Filing a Mold Insurance Claim in Texas

Before You Call: Document Everything

The instinct is to call the carrier first. Photograph first. Once you start extraction and demolition, the evidence of what happened is gone, and you cannot recreate it later.

Photograph the water source, the standing water, every affected room, damaged contents with visible model numbers, and the date on your phone. Video walking through narrating what you see is even better.

Then Mitigate Immediately

Texas policies impose a duty on you to prevent further damage. This is not optional, and failing it gives the carrier a reason to reduce or deny.

Stop the water source, extract standing water, remove soaked porous materials, and get air movement going. Keep every receipt including fans you buy at a hardware store.

The Documentation Package

Working With the Adjuster

Be cooperative, factual, and brief. Do not speculate about cause, do not guess at how long a leak was present, and do not estimate dollar figures. Anything you speculate about becomes part of the record.

If the adjuster's scope seems low, you can obtain your own estimates. For larger losses, some homeowners engage a public adjuster, who works for you rather than the carrier for a percentage of the recovery.

The Mistakes That Sink Claims

Waiting to report. Demolishing before photographing. Using an unlicensed contractor on a job that legally required a licensed one. Saying "it's been leaking a while" to an adjuster. Throwing away damaged contents before they are documented.

Each of these is avoidable, and each of them regularly costs Texas homeowners the entire claim.