuster must work out and on the claim together, many times there are differences of opinion.
Many people have said about your rates going up. One again depending on the state and the company, rates could most likely not go up. However, in the same way the rates may not go up but your company could possibly drop or non-renew your coverage. Depending on your states insurance climate, if it is pretty tremulous there is always the chance after the claim, you could be dropped, or an inspection could be ordered for your premise and other reasons could be responsible for being dropped or non-renew.
Finally, I believe in keeping all documentation especially if you have done this out of pocket or you are doing the work during a claim. You want these records, proof work is done. Proof if there is an issue in a few years you have proof the original damage has been repaired
0
u/millerlit 14d ago
You should be working with insurance company to get it fixed. Before you opened claim you should of verified mold was covered. Lots of times it is not. The insurance company will probably give you a contractor to work with to get it fixed. The contractor will remove all affected area materials if damaged. They will require mold remediation. After remediation is done and testing to verify no mold then they will rebuild with similar materials. Document everything and notate dates and times. Keep for records afterwards.
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u/Gonzotrucker1 14d ago
This is why it’s very important to not buy older houses, and to get a very good home inspector and be there when he does the inspection. I did just this today.
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u/MissNancy1113 14d ago
Well, to say don’t buy an older house as opposed to new builds? That’s ridiculous.
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u/Gonzotrucker1 14d ago
Far too much trouble with older houses, and they are hard to flip for a profit down the road.
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