Are pools and hot tubs covered by homeowners insurance?

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Home insurance covers pools and hot tubs, both for damage to them and for liability issues stemming from them.

A pool or hot tub may be considered part of the dwelling, a detached structure or personal property by your home insurance company, depending on how they are installed. Either way, both are considered an increased liability risk, and as a result have an impact on your home insurance.

Whether you currently have a pool or hot tub are are considering a new one, it’s important to understand how homeowners insurance covers them.

Key Takeaways

Homeowners insurance covers pools and hot tubs, either as part of the dwelling, a detached structure or as personal property depending on how they are installed.
Because a pool or hot tub increases liability risk, your home insurance may be more costly.
You may need to increase your other structures coverage limits if you have a high-end inground pool or hot tub on your property.

Does homeowners insurance cover a pool?

Yes. Homeowners insurance covers pools, but you may need to add additional coverage to your policy for full protection. Most policies cover:

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.

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. Regardless of how it’s covered, it will be subject to your deductible.

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. Homeowners insurance policies have liability coverages ranging from $100,000 to $500,000; our recommendation is at least $300,000.

Does homeowners insurance cover a hot tub?

Yes. Similar 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.

Again, the hot tub may be considered personal property or a structure, depending on how it’s installed. A hot tub that’s built into the ground will likely be considered a structure, while a moveable hot tub is personal property.

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?

Generally, yes. Because of the risk of injury associated with pools and hot tubs, home insurance companies charge higher rates. Additionally, they can be expensive to repair or replace, particularly if you have a fancy high-end pool.

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.

Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is an insurance expert and managing editor of Insure.com. She specializes in life and health insurance content, and has experience as a marketing consultant.