Will a trampoline increase the cost of my home insurance?

Does homeowners insurance cover trampolines? The short answer is that in most cases owning a trampoline will increase the cost of your home insurance premiums. However, there are recent changes to that long standing policy that you need to know about before deciding to purchase or forego this fun toy. In fact, your homeowners insurance company may refuse to cover injuries from the use of your trampoline due to the high possibility of a liability claim.

Owning a trampoline is great fun. The kids love it; they (or you) can defy gravity and get some excellent exercise in the process of using it. These days, however, many homeowners insurance companies have changed their homeowners insurance policy regarding trampolines which means that it depends on who you have your insurance through as to whether you will see an increase in your premiums due to your trampoline.

Read on to get the skinny on trampoline homeowners insurance and then to find and compare FREE home insurance quotes online from competing insurers just enter your ZIP in above!

What are insurance companies doing about trampolines?

What you may not realize is that trampoline injuries are quite common. In fact, according to the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are about 247,000 injuries every year due to trampoline accidents (these are medically treated injuries; numbers of non-reported injuries treated at home are not available).

This popular entertainment for children in your open or fenced yard can cause extra problems for your policy.

The reason is that you are adding an additional risk to your home and property. If there was ever any doubt about this fact, consider what happened in Florida last year when Hurricane Irma hit. A large number of people were injured or killed by falling trees because they had no idea how strong those trees really were until they fell on them. Trampolines can be just as dangerous if not more so than most other types of playground equipment.

The cost of trampoline accidents is astronomical. In 2001 insurance companies paid $4 billion for trampoline injuries alone.

This has led to a dramatic change in how an insurance carrier treats insurance policies for homes that have a trampoline; now you will see one of two things occur with coverage for trampolines.

Either your insurance company will raise your rates dramatically or, more commonly, they will have a clause in your insurance that specifically excludes trampoline injuries from the policy; no exceptions.

This is a perfectly legal practice and one that is becoming a dominant choice among the insurance industry. With injuries including broken necks, spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis, head trauma that can lead to permanent memory loss (etc), broken arms, legs, etc. Many insurance companies simply aren’t willing to take a risk by covering trampoline injuries in their policy.

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The good news is that insurance companies don’t drop trampoline owners from their company as they do with other high risk issues, such as dogs that are considered dangerous; they simply include what is called a  trampoline exclusion clause in your policy.

In addition, even if you didn’t have the exclusion on your standard homeowners policy in the past; your insurance company can change this part of your policy, providing they give you notice. They do not have to grandfather you in to a previous type of policy just because you already had insurance with them. The good news is that, in this case, your home insurance premiums won’t go up; the bad news is that you will have to pay for that broken wrist (or other injury) out of pocket without that liability protection.

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What does this mean for trampoline owners?

If your insurance company does not cover trampoline injuries in your policy and you keep the trampoline (entirely your choice) then you become financially responsible for any injuries that occur if someone is injured while jumping on your trampoline. These can be very serious and expensive.

While you may not be worried about a family member suing you for medical costs, you need to consider that the next time your neighbor’s children come over to play and want to jump on the trampoline. As the amount of injuries per year and the associated $4 billion in cost, that means the average cost of a trampoline injury is $16,000. In this case, even a friendly neighbor may feel the need to sue you for damages if they don’t have the money to cover their child’s medical expenses.

If you want to keep your trampoline, then trampoline safety is vital. If you have children using the trampoline, then you must supervise them at all times. Make sure that there is no more than one person on the trampoline at all times, that no one jumps onto the trampoline from another object, the ground should be level, padding should be used on the trampoline springs (this helps to prevent injuries on the springs and falling through the spaces between the springs) and make sure that there are no tears in the trampoline and that the springs are all intact.

Proper trampoline safety may just be the thing that prevents any injuries from occurring on your trampoline.

How can you find an insurance company that covers your trampoline?

Just because most companies have a coverage issue when it comes to trampolines doesn’t meant that all companies are leaving them out; you can still find insurance companies that offer the coverage that you want (and the protection that you need if you own a trampoline).

The first step for you to take is to use a free home insurance rate quote tool. Once you find the lowest rate, you can link to the site and find out their policy on trampolines. If they don’t cover them, then all you have to do is link to the next company. Before you know it, you will find a company that offers you coverage for your trampoline.

Having the right homeowners insurance liability cover is essential if you own a trampoline, so start the rate quote process now!

Case Studies: Impact of Trampolines on Home Insurance Costs

Case Study 1: The Jones Family

After installing a trampoline in their backyard, the Jones family reached out to their home insurance provider regarding potential premium changes. They were informed that trampolines are considered high-risk, resulting in a 15% increase in their annual home insurance premium.

Case Study 2: The Smiths

The Smiths decided to purchase a trampoline to create a fun outdoor activity space for their kids. Prior to installing it, they reached out to their home insurance company to understand the implications on their insurance policy. Surprisingly, their insurer informed them that they had a specific policy provision that excluded coverage for any trampoline-related incidents.

The Smiths were required to sign an endorsement excluding liability coverage for injuries associated with the trampoline. While their home insurance cost remained unchanged, they assumed the full responsibility for any trampoline accidents.

Case Study 3: The Johnsons

The Johnsons had a trampoline in their backyard for several years. When they recently switched their home insurance provider, the new insurer conducted an inspection of their property. During the inspection, the presence of the trampoline was noted, and the insurer determined that it posed a potential liability risk.

As a result, the Johnsons experienced an increase of 25% in their home insurance premium to cover the increased liability exposure associated with the trampoline.

Case Study 4: The Andersons

When the Andersons decided to sell their home, they learned that the presence of their trampoline impacted its insurability and raised the cost of coverage. Potential buyers were informed of the increased risk, resulting in a higher premium quoted by the insurance company to provide coverage for the new homeowners.

Ultimately, the Andersons had to adjust the sale price of their home to account for the increased insurance costs associated with the trampoline.

Read more: How much will my home insurance go up every year?

Case Study 5: The Wilsons

The Wilsons contemplated purchasing a trampoline but were concerned about the potential impact on their home insurance premium. They reached out to multiple insurance providers to obtain quotes for coverage that included the trampoline. To their surprise, they found significant variations in premiums among different insurers.

While some companies refused coverage entirely, others offered policies with minor premium increases or required additional safety precautions to be implemented. The Wilsons carefully evaluated their options and selected an insurer that offered reasonable coverage with a manageable premium increase.

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