Insurance inspection?

[Gimlet]

I couldn't find a sub-forum appropriate for this topic, but if the mods think this goes better somewhere else please feel free to move it!

We just closed on our new house with the pool in my signature. Apparently our insurance agent had a bit of a tough time finding a company that would provide home insurance because of the pool. Specifically she said the diving board was the reason some companies didn't want to touch our home. Anyway, we found a company and closed on the house last week.

Now the insurance company wants to come out and inspect the property. They didn't specifically say what they want to look at, but I have a feeling they will closely be paying attention to the pool and spa. I'm worried that they will tell us we need to remove the diving board or something like that. The deep end is 8' deep, and the receipt for the diving board the previous owners installed in 2005 seems to indicate that it is intended for 8' pools (ie, it's not too "springy" for that depth, I think.)

Has anyone ever experienced something like this? I'm just curious what to expect.

 

[JasonLion]

We had to remove the diving board, no one would insure it at all with the board there.

Our inspection went quickly, they just wanted us to add an auto close and lock on the pool gate, which is required here anyway (and many other places).

 

[steveg_nh]

I have Liberty Mutual. Granted, we've been with them for 20+ years, but when I told them we were putting a pool in, with a diving board, they didn't care. No change in premium. They just asked that I ensure that the board is properly installed (base, and depth of water under end of board) and that the pool is properly secured with a fence. Have you talked to them?

 

[mrcarcrazy]

I think this heavily depends on the insurance company. I spoke w/ an Agent from Farmers regarding having a pool built (I haven't spoken with my insurance agent yet...hahaha).

His take which could have been only his or Farmers Insurances....Skip the diving board, and have a tall fence with posted no trespassing signs. His other suggestion was locking doors/gates that are always locked, and do not make it an acceptable practice for people to swim when you aren't there. He didn't say they wouldn't insure someone who had a board, but I didn't ask.

 

[swimcmp]

In all truth an 8' deep pool is not deep enough for diving. In a true 8' deep pool you only have about 7'6" to 7'8" of actual water and that is not safe. For an 8' board you need a minimum of 8' of actual water. This may be what they want to inspect to verify actual depth.

 

[Gimlet]

In all truth an 8' deep pool is not deep enough for diving. In a true 8' deep pool you only have about 7'6" to 7'8" of actual water and that is not safe. For an 8' board you need a minimum of 8' of actual water. This may be what they want to inspect to verify actual depth.

OK, good timing on the inspection then since the water level is on the high side right now!

 

[CLW42]

We just installed at the end of last year and I was concerned about my home owner's policy as well, especially here in the 'People's Republic of MA.' Ironically, it wasn't an issue at all, not even with the diving board.

 

[BoDarville]

It really depends on the insurance company. Some will not touch a pool with a slide, but are OK with a diving board. Others are the reverse and some don't want either. Probably also depends on where you are located as well (state insurance/liability laws and the like). One thing's for sure, though...the days of seeing a platform diving board at a resort like the one below (at least in the US) are a thing of the past.



The Fontainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach, from the opening of the James Bond movie "Goldfinger", 1964. I can assure you that it looks very different today.

 

[PoolsideinLA]

We just bought a house with a pool and went through the same. An insurance quote from company A said that they'd cover us if we removed the diving board. Company B didn't ask if we had a diving board (and I didn't offer it up!). Company A through another agency didn't ask about a diving board either, and that's who we went with. They did send someone out to do an inspection and I was worried that we might get in trouble or something. It's been two months and I haven't heard a thing.

A friend who sells for yet another insurance company (State Farm) said he doesn't ask about them either.