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Is there any better place to be when you need to beat the summer heat than out in your very own swimming pool? That cool water (and the lack of crowd) is a great way to relax and cool off when the summer sun gets to be just a little bit too much for us non-reptiles. Because owning a pool comes with its own rules and responsibilities, however, it’s important to make sure your home, and your homeowners insurance policy, are geared up and ready for summer.

1) When you buy a pool you immediately assume the risk for everyone who ever sets foot in, on or around the water. That includes neighbors, friends, toddlers, animals and aggravating passers-by who happen to get a glimpse of your pool from the street and decide to trespass on your lawn to take a dip. (It’s true-complete strangers can trespass on your property and you’re still going to be held responsible for thousands in medical and legal expenses.) Since that’s a lot of people to be responsible for, the first thing you want to do is let your homeowners insurance company know you’ve purchased a pool and ask to have your liability coverage raised.

2) Build a fence around your pool, blocking it from view when you’re driving down the street and providing restricted access to the pool itself via a gate or door (or, if you want to restrict access completely, make your back door the only entrance and exit). Not only is this probably going to be required by your county swimming pool laws anyway, it will go a long way toward helping to convince your insurance provider to keep your homeowners insurance rates as low as possible.

3) Post a “No Trespassing” sign in your front lawn. If someone knowingly trespasses onto your lawn to hop into your swimming pool and try to sue you for damages, the legal culpabilities kind of cancel each other out and you’ve got a pretty good chance of beating the heat.

4) Inground pools cost more to insure than aboveground pools, for obvious reasons. And if you decide to jazz up your pool with a state of the art diving board you may find that you can’t get homeowners insurance at all! Because of that, evaluate your needs (and your budget) before you decide what kind of pool you’re going to add to your home.

If you happen to live down south, where backyard swimming pools are almost as easy to find as Baptist churches and grits, adding a pool to your homeowners insurance policy shouldn’t have much of an impact on your insurance premiums. Up north, however, where the swimming season tends to be restricted to eight weeks out of the year courtesy of the snow, homeowners insurance companies often charge more in exchange for what they see as your eccentricity. It’s important to be aware of that as well when you’re making your purchasing decisions.

There’s nothing better than sliding into your own cool, clear backyard pool when the temperature’s climbing into the triple digits, and with a little preparation you can do it safe in the knowledge that you’ve got your homeowners insurance company standing behind you every step of the way.

Happy swimming!

Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager, and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com. For more information on your homeowners insurance coverage and your pool, visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.

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