The Sitch on Swimming Pools and Homeowners Insurance

It's hot. Really hot. So hot that even though it's technically an impossibility you suspect you probably actually could cook an egg on the sidewalk. Summer's knocking on your door, and it's up to you to find a way to beat the heat. Your own backyard swimming pool is the best way to do it-but what's a swimming pool going to do to your homeowners insurance?

Swimming pools and homeowners insurance have more of an on-again/off-again, uncertain, unpredictable and volatile relationship than most teenagers. How much your swimming pool will affect your homeowners insurance premiums and your ability to get coverage is going to depend strongly on where you live, what type of pool you have and, most importantly, what you're willing to do to keep the people around you safe.

Why Does It Matter?

It's easy enough to wonder why your swimming pool would have any impact at all on your homeowners insurance, particularly if you aren't the parent of small children (or only slightly more sensible teenagers) and therefore aren't likely to have people in and out of your swimming pool at all hours of the day and night. What most people don't realize, however, is that they are responsible for any accidents that take place in and around their pool-even if the victim of the accident wasn't invited, wasn't wanted and was less welcome than a dead rat at Thanksgiving.

That's right. If a complete stranger parks on the edge of your lawn, gets out, walks around to the back of your house, hops in your swimming pool and drowns, it's your fault. It's all a matter of liability-and since it's your insurance provider that has to pay the bill for your liability claims they're going to be extremely careful.

Location, Location, Location

In states like Florida or Texas, where backyard pools are almost as common as joggers by the Gulf, swimming pools aren't going to have a significant impact on your homeowners insurance. On the other hand, if you happen to live in a northern state where it doesn't stay warm enough in the summer to justify the expense of a pool and its upkeep you may find yourself paying out a little more each month. After all, your house just became the hottest party house in time!

How You Can Keep Your Homeowners Premiums to a Minimum

Nobody really wants to pay an absurd amount of money for their homeowners insurance, but no one wants to be without it in an emergency either! Lawsuits stemming from drowning, slips, falls and other nonsense that can take place in and around a pool are rarely inexpensive and always messy. Having to stand on your own in that situation is a nightmare. There are things you can do to protect your swimming pool and your bank account from disaster.

1)Build a fence around your pool to keep unwelcome visitors out.
2)Buy a pool cover, and keep it on when you're not using it.
3)Post signs letting people know you have a pool, especially if it's an inground.
4)Build your pool in the backyard rather than the front to keep it out of site of the street.