A pool in the backyard can make your home the center of summer fun for your friends and family. While a pool is a great feature, it also brings increased responsibility and liability risk as well as potential for damage to your home and backyard. Having proper insurance coverage for the risks that accompany your pool is essential. So do you need swimming pool insurance? Or will your existing coverage be enough pool coverage?

We take a look at the basics of insuring a swimming pool!

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Swimming Pools?

The short answer is yes, homeowners insurance can cover a swimming pool. However, not all insureres will cover swimming pools and an insurer may require you to take steps to minimize your risk when it comes to your pool, like fencing it in and add safety features. In general, the best way to cover your swimming pool is not with pool insurance, but by working with an insurance agent to find homeowners insurance coverage that will also cover your pool.

Many people believe that their homeowner’s insurance policy will cover their swimming pool, however, this may not always be the case. There are some insurance companies out there that will flat out just not cover an in-ground or an above ground pool based on their own independent underwriting guidelines. You should carefully evaluate your current home insurance policy to determine if the policy will allow for a pool of any kind, and speak to your agent about covering a swimming pool. Keep in mind that if you fail to disclose your pool to your insurer, your entire policy could be dropped and void once they discover you’ve been hiding your pool.

One of our expert insurance advisors can help walk you through your current coverage to see if your insurer will cover a pool and if not, help you compare quotes from insurers that do cover pools to find the best coverage and rate. Call a licensed advisor now at (844) 522-0543.

How it Works: Homeowners Insurance With a Pool

If you already have an in-ground or an above ground pool in the backyard covered by your home insurance policy and someone gets injured, your policy will offer liability coverage for protection. However, these limits may not be enough to cover the costs of a person’s medical care and any financial reward that an injured person could be awarded through a civil lawsuit against you.

The liability risks a pool poses to your family are often greater than the typical liability limits offered by homeowners insurance policies. A standard home insurance policy offers $100,000 in coverage, but you may want to increase it to at least $300,000 to give your family peace of mind if you have a pool. If that is not enough coverage, consider adding an umbrella policy.

Your homeowners insurance also helps protect your home and property from certain damages. Damage that is covered by most home insurance includes such things as theft, vandalism, lightning, or pipes freezing. Damage from fire, wind, hurricane, and hail is also typically covered. However, these are not typical things that will damage a backyard pool (in-ground). Instead, damage is commonly caused by earthquakes or maintenance issues, which are not covered by most home insurance policies. Earthquake coverage can be purchased as a separate policy, but be sure to check with your agent that coverage will extend to your pool or call us to review at (844) 522-0543.

What about insuring an above ground pool?

Do you need insurance for your above ground pool? Yes. It is always advisable for you to consult with your insurance agent when you have any changes in your life, even if it is adding a pool or having a child. An above ground pool has many of the same considerations as an in-ground pool. However, it presents additional risk as it is full of water and can flood your basement or yard if damage ever hit the pool structure. Consult your agent or give one of our insurance advisors a call at (844) 522-0543 to help determine how much more coverage to add to your existing policy if your pool is above ground.

What can affect my pool insurance coverage eligibility?

There may be special requirements from your insurer in order to qualify for coverage under their homeowners policies when you have a pool. For example, if you do not have a privacy fence securing free access to the pool from the public and from unsupervised use, an insurer may not want to grant you coverage. Without a fence, even if a homeowner is not home and there is a pool accident, such as one of the neighbor kids getting into the pool and getting hurt, the homeowner can still be found liable; especially if the pool was not secured away from the public and from unsupervised access.

There are other things you want to keep in mind. The first is that if you have a slide or diving board, some insurance companies will not give you coverage at all, or will have you sign an exclusion, which will not cover any injuries that occur related to these two pool accessories. That is something to keep in mind when you are building a pool, as it may be something you do not want to include, simply for the insurance and liability issues.

The insurance company could also say they will only cover you under certain conditions. These conditions could be the fence (one with a lock on it) we mentioned earlier, but also a secure pool cover to deter people from wanting to get into the pool. Both of these are safety measures that can help you get coverage and that could even decrease your premium.

How much does a pool increase homeowners insurance?

Becuase your pool increases your risk, especially your liability risk, you can expect your homeowners insurance premiums to rise. You'll need to up your liability limits, which means there's more coverage to pay for, and an insurer will see your home as more risky to insure, which will also raise your rates. There are ways to save, however, and help reduce your premiums. An insurance agent, like our insurance advisors, can help you identify discounts and other ways to keep your homeowners insurance premiums in check, even with a pool. Give us a call today to compare quotes and see how much we can help you save at (844) 522-0543.

Swimming Pool Liability Insurance

You may find that it makes sense for you and your family to purchase an umbrella insurance policy to support your homeowner’s policy. People with above or in ground pools often add this policy to serve as excess coverage in the event of a pool accident to fully protect their assets. An umbrella policy averages up to $1 million in liability coverage and will be activated only when all the funds from the homeowner’s insurance policy have been exhausted; possibly from paying out a potential injury settlement as a result of a pool accident.

A pool can be a great way to enjoy the summer months, but it brings with it a lot of responsibility and liability – year around. Whether you have an in-ground pool or an above ground one, protecting your investment and your liability is essential. With the right insurance policy for your pool, you can protect your financial future for many years to come.

Our advisors can help walk you through your current coverage as well as compare quotes to help you save on insuring your pool.
Give us a call today at (844) 522-0543.

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