Texas · Homeowners · Pools
The pool is two coverages, and neither one pays neglect
A swimming pool on a Texas homeowners policy is a property question and a liability question. Property coverage pays to repair the pool after a covered peril, up to the limit that actually applies to it. Liability pays if you are legally responsible for someone getting hurt. Emptying the pool for winter, a fence, and telling the carrier the pool exists are not the same thing as those two coverages.
Wear, deterioration, and a freeze that happened because the equipment was not maintained are usually not covered perils. A storm that damages the pool can be. Flood that fills it from outside is not a homeowners peril. That water belongs on a flood policy: Texas flood. TDI’s consumer note on pools: swimming pools.
Liability is why the carrier wants the pool on the application. An undisclosed pool is an underwriting problem and can become a claim problem. A fence, a self-closing gate, and removing a slide or diving board the carrier will not write are safety and eligibility, not extra coverage. Medical payments can offer a small no-fault amount for a guest. It is not the liability limit. An umbrella still pays only after the homeowners liability limit is used up.
The policy around it: Texas homeowners, what the coverages are, and how to size the dwelling. A different structure people also mis-file: solar panels. Pool safety, not a coverage grant: pool safety and insurance.
