A treehouse is a great idea for entertaining your family and friends if you have a healthy tree.
It is crucial to consider the potential insurance implications before you begin construction on your treetop hangout. You need to find out if your homeowner insurance covers treehouses or if you could be denied coverage.
Is homeowner insurance available for treehouses?
When life throws you unexpected losses, your homeowners insurance will help. For example, it can help you rebuild your home after a fire or replace items stolen by thieves. You may also need it to protect guests from injury in your treehouse.
The personal insurance you have may be able help you pay for guests’ medical bills or to settle a lawsuit arising from a treehouse-related accident. Your policy might also include coverage for repairs in the event that the treehouse is damaged by a storm or fire.
This all depends on whether your insurance company offers coverage for treehouses. While some insurance companies will cover treehouses without any exclusions, others may only offer coverage if you have put in certain safety measures. It is important to know that not all insurance companies will cover treehouses due to the risk involved. They may also deny you a policy renewal if you have a treehouse installed on your property.
Short story: Before you begin building a treehouse, contact your insurance company to find out how your policy may address treehouses. It might seem fine to build the treehouse without not informing your insurance provider, but you may regret it. Your insurance company will likely deny your claim if a treehouse-related accident occurs and they were not aware of the treehouse.
What is the best time to cover treehouses?
If you have treehouse coverage on your home insurance policy, you can ask it to assist you in a few situations.
Treehouse damage
One aspect of insurance and treehouses is damage to the treehouse. What homeowners insurance covers treehouses if they are damaged by fire, high winds or other natural disasters? What about vandalism?
You can rest assured knowing that your home insurance will cover your treehouse. Your treehouse should be covered under the other structures section of your policy. It should be protected from fire, windstorms and hail as well as vandalism and any other covered peril.
Treehouses are an unusual case in the insurance industry. Call your insurance company before you assume that your home insurance covers treehouse damage.
Treehouse injuries
Treehouses and insurance are primarily concerned about liability for injuries. In the event of a guest getting hurt on your property, your liability coverage section of your home insurance will do two things. It can pay for any medical bills incurred. It can also be used to pay court costs or even the settlement if the guest sues you for the injury.
You can use your liability coverage if your home policy includes treehouse coverage. This will cover you if someone falls or gets hurt climbing in your treehouse.
Your liability coverage may be helpful if someone is injured in your treehouse. However, you might need to rely upon your health insurance (or your savings account if you don’t have health insurance) if anyone in your family gets hurt.
Treehouses vs. trampolines
Treehouse insurance may make it difficult to find backyard entertainment that is safe, but features such as a trampoline and swimming pool can be a good alternative.
Insurance companies view both trampolines and treehouses as attractive nuisances . This means that they could attract children who may be hurt on them. Insurance companies could refuse coverage for the trampoline, treehouse or other similar items. They may also refuse to renew policies if the homeowner has one.
Actually, trampolines are often excluded from home insurance policies. Before you decide which trampoline to install in your yard, call your insurance company to find out their position.
What is the cost of treehouse insurance?
Treehouse insurance is technically not a separate policy. Your home insurance may offer coverage for your backyard addition if you have the right personal property and liability limits.
However, adding a treehouse to your home insurance policy may cause an increase in your premiums . Although not all insurance companies raise rates when a treehouse is installed on a property’s property, some do so to protect the additional risk. Ask your insurance provider whether you would be paying more for your policy if a treehouse is installed in your yard.
If you require your policy to cover damage to the treehouse due to theft, be ready to pay your deductible. The deductible does NOT apply to liability claims. Therefore, you will not be required to pay any out-of-pocket expenses for treehouse-related injuries that a guest sustains.
Treehouses can make a great addition to your yard and will be a big hit with kids. However, you need to be aware that treehouses can pose risks. If you’re considering adding a treehouse on your property, it is important to keep safety in mind.
Talk to your insurance company at the same time. This will ensure that you have protections for any treehouse damage and injured guests. It also protects you from a retroactive policy cancelation for misrepresentation.
Your family will be able to enjoy your treehouse with greater peace of mind if you follow these steps.