Swimming pool insurance requirements for homeowners

If you have a swimming pool, your insurance company may require you to have a protective fence surrounding it. They may also have diving board and fence height requirements.

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Kara McGinleySenior Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertKara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.&Pat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

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Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

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Key takeaways

  • Most home insurers consider pools to be an attractive nuisance due to the high risk of injuries and expensive homeowner liability claims, so you'll need to meet certain safety requirements to be eligible for coverage.

  • At minimum, most insurers will require you to have a safety fence with a locking gate and that it meet certain height requirements (like four feet). Some insurers also won't accept pools with diving boards or slides due to the injury risk.

  • In addition to pool liability, homeowners insurance also covers physical damage to the pool itself if it's damaged by a covered peril under your policy, such as a windstorm or fire.

  • Given the often serious nature of pool-related injuries, you'll want to make sure you have enough liability coverage to protect all of your assets in the event of an expensive liability claim, as well as personal umbrella insurance if you require additional coverage.

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What does homeowners insurance require for swimming pools?

In order to be eligible for coverage, most insurers will require you to have a safety fence around the perimeter of your swimming pool, regardless of whether the pool is above or in-ground. 

Here’s some typical rules and requirements related to swimming pool safety and home insurance coverage.

  • Safety fence: Many insurance companies will require you to have a fence with a lock and that the pool be a certain height (usually four feet) or else they'll reject your application for insurance.

  • Lighting: Some insurers may require lights in or around the pool to prevent guests from slipping or falling in.

  • Diving boards: Some insurers won’t cover pools that have diving boards, while others might require certain safety features like non-skid tape to prevent injuries.

  • Ladder locks: If you have an above-ground pool, some insurers will require you to install a ladder that locks into place, or that you remove the ladder entirely when it’s not in use.

Can I get home insurance if my pool has no fence?

You likely won’t be eligible for home insurance if your pool doesn't have a fence due to the higher chance of accidental drownings and potentially expensive liability claims. Fences also deter neighbors and guests from entering the pool area without your permission and sustaining an injury.

Most insurers will conduct at least an exterior inspection of your home after you're approved for homeowners insurance to ensure that your pool meets their safety requirements and to verify that everything you stated in your insurance application is accurate.

If your pool doesn't have a safety fence at the time of the inspection, you'll likely be given a 30-day deadline to have one installed or risk having your policy canceled.

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Is it illegal to have a pool with no fence?

Most cities or towns have laws in place requiring residential properties with swimming pools to have a safety fence with a gate around the perimeter of your entire property, around just the pool, or both. Before you install your fence, check with your local municipality to make sure that it’s up to code.

Additionally, your municipality may require that the fence be made of certain strong or durable materials, or that it meet certain height requirements. If you don't meet these requirements, you could potentially be issued a fine.

Can a pool fence lower my home insurance rates?

Because insurers require pool fences as a condition of coverage, they likely won't give you a discount on your home insurance rates for installing one. Additionally, having a fence around your pool is often legally required by your city or town, so there's no incentive for insurers to give you a discount for following a basic law.

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Authors

Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

Pat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

Editor

Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

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