Backyards in North Texas typically have a handful of things. Kids, dogs, swimming pools, and trampolines. Each of those items comes with risk to a Burleson or Ft Worth homeowner since they can either do weird and random things, or cause mayhem when people do weird or random things. Parents love to buy the trampoline to attempt to entertain their children outside away from screens. And it makes a ton of sense. But they also come with some complications. Home Insurance companies don't always like them. So let's tackle what trampolines do and do not do to your home insurance when you put one in the back yard.
Safety Measures
If you're going to buy a trampoline and put it in the backyard and not worry about the effects on your home insurance coverage, let's address some safety ideas.
- Have a fence with a locking gate around your yard. If your yard is not secured, any knucklehead in the world can wander in and use, destroy, fly off of, or even steal your new trampoline. All of those come with a cost.
- Buy a trampoline with side netting. Kids will attempt to see how high they can go. That can lead to them attempting double bounces and other creative ways to increase lift. These also increase the likelihood of someone going over the side!
- Secure the trampoline to the ground. One thing we deal with in Texas are those big wind and hail storms. High winds make trampolines giant frisbees. That never ends well for anyone.
- Do not allow unsupervised use by kids. When we talk about double bounces and flips, it's easy to become injured during the landing. Having adult supervision around may not eliminate those injuries, but it can speed up the process of getting aid for it.
Effects On Home Insurance
This is a question that will come up a lot for folks that are forward thinking. What exactly happens to my home insurance if I buy that trampoline. We will start with an absolute. Some companies will not cover you if you have a trampoline in the back yard. They just won't budge. Ask your independent insurance agent if this is your case. Also have them clarify if they will just drop your coverage if the insurance company knows about it or if they will simply cover everything but the trampoline. There is a very large distinction there.
If the home insurance company allows them in the backyard, they typically come with conditions. We recommend reviewing the safety ideas above because those concepts will be required for their to be coverage afforded to you as a homeowner. Once you have accomplished those, you will want to determine if there is a surcharge on your policy for having it in the backyard. The reality is that there is an increased risk for a claim on both Medical Payments to Others and Personal Liability if you do have one in the backyard. As a result, many companies will surcharge to cover that increased risk. Some home insurance companies don't care, so long as it is disclosed.
Trampolines can be a great form of entertainment as the weather is perfect this time of year in Texas. Bluebonnets are in bloom and kids need to play outside. Just understand what the ramifications are for your backyard fun with respect to your home insurance policy. If you aren't sure whether or not you are covered, speak with one of our agents today.