I'm certainly no expert but the shower pan could have deteriorated and is causing major leaking. Find the leak first and maybe when everything dries up it won't be as bad as you think. But if it's been going on for a long time, and it sounds like it, you may have a major mold propblem on your hands. Once you get going on fixing that it will run into $$$$$; your insurance coverage may have a limit on the amount it will pay for and the actual repair process is awful. Good luck and don't wait to call a plumber.

Should I contact a plumber or have an insurance adjuster take a look first?

you can file a claim with your homeowners insurance and they will come and estimate the damage. Probably just allow for paint and refinish of the water damaged and stained areas. They will not look much further and likely will not try to investigate the cause. You need to correct the cause because the insurance company will not pay twice to fix the damage and it probably won't stop on its own.

As stated above, I'd suggest that you get a local handyman/remodeler to open up the affected areas and trace the source of your problem. If its a plumbing problem that he can't/won't handle, then that is the time to call a plumber. If it's a fit/finish/sealing issue then he should be able to correct it.

Good luck

sdello, I am planning to remodel this bathroom in January anyway, so I have put in a call to the contractor to take a look. I wonder if it is worthwhile to call the insurance company-if they don't cover much it wouldn't be worth it.

give it a shot, but if damage is limited to water stains they likely won't pay for a tear out and replace with new. they'll allow for patching and painting to restore the finish.

good luck

I spoke with my contractor who said that insurance won't pay for much and will not be worth putting in a claim for. Most likely they would raise my rates. We are not letting the kids use the shower in that bathroom and have scheduled the 3rd week in January to begin a total remodel of it. At that time he can take care of any water damage and/or mold.

I would recommend opening up the garage ceiling and bathroom walls to let things dry and not leave it for 2 more months. You can use bleach to spray the mold and make sure it's dry when the construction/remodeling starts in January.

Be careful about reporting water damage to your insurance company. Due to the cost of mold remediation they're particulary sensitive to water damage reports. You may find that your insurance gets cancelled or just not renewed.

-Roger

Given the amount of water damage you describe, in my experience, it's more likely that the soap detached from the wall because of water damage behind it than that the water damage was caused by the detached soap dish.

If this is a tile shower (as opposed to a tub or tub shower surround) you may find the information in the FAQ in the attached link useful - it describes how I inspect to determine the cause of "shower" leaks, with special emphasis on leaking pans in tiled showers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tiled Shower Leak Detection, Investigation and Repair FAQ �