Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Pools and Hot Tubs?

How coverage works

Your coverage may depend on the type of insurance policy and type of pool you have. An HO-5 policy provides open perils coverage for dwelling, other structures, and personal property. This means that there is coverage for losses caused by any damage not specifically excluded.

Under an HO-3 policy, the dwelling and other structures have open perils coverage. However, personal property under an HO-3 has named perils coverage. Pools that are portable and not permanently installed are personal property, not structures. Named perils coverage only responds if your portable pool was damaged by one of the risks named in the policy, such as fire, lightning, or windstorm.

Additionally, the type of pool you have could affect which section of your homeowners policy responds.

	HO-3 Policy	HO-5 Policy
Permanent, in-ground pool or hot tub	Open perils under Part B: Other Structures	Open perils under Part B: Other Structures
Permanent, above-ground pool or hot tub	Open perils under Part B: Other Structures	Open perils under Part B: Other Structures
Portable, above-ground pool	Named perils under Part C: Personal Property	Open perils under Part C: Personal Property
Pool or hot tub equipment (liners, pumps, filters, etc.)	As key components of the pool or hot tub, coverage will depend on the type of structure, as noted above.
Pool accessories (slides, toys, etc.)	Named perils under Part C: Personal Property	Open perils under Part C: Personal Property

The Other Structures and Personal Property coverage limits are typically a fraction of your Dwelling coverage. You may be able to increase your Other Structures limit with an endorsement.

Exclusions

Homeowners insurance includes several exclusions, or risks that the policy does not cover. These exclusions may restrict coverage for pools and hot tubs:

• Earthquake
  Many homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage. An endorsement may be available to provide some coverage for your dwelling, but it might exclude other structures on your property. That means that your pool may not have coverage for damage resulting from an earthquake.

• Maintenance-related losses
  Damage related to the maintenance of the pool or hot tub is not covered under an HO-3 or HO-5 policy. Losses resulting from wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, or fungi, wet or dry rot, or bacteria may not have coverage. However, an endorsement may provide limited coverage for fungi.

• Freezing in pools
  Homeowners insurance does not protect pools that have damage from freezing. It is your responsibility to winterize your pool before freezing temperatures occur. However, since hot tubs can be used all year, your policy could respond to damage to a hot tub caused by a frozen pipe.

• Flood
  Homeowners insurance does not cover losses caused by flooding.

Liability coverage for pool-related incidents

Having a pool or hot tub can increase your liability exposure. Pools present a risk of injury to neighborhood children and your guests. To reduce your risk, your insurance company may require you to have certain protective measures for your pool, such as a fence or pool cage. A hot tub should have a protective cover with child locks.

Read our 10 tips to make your pool safer and more secure.

People with higher liability exposure, such as pool and hot tub owners, could benefit from umbrella insurance. Umbrella policies offer higher liability limits than a standard homeowners policy.