Does insurance cover the cost of bat removal and remediation
Does insurance cover bat removal?
It depends, insurance policies over the years have been changing to exclude anything to do with wildlife due to some very high and excessive claims.
The actual bat removal is rarely covered unless it is done/covered to prevent further damage.
Best advice is to discuss it with your agent, and have an attorney review your claim as well. If the wording is not perfectly clear, you will probably win in court, as judges almost always rule in favor of the insured in unclear cases.
Does insurance cover the cost of clean up and or remediation?
It depends, insurance policies often include something called a pollution clause. There are cases where “bat guano” was ruled as pollution and the case denied coverage due to that.
If your agent is unfamiliar with bats he may tell you that your not covered because bats are rodents - this is untrue and easily argued, same thing for denial as vermin.
If your having a hard time dealing with an agent over what you fell should be a covered loss it is time to call in an attorney who will probably get results with his first letter.
My personal experience in dealing with an insurance company is that the would rather pay than litigate but know that a lot of people won’t go that far. Those who pursue litigation are far more likely to get results than those who do not.
While many people in this industry deal with insurance claims, and have seen many different scenarios, we are not the best people to answer this question. The best answer is simply this - consult an attorney. It doesn’t matter what I think, or what I have seen other than to give you some background knowledge. The only thing that matters is what is written in your policy and how a judge would interpret it. The law is not always about what is right or fair but rather how well the policy is written in regards to your claim and how well your attorney can argue your case.
How to make a claim for bat remediation: Essential first steps
Document everything with photos.
Get a written estimate, usually this is a detailed line itemized estimate.
Call your agent and ask him if he has ever dealt with anything like this, and then ask him to come out.
I would also recommend getting several quotes, especially in this industry where some people will price a full clean out when only a spot cleaning is necessary. Some insurance companies will not accept a partial clean out anyway and recommend a full attic restorationregardless.
