Summary:
When reviewing a pool contractor’s insurance, the general liability limit is only part of the conversation. How the policy addresses the work being performed—and the losses that work may involve—deserves attention too.
Pool pop-up coverage is one detail worth discussing before the next renewal.
What is a pool pop-up
A pool pop-up occurs when groundwater pressure pushes a pool shell upward. Draining a pool can increase its vulnerability to that pressure, depending on site conditions and the pool’s construction. The resulting damage can affect the pool and associated systems.
For brokers, the useful question is how that exposure is addressed for the contractor’s actual work. A business that drains pools as part of repair or renovation work may need a different conversation from one that performs routine maintenance only.
Ask how the coverage applies
The presence of a general liability policy alone does not answer every pool pop-up question. Review the policy and any applicable endorsement with the underwriting team.
Useful questions include:
- Does the proposed coverage address the contractor’s pool pop-up exposure?
- What work and circumstances fall within the coverage wording?
- Are there applicable exclusions, conditions, deductibles or sublimits?
- Has the contractor’s work changed since the last review?
These questions help make the comparison more specific than a review of premium and headline limits alone. They also give the broker a clearer basis for explaining the placement to the client.
Bring the work into the renewal discussion
PoolPro by NIP Group offers pop-up coverage within general liability for qualifying pool contractors. Other available features include errors and omissions and equipment breakdown coverage.
Start with the type of work the contractor performs and the issue you want the placement to address. If the business has added renovation or repair activities, describe those changes. If the current policy’s treatment of pool pop-up is unclear, raise that question early.
As November, December and January renewals approach, this is a useful opportunity to revisit accounts where industry-specific coverage features could make a difference to the review.
Have a pool contractor approaching renewal? Discuss the account with the PoolPro team. www.nipgroup.com/poolpro
*Coverage is subject to policy terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions.
