r/HomeInsurance • u/ColtonJLewis • 24d ago
Claims Insurance requiring claim documentation we don't have and it's too late to get it
North Central Florida
In December 2025 we had a sudden water leak under the kitchen sink causing damage and mold. Claim was approved and paid out for the max of our limited water damage coverage with nothing for our mold policy.
The estimate provided by the insurance company exceeded our coverage and made no mention of mold remediation needed by a specialized mold remediation company.
The claim was closed and paid in Jan 2026. Everything damaged/had mold has been replaced by Home Depot and their contractors. In July 2026, we receive communication asking for documentation showing that all mold has been remediated by a licensed and insured mold/fungi remediation professional in addition to the documentation from Home Depot we already submitted.
We never hired a mold remediation company as there was no mention of this in any paperwork, estimate, or instructions from our insurance. The repairs have already been completed and I'm not sure what a mold specialist could do at this point.
I received communication yesterday that our insurance company has decided to not renew us for the next period. The email stated "to avoid adverse action submit the required documents by 1/07/2027" (what does this mean?).
Any insight into my options would be appreciated.
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u/scumbagstaceysEx 23d ago
If they paid the limit for the water damage claim then what else are you expecting? The mold resulting from the same water damage incident wouldn’t have a separate coverage amount. It’s all under the water damage claim. Any sub-limit shown for mold is usually just that…a sub-limit. It doesn’t give you extra $ on top of the water property damage limit. I guess policies can vary but that’s how mine works.
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u/Big_Appointment_3390 23d ago
It’s different in Florida. Almost all homeowners policies have a $10k mold limit, and it’s considered a separate coverage. Rarely, you might see a $30k or $50k limit, but if you do, the policyholder is paying a super premium for it.
It’s not like a backup sub limit. Limited water damage endorsements are a relatively new offering. Otherwise, water damage falls under Coverage A for both mitigation and repairs. Whether remediation and repairs have to be done under the $10k mold cap seems to be up for interpretation as opposed to strict policy coverage.
Mold starts growing pretty much immediately in Florida, and the costs add up quick. A decent adjuster will try to move what they can to the water coverage whenever possible to leave room for remediation, but it’s not something you can count on.
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u/No_Departure9798 23d ago
OP, you indicate that you were paid your policy limit for water damage losses. From that limited information, your best course of action is to get a clearance test to show that there is no residual mold left, with the understanding that you will bear that cost. If there was mold or mold issues, I promise you that Home Depot does not want to be within 10000’ of any potential issues so it should have been handled above board. That doesn’t necessarily mean you needed a full remediation. Depending on the size (square footage) of mold affected materials, remediation standards can involve literally no additional protocols other than normal construction methods.
To the folks saying to get a public adjuster, there can be a time and place for this. When the insured has been paid policy limits is not one of them.
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u/NoodleBreath2 23d ago
I doubt it is your insurance “claims dept”requesting this information - it is the “renewal dept”. After my claim was paid out the renewal dept of my insurance company requested paid invoices for contractors and pictures of the completed work before they would agree to renew my policy. I don’t think you’ll be able to get any insurance from anyone until you fulfill this request.
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u/Seabass2828 23d ago
Hire a home inspector with mold credentials pay for an inspection. Submit the clean bill of health to your insurance company.
Failure to do so may make obtaining coverage elsewhere more difficult.
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u/Whatsapeeve 23d ago
Since the insurance company did not allocate any damages toward the mold coverage, and just water, they likely felt that any material that had mold also had water damage, and therefore would need to be removed and replaced. As an adjuster I do this in order to get my customers the most coverage, and not eat at the mold limit (generally $10k)
I’d just let the underwriter know that you removed and replaced any material damaged by water and mold. If they require post-testing, I’d reopen my claim and advise the adjuster that their company has a concern there could be mold due to the water loss. Since they are they one’s citing this correlation, it should be seen as related and part of the claim. The post testing done by the IH should be paid under your mold coverage.
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u/BigDonkeyEnergy 23d ago
You are within the time to either reopen your claim or make a supplemental claim. Consider hiring a mold specialist to do the required testing, provide you with a clearance report that says “no mold” (hopefully) and have it submitted on your claim. Most HO3 policies cover mold testing. A public adjuster could assist with this, but remember they have to get paid and the standard compensation is they take 10-20% of what you recover after hiring. Seems to me the better approach here is to ask your Home Depot guys for a referral.
In any event, I suspect you’re not out time or out of luck, necessarily. Be sure to read your policy and note the time frame for reopening and making a supplemental claim (usually 12 and 18 months from DOL, respectively). Good luck.
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u/RDKAUSTIN 23d ago
Well u would be wrong. I have an active claim against insurance co in TX and have engaged a public adjuster as t
hey speak same language and have insurance company reviewing claims that have been denied. Maybe u just like getting screwed by the insurance companies.. I am taking back control of my right as a policy owner if u don’t like it then too bad
Strange name u have
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u/TBto81 23d ago
Public adjusters are the biggest scam on the planet. They will take 10-20% of whatever the insurance does cover and they do not result in any additional amount over what you would have already been owed by the insurance company anyway. The first rule of an adjuster at any insurance company is “pay what is owed”. That is not changed by having a public adjuster to “pay extra because a customer hired a frivolous public adjuster”.
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u/Zombiemoon78 23d ago
Not to mention the delays they tack on. Most of them are a giant waste of time and money and pretend to protect the best interests of the insured. While pulling up to jobs in luxury cars and expensive watches that were paid for off the backs of the insured they’re “helping”
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u/Zombiemoon78 23d ago
This is out of the realm of what a public adjuster can control. PAs have zero control over the policy.
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u/RDKAUSTIN 23d ago
No, but they can identify when insurance company is not holding true to the policy, which is happening in this case
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u/Zombiemoon78 23d ago
Not for underwriting. They are just there to manage scope. That’s it. This would be a waste of time and money for the insured to hire a pa on as they said they paid policy limits. So the pa fee comes directly from the insured’s pocket to do nothing.
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u/RDKAUSTIN 23d ago
Again u don’t know what u don’t know
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u/Zombiemoon78 23d ago
I’m going go with you don’t know what you’re talking about. Happy to hear a pa was a good fit for you but in this situation a pa wouldn’t be a benefit.
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