If you have a trampoline or treehouse, you may need to increase your homeowners insurance coverage

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• Having a trampoline or treehouse may increase your homeowners insurance premiums.
• If someone is injured, homeowners insurance will cover it, but you may need to increase your liability limits.
• Damage to your trampoline or treehouse is covered if it's caused by an event listed in your policy.
• See Insider's picks for best homeowners insurance companies.

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Having a trampoline or treehouse makes your home a gathering place for friends and neighbors. However, if someone is injured on one of them, you'll be on the hook to pay for any associated costs, and your homeowners insurance might not offer enough protection unless you increase the liability coverage.

Does homeowners insurance cover trampoline and treehouse injuries?

Homeowners insurance protects you if someone is injured on your property, such as while using your trampoline or treehouse.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns against using trampolines at home due to the risks of sprains and neck and head injuries. Similar to swimming pools, some homeowner insurance carriers consider trampolines an "attractive nuisance" and exclude them in policies.

Other carriers have specific language for trampolines, requiring netting or that they are anchored to the ground depending on your state, according to Steve Wilson, senior underwriting manager at Hippo Insurance.

Wilson said most carriers don't have the same specific language about treehouses. If your treehouse is damaged, it will be covered if the damage was caused by a named insurance peril, which is an event that's specifically listed in your policy, such as a tree falling down.

However, some homeowner insurance carriers consider treehouses as a high risk. Wilson said that swing sets will most likely be treated like treehouses.

Having a trampoline or treehouse may require extra liability coverage

If you have a trampoline or treehouse and there is no exclusion in your homeowners insurance policy, you may be required to increase liability coverage amounts.

Homeowners insurance offers homeowners liability protection if someone is injured on your property. However, there are limits to standard personal liability coverage depending on your policy and insurance carrier. According to Allstate, basic liability homeowners policies are $100,000.

The Insurance Information Institute recommends increasing your liability coverage to "at least $300,000-$500,000" if you have a swimming pool, trampoline, or treehouse. You can also consider an umbrella policy, which increases your overall liability coverage.

If you have a trampoline, you should also follow proper safety guidelines to reduce the risk of an injury happening, such as only letting one person on at a time and always requiring adult supervision.

Does homeowners insurance cover repairs to trampolines and treehouses?

Homeowners insurance covers your property from damage, which is often referred to as insurance perils. A peril is an event that may damage your home or belongings, like theft, fire, or a storm. The type of peril coverage you have depends on the type of homeowners insurance you purchased. Common insurance perils include fire, lightning, theft, ice, snow, sleet, smoke, vandalism, and freezing.

Floods, earthquakes, government seizures, mudslides, ordinance updates, sewer backups, and sinkholes are all perils that won't be covered by homeowners insurance, according to Hippo Insurance. Those will require add-on coverage using a rider policy.

If a tree falls on your trampoline, treehouse, or swing set, it will likely be covered.

*Available as add-on coverage if not part of policy

**Flood insurance is available through the NFIP and approved insurers

***If you live in hurricane or tornado areas, additional windstorm rider may be required

Damage coverage amounts vary

There are three components to homeowners insurance: dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, and liability coverage.

If something happens to your home, you can have it repaired or rebuilt under dwelling coverage. Your dwelling consists of your home and any other structures on the property, like a garage or shed.

Personal property coverage includes your furnishings and electronics. Liability coverage protects you if someone is injured on your property and sues for damages – if the neighbor's kid injures himself doing a cannonball in your swimming pool, homeowners insurance can protect you.

Wilson said most homeowners insurance carriers consider treehouses as "other structures" under dwelling coverage. However, portable items such as trampolines may be considered "personal property." Dwelling coverage limits are different from personal property coverage limits, impacting the amount available to repair or replace damages property.

This may vary depending on your homeowners insurance carrier. Therefore, it is best to talk to your agent to determine how your trampoline and treehouse are classified under your policy.

Damage from wear and tear or lack of maintenance is usually not covered.

Ronda Lee is an associate editor for insurance at Personal Finance Insider covering life, auto, homeowners, and renters insurance for consumers. She is also a licensed attorney who practiced litigation and insurance defense.

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