How a trampoline affects your homeowners insurance depends on the insurance company. One insurer may be cool with you owning a trampoline, and another may not. The most important thing is you let them know if you own one and ask about their policy. If you don’t inform them at all and they find out you have one, they could potentially deny you coverage even if your claim had nothing to do with the trampoline.
If your insurance company does include coverage for trampolines, that means your trampoline will be protected if it’s damaged by a covered event, like a windstorm. And the personal liability coverage section of your home insurance policy may also cover legal and medical expenses in case someone gets hurt using your trampoline and they take you to court.
Because trampolines present a heightened risk for injury, you may want to consider increasing your liability coverage limits so that you’re protected against such risks. Just keep in mind that increasing your coverage will likely raise your premiums.
When does homeowners insurance cover trampolines?
Insurers generally cover trampolines in one of three ways:
Your trampoline is always covered
Your trampoline is covered under specific circumstances
Your trampoline is always excluded from coverage
It all depends on your insurance company, so it’s important to ask. Here’s a breakdown of how each of these coverage scenarios work.
Your trampoline is always covered
If your policy has no exclusions, your trampoline is covered under every circumstance. That means if your child’s friend is bouncing around and hits their head, your policy’s personal liability and medical payments coverages may pay for medical bills and legal expenses if they require medical treatment or decide to sue for damages.
If your trampoline is damaged by a covered event, like a bad storm, your policy’s personal property coverage can help pay to repair or replace it.
Your trampoline is covered under specific circumstances
Some companies may only cover attractive nuisances, like a trampoline or pool, if you meet certain conditions for coverage.
With a trampoline, that may mean you’ll be required to surround the trampoline's perimeter with safety netting up to a specific height, or ensure the trampoline is completely fenced in and out of reach of unwanted guests.
While you may not be liable for injuries to a trespassing adult (even if you don’t have enclosure netting), the same may not be said for your neighbor’s 6-year-old if you don’t have safety precautions in place.
Your trampoline is always excluded
Some insurance companies will exclude coverage for trampolines even if you have protective netting.
You’ll generally see insurers treat exclusions for a trampoline in one of two ways:
An insurer may let you take out a policy and let you keep the trampoline, but just not offer coverage for it
Or some insurance companies may refuse you coverage altogether unless you get rid of the trampoline
If your current insurer doesn’t allow trampolines, shop around until you find a company that does. Just keep in mind that starting a new policy means updated underwriting, a new inspection, and possibly increased rates.
Additional coverage to consider for trampolines
If you own a trampoline or pool, you may want to consider buying a personal umbrella policy (PUP). This can protect you against potentially large liability claims that exceed the limits of your home or auto insurance policies.
Umbrella policies typically increase your liability coverage in million-dollar increments. So if your liability coverage was $300,000 and you had a standard umbrella policy, you’d actually have $1.3 million in potential liability protection.
To put this into practice, say someone got hurt on your trampoline and you were found liable for $500,000 in damages. Your homeowners insurance would cover the first $300,000 and your PUP would pick up the remaining $200,000.
