Updated: November 5, 2024
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Having a place to swim on your property is likely to add fun and value to your life, but it can also present unforeseen risks, such as drowning. An accident or injury can result in an expensive lawsuit.
Before you dive into building a pool, it’s important to understand safety precautions, how much home insurance coverage you'll need and ways you can protect yourself from any increased liability as a homeowner.
Pools present a number of risks regardless of whether you’re swimming, hanging out on the steps, or not getting in the water at all. In addition to personal precautions you should take, every city and town has its own laws regarding pool safety standards and building codes. Be sure to check them before buying a house with a pool or building your own.
You’ll need to work with your home insurance company to make sure you’re meeting coverage guidelines. Whether required by law or insurance, the following precautions should be taken by all homeowners before and after building a pool:
Whether you are swimming with immediate family members, friends or guests, establishing and implementing rules can help prevent accidents and injuries. The following can help you start creating a list of safety measures:
Limit when the pool can be used to daylight hours and/or whenever someone is home.
People love to dive headfirst into a pool, but this is only safe if the pool is deep enough.
Pool decks and surfaces immediately surrounding a pool are some of the most dangerous areas. Prohibit any running, skipping or playing chase near the pool.
Aside from knowing the swimming capabilities of anyone who swims in your pool, never allow children to swim unattended.
Broken glass can result in a severe injury. Avoid using glass to prevent any accidents.
Anyone who swims should do so with another person present or nearby.
Print out a sign of your pool safety rules and hang it in an easily viewable place near your pool.
In the event of a pool accident, get the victim to the hospital immediately. This can reduce the risk of severe damage and life-threatening risks resulting from prolonged submersion or injury.
A variety of pool safety equipment can be purchased to protect your family and guests, especially children. Follow these steps to have the proper material on hand.
Average Cost: $500–$5,000
The best pool covers are automatic and come with a key that should be kept out of the reach of children.
Average Cost: $100–$300
Self-closing and self-latching gates are ideal for all entryways into pool areas.
Average Cost: $1,500–$10,000
Even if your yard has a fence, it’s ideal to add a fence around the perimeter of your pool.
Average Cost: $60–$150
Pool alarms can protect you by going off if water in the pool is off balance.
Average Cost: $50–$500
Keep life vests, ropes, a pole and a kickboard within easy reach.
Average Cost: $20–$60 per lesson
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that all kids over the age of four know how to swim.
Average Cost: $50
In a highly visible area, create signs that include pool safety rules.
As a pool owner, you will want to ensure that anyone who swims in your pool is having an enjoyable and safe time. If you’ve never owned a pool, however, knowing how to keep your pool safe can feel overwhelming. Here are the most common safety questions.
Swimming pool accidents can range from slips and falls and electrocution to brain injury and drowning. Should someone get injured in your pool, you’re liable for the associated medical bills and even a potential lawsuit. This could cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket if you don’t have the right protection in your home insurance policy. It helps to do research and spend the time to shop for coverage that is best for you.
The more you minimize risks in your pool, the less chance you have of facing an expensive and potentially traumatizing accident. Spending a small amount of money up-front can save you large amounts of money in the long run.
If your pool cover is not automatic, there’s a method to the madness of safely and successfully removing your cover.
The most common pool hazards happen as a result of slips and falls from children or people walking and running around the pool, electrocution and injury from diving boards, slides or other pool toys.
The easiest way to prevent accidents is to install slip-proof materials, such as rubber mats, that will minimize the risks of falling. If you choose to have diving boards and slides in your pool, be sure to go over all safety rules with children before allowing them to play.
While electric devices are necessary to operate a pool, any devices within close distance or contact to the water should be connected to a ground fault interrupter or circuit breaker. In addition, any metal near the pool should be bonded with a heavy ground wire loop in order to prevent accidents and injuries.
The most common types of pools are above-ground pools and in-ground pools. Above-ground pools are typically safer because the risk of slipping and falling on a nearby wet deck is eliminated. However, above-ground pools typically include removable ladders and chairs which can be a safety threat.
Ultimately, safety comes down to the preparation and precautions you take as a pool owner. The safest pools are the ones that are properly child-proofed.
Insurance companies consider pools an “attractive nuance” and a liability. Since you are responsible for anyone who swims in your pool whether they have permission to be there or not, adding a pool will impact your home insurance rates.
The good news is that your home insurance will typically provide coverage for your pool in several ways.
First, it will help pay to repair or replace any damage that is done to the pool as a result of covered perils such as fire, wind, storms, theft, vandalism or falling objects. In addition, your included liability coverage will pay for third-party injuries or property damage that may happen at your pool.
The most common pool injuries are typically covered under your home insurance policy. Those include:
Any injuries that occur as a result of negligence or poor pool maintenance will not be covered. Your home insurance will also only cover guest injuries. If an immediate family member is injured, you’ll need to file a claim with your health insurance.
Under most state laws, property owners are found liable for child-related pool incidents under the following conditions:
To receive proper coverage, you’ll most likely need to increase your liability limits. Many insurance experts recommend increasing your limits to $500,000, which could cost an additional $50 to $75 annually, on average. Every insurance company is different, so shopping for the best insurance companies for homes with a pool can help save you money.
Most insurance experts agree that pool owners need to increase liability coverage. The typical homeowner has a liability limit between $100,000 and $300,000 on their policy, but it’s suggested to bump that to $500,000. Should someone get injured in your pool, you could be responsible for all related medical bills as well as a lawsuit if the person decides to sue you for physical and emotional damages. You’re also responsible for any property damage that a guest may experience while accessing your pool.
Some experts suggest adding an umbrella policy to your home insurance as the expenses from a liability claim will typically exclude what is included in your standard home insurance policy. If you choose to add an umbrella policy to your insurance, it can cost $200 to $300 a year but get you an additional $1 million in liability coverage.
In-ground pools are often detached from a home and therefore considered an “other structure” from your house. This type of insurance is referred to as Coverage B, and the policy typically covers 10% of your dwelling coverage. If you have $200,000 in dwelling coverage, your pool would be covered for about $20,000. Note that to properly cover your pool you may need to increase the amount of “other structure” coverage you have on your home insurance policy.
Above-ground pools are considered part of your personal property coverage through your home insurance policy. This type of coverage is known as Coverage C and has a percentage of coverage for dwellings. Typically, this is between 50–75% of the insurance on your structure. If you have $200,000 of dwelling coverage, then your pool may have upwards of $100,000 in protection.
A variety of resources can help pool owners understand safety, maintenance, insurance and costs. The following sites are a good place to start:
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
