Here's How Much Putting in a Pool Added to My Home Insurance Costs

Preparing for this extra cost is important when deciding whether to put in a pool. 

A few years ago, my husband and I made the decision to add a swimming pool to our home. It was a good choice for our family because we like to use the pool for exercise, and my children now enjoy swimming very much. But, there were some undeniable costs associated with our choice.

Beyond the fact that we had to pay for the pool to be installed, there was also another additional expense to prepare for. After we put in the pool, our home insurance premiums increased. And this extra expense is one that will stay with us for the remainder of the time we live in the home.

Here's how our pool affected our home insurance rates

When I installed my in-ground swimming pool and I let my insurer know that I now had this feature in my backyard, my home insurance costs increased by around $50 per year. This means I am now paying more every single year for insurance coverage.

While this doesn't seem like a huge increase, it's another added cost that we've had to work into our budget. And since the pool is a permanent fixture, this premium increase is not going to change and we will have to continue to pay an extra $50 to our insurance company for decades to come. 

Why did putting in a pool increase our insurance costs?

There are a few big reasons why adding a pool to my home resulted in more expensive insurance.

First, my insurance now covers the pool. If it is damaged or destroyed by an event that my policy covers, my insurer would pay to repair or replace the pool. Since the insurance company is now taking an additional risk of having to pay for pool repairs if a problem happens, the insurer is going to charge more in case it has to pay out for this claim in the future.

Second, the pool creates an additional risk of something going wrong in my home. Pools can be dangerous and people can get hurt or even killed in them. If someone is visiting my property and is injured in my swimming pool, then they might pursue a claim and my homeowners insurance liability coverage would kick in. 

Since there's an increased chance my insurer would need to pay out damages to an injured victim due to the added danger the pool represents, it's not a surprise the insurer is going to charge more for coverage. 

Third, I also chose to increase my policy limits for my liability coverage to provide more protection for my assets due to the added risk of pool-related injuries. So since the maximum my insurer would have to pay has gone up, my premiums have gone up too.

I don't regret the fact that my insurance costs have increased due to the pool. I was able to make sure there was room in my budget since I planned in advance. But anyone who is putting in a swimming pool should find out how their insurance costs will be impacted so they can make sure coverage remains within reach.