Pool Insurance Claims
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Has the pool or equipment been damaged from a
recent storm or injury?
This may be obvious but you should check your home insurance policy first to see what is covered. Not all home insurance policies are the same and, in our experience, it can be difficult to navigate the individual insurance policies, so a quick call to your homeowner’s insurance and they will give you all the details and processes to lodge a claim and information of what is covered. It can be stressful especially when there has been damage to the pool but as a pool owner, there is the possibility that this may occur at some time, especially for in-ground, above-ground pools & spas, where they are exposed to the environment all year.
1 Pool Care are here to help you navigate the processes involved with making a claim against your home insurance and take away the all stress, headaches and paperwork. A quick call to us and we can call around to assess the damage and help you get back into the pool.
Pool insurance claim help in Perth
So, you have checked the homeowners insurance policy, contacted the insurance companies and now have permission to move to the next step. Next is usually engaging a contractor nominated by the insurance companies, or a suitably qualified company experienced to repair any damage.
An initial report and quote with evidence including photos is required by most insurance companies, to assess what is the liability coverage and what is exactly covered within that insurance policy.
1 Pool Care technicians have worked with most insurance companies alongside pool owners to provide you with fast, reliable and trustworthy repairs to get the damage fixed in a prompt and timely approach.
Our Pool Services Includes
Initial Surface Skim
Vacuum the pool, empty
baskets & pool sweep bag
Brush down the pool surface
Empty pump basket
Backwash filter (scheduled)
General equipment checks
for optimal operation
Check for leaks
General clean of
equipment area
Complete water testing
Check chemical balance
Final pool check over &
surface skim
Understanding swimming pool coverage
and home insurance
Insurance can be a mine field, so we always recommend that you spend plenty of time considering individual swimming pool policies and discussing with homeowners insurance providers to fully assess the polices and give you peace of mind. As individual coverage a home insurance policy will usually have less items specifically covered, so may only cover some smaller items specified within that policy. Motor fusion is commonly covered in a homeowners policy but this can sometimes be an additional part of the policy. So, you will need to check with a homeowners insurance policy to ensure some coverage of the pool and equipment has been added to your homeowner’s policy.
A swimming pools umbrella policy will usually specify what you would like covered, there may be insurance cover that covers an item in particular you would like to insure or cover any damage that you consider worth coverage. There may be an insurance premium for this type of cover but would recommend that you shop around to get the best insurance cover you want or worth for your swimming pool.
As a guidance I can only recommend that pool insurance coverage is given some extra time and thought, as swimming pool replacement cost and equipment repairs can easily add up. There are liability coverage limits and policies that suit some but not all.
How do insurers cover pools?
Swimming pool coverage will be assessed to the size and type and will differ for a spa, above ground pool and in- ground pool. Usually, contents insurance is covered for above ground pools and the home insurance will be covered for an in- ground pool.
An insurance rate is applied where consideration is given to the amount of money necessary to cover losses and provide a profit to the insurer and the possibility of any pool damage.
Tips
Our best recommendations or tips is the old adage to ‘shop around for the best policy’ and consider the potential replacement cost of your equipment and any repairs to the pool. A concrete or plaster pool will require different repairs to a fibreglass pool or vinyl liner. So, any potential pool damage, replacement costs will vary considerably and homeowners need to consider the pool being part of the home as a whole.
A home insurance company will ask your questions to assess the risk, so be honest and give as much information as possible so you can get the best policy for you. There is no point spending on swimming pool coverage to have a claim refused when a problem arises.
How does having a swimming pool
impact your liability coverage?
A homeowners policy will usually have liability protection or cover associated with that policy, just in case a guest to your swimming pool is injured and you are at fault.
Liability protection will usually cover you for associated legal costs that may arise from an illness, injury, death or property damage up to 20 million that is claimed against you but you will need to check with your insurance company and their PDS to exactly what is covered.
Does my homeowner's insurance policy
cover damage to in-ground pools?
Homeowners insurance usually covers damage to an in-ground pool and pool equipment but beware as a policy could have its limitations and will not be covered if this has not been disclosed to the homeowners insurance.
For example, a pool pump may include motor fusion but not include damage to individual items like controllers or diving boards.
Do I need additional liability coverage for my pool?
I would certainly consider this and although not necessarily for everyone’s needs then at least you are informed of the choices out there. As we have seen an under insured property owner can be left with extensive out of pocket costs and frustrated from the damage to their pool and pocket from liability claims against them.
So, consider the risk to your property and pocket and simply gage this against the quote for cover.
Do insurers cover spas?
Spa and pool damage is usually defined differently under home insurance. A spa will usually be covered under contents insurance along with above ground pools and household appliances.
There are insurance products that would cover an individual part of the spa but would need time spent on getting a quote for an individual premium. A spa can have numerous pumps, blowers, touch panels and heaters so if there is extensive damage to these items at one time then your replacement cost would also be extensive, so worth some consideration before you purchase.
The scope of swimming pool insurance
When we are looking at the scope of swimming pool insurance you are considering the range and type of homeowners insurance and considering the pool and equipment as a whole. As we have mentioned swimming pools can become very expensive to repair especially when there has been extensive damage, so it is not just a case of picking the first policy that is offered. Spend time reviewing your coverage and individual products offered by an insurance company. This can take time, which most pool owners get frustrated with.
Different homeowners insurance, to cover the pool and property, could be broken down into three levels or products:
Coverage A:
This would be cover under the homeowners or buildings insurance to cover the property and pool.
Coverage B:
This would be cover under contents insurance usually to cover above ground pools and spas
Coverage C:
This would be insurance cover to cover items specifically nominated in that policy or product, for the pool or property.
How do insurers cover pools?
Swimming pool coverage will be assessed to the size and type and will differ for a spa, above ground pool and in- ground pool. Usually, contents insurance is covered for above ground pools and the home insurance will be covered for an in- ground pool.
An insurance rate is applied where consideration is given to the amount of money necessary to cover losses and provide a profit to the insurer and the possibility of any pool damage.