Are pools and hot tubs covered by homeowners insurance?

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What’s not to love about installing a pool or a hot tub in your home? Many Americans understand the appeal, with pools in about 10.4 million homes and hot tubs in about 7.3 million American homes.

However, having a pool or hot tub has implications for your homeowners insurance — these additions to your home are considered attractive nuisances, or something that might cause damages. Because of this, many insurers will require you to get more coverage to protect against any expensive accidents. But while you may pay a higher premium, the extra coverage is a necessary safeguard against any liabilities having a pool or hot tub can cause.

Does homeowners insurance cover a pool?

Yes. Homeowners insurance covers pools, but you may need to add additional coverage to your policy since it is an additional feature in your home, and increases the risk of an accident. Most policies offer robust coverage and will reimburse you for:

Medical expenses if a guest is injured in your pool
Legal fees if someone is injured in your pool and sues you
Damage to your pool caused by a covered peril, such as a fire or lightning

However, homeowners insurance won’t cover damage to your pool that happened over time, was due to its use, or happened due to negligence.

The part of your policy that covers your pool depends on what type of pool you have and your insurer. Insurers will either use your dwelling coverage, other structures coverage or your personal property coverage to insure your pool.

And depending on the insurer, an in-ground pool will be considered a part of your home’s structure or an additional structure on your property. Above-ground pools may be classified as your personal property or as an additional structure.

In short, these stipulations mean that every homeowners insurance policy treats pool ownership differently, and what you’ll pay will depend on many factors. Get a quote from multiple insurers to find the lowest rate.

How does having a pool impact your liability coverage?

Liability coverage pays for damages such as bodily harm or personal property damage. For example, if someone slips and falls by your pool and has to go to the hospital, your liability coverage would pay for their medical expenses. If this person sued you, it would also cover the costs of the lawsuit.

If you have a pool, your homeowners insurance company may require you to purchase additional liability coverage. While most homeowners insurance policies have liability coverages ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, the Insurance Information Institute (III) recommends pool owners get at least $300,000 in liability coverage.

Does homeowners insurance cover a hot tub?

Yes. Similarly to pools, you will have liability coverage if someone is injured in your hot tub or if your hot tub is damaged by a covered peril. But again, any damage caused by negligence or use over time is not covered.

Some insurers don’t automatically offer coverage for a hot tub, and may require you to add an endorsement to your policy in order for it to be covered.

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Does a pool or a hot tub increase the price of homeowners insurance?

It may. If you need to add additional coverage to your homeowners insurance policy or purchase an endorsement because of your hot tub or pool, you’ll have to pay more for homeowners insurance. How much more you’ll pay, exactly, depends on your coverage amount, the house and where you live. Additional factors, such as whether your pool has a diving board, also may impact how much you pay.

If you have a hot tub or a pool, consider shopping around for a policy to make sure you end up with the right insurer. Some insurers may offer you more coverage at a lower price than others.

While having a pool or hot tub will increase your homeowners insurance premiums, the extra protection is absolutely necessary in case of an accident. However, by practicing the best safety tips around your pool or hot tub, you may never have to use that coverage. Keep the area child-safe, well-lit, dry and always supervise activity in a pool or hot tub.

Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.