Are fire pits covered by my homeowner’s insurance policy?
There is something nostalgic about sitting around a fire with friends and family toasting marshmallows and eating s’mores! In fact, some of your fondest memories may come from sitting around a fire.
It is no wonder then that fire pits have become very popular in recent years.
This fact raises a few questions:
- Is my outdoor fire pit covered by my home insurance policy?
- Does it matter what kind of fire pit I have?
Is my outdoor fire pit covered by my home insurance policy?
The answer is typically yes, unless it is specifically excluded. It often depends on the type of pit you have and the kind of coverage that you have, so the best thing is to talk to your agent before purchasing or building one.
Does it matter what kind of fire pit I have?
Did you know there are two types of pits?
The first type is a portable fire pit that you can buy at any local box store like Walmart or Home Depot. They typically are three foot round and cost under $200.
Portable fire pits are usually covered under your personal possessions of your policy. Use extreme caution and care when placing or moving your pit.
The second kind is a permanent fire pit that you build into the ground and that can not be moved or relocated.
It would probably be a good idea to talk to your agent when building a permanent pit to ensure you have sufficient coverage and liability. Since your permanent fire pit is considered one of your “unattached structures” under your policy, you are usually capped at 10% to include all of your unattached structures.
What does this mean?
Let’s pretend your home is worth $180,000. That would mean you would have coverage for up to $18,000 of unattached structures.
This would include:
Depending on how elaborate your fire pit plans are, you could easily put yourself over the cap of $18,000 when you combine the loss of all your outdoor structures combined. Can you see why we encourage you talking to your agent first before building? This way you can discuss if you have enough to protect your belongings and cover your liability.
Finally, let’s talk about liability.
Typically, we see liability issues from three specific areas:
- Fire pits too close to your home or other outdoor structures
- Fire pits built too close to your neighbor’s fence or outdoor structure
- People tripping or falling into the fire pit and hurting themselves
First, speak to your agent about your liability coverage to make sure you have sufficient protection. Second, please use common sense when installing or moving your outdoor fireplace! Fire pits can be fun for the whole family. Let’s keep them fun by planning to use them safely!
Your InsuranceHub agents are standing by to answer all of your questions about fire pits. We look forward to your call.
