Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You’re Covered

In today’s competitive pool industry, many professionals feel pressure to say “yes” to work that stretches beyond traditional pool service and repair. While it may seem like an easy way to increase revenue, going outside your insured scope of work can expose your business to serious financial risk if a claim occurs. Understanding what your insurance policy does and does not cover is critical to protecting your livelihood.

Scope of work matters more than many pros realize. Insurance policies are underwritten based on the specific type of work you perform. Pool service and repair are viewed differently from construction, remodeling or structural alterations. When a loss occurs, claims are evaluated based on the actual work being performed at the time of the incident, not what you usually do.

This means even a long-standing, well-paid policy will not respond if the work causing the damage falls outside the policy’s approved scope. You may have a policy designed specifically for pool service and repair, providing protections for routine maintenance, equipment repair, chemical handling and other service-related operations. However, construction could be excluded from your policy. If you remodeled a pool — doing things like altering the shell, reconfiguring decking or replacing structural components — and caused damage or injury, the resulting claim would be denied because that falls outside the coverage. This type of denial can be devastating, especially when the loss involves property damage, bodily injury or legal defense costs. 

Many coverage gaps occur not because pool professionals are careless, but because they assume a task is “close enough” to their normal work. However, insurance policies are not based on assumptions. Before accepting a job that may fall outside standard service and repair, it is in your best interest to check with your insurance agent. A quick conversation can clarify whether the work is covered, requires an endorsement or separate policy or should be declined. This can save you from uncovered claims, lawsuits and out-of-pocket losses that could otherwise put your business at risk. 

This warning is echoed throughout the industry. Bram Schad with America’s Swimming Pool Company advises service pros turned builders to work closely with their insurance provider to confirm adequate coverage for construction. “Insufficient coverage can be catastrophic if a major loss or injury occurs on a jobsite,” he says.

Protect your business by staying in your lane or getting proper coverage. If the work goes beyond your insured scope, the coverage may stop there, too. Making sure your work is properly insured isn’t just good business; it’s essential to protecting everything you’ve built.