Home insurance premiums aren’t just influenced by square footage or neighborhood; they’re also shaped by what’s inside and around your home. From swimming pools to outdated heating setups, keeping liability-prone things around could be quietly inflating your bill. This quick guide shows what to ditch to make your space safer and cheaper to insure.
Fireplace
While fireplaces add warmth and ambiance, they also raise red flags for insurers. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the leading cause of home heating fires (30%) was having a dirty chimney. Wood-burning models pose the highest risk due to creosote buildup and improper use, particularly when flammable liquids such as kerosene are involved.
Insurers often increase premiums for homes with active fireplaces, particularly if they’re used frequently or lack safety upgrades. Gas and electric fireplaces are generally safer, but still carry liability concerns.
Some insurance providers offer discounts if you convert your fireplace into a decorative feature or install safety measures like spark arrestors and carbon monoxide detectors. However, removing or deactivating the fireplace entirely could be your most effective move toward lowering your home insurance bill.
Trampoline
Trampolines may offer fun and fitness, but they pose a significant risk to insurers. Classified as “attractive nuisances,” they pose serious liability risks, especially when visible from the street, as they invite unsupervised use.
Over 100,000 trampoline-related injuries are treated in U.S. emergency rooms annually, with 0.5% resulting in permanent neurological damage. This risk often leads to increased premiums, exclusions, or even denied coverage.
Some insurers charge an additional $50–$100 per year, while others may refuse coverage altogether. Protective fencing can help, but removing the trampoline entirely is the most effective way to lower your insurance bill.
Hot Tub
They may seem like a luxury, but hot tubs can quietly sabotage your homeowners’ insurance rates. Despite their modest size, they pose real risks—drowning, slips, falls—and insurers don’t take them lightly.
Between 2007 and 2020, an average of 376 children under the age of 15 died from fatal drownings in pools and hot tubs each year. As a result, insurers often require liability coverage boosts, which drive premiums higher.
Factor in the risk of water damage and the added property value, and that soak could cost more than it’s worth. While secure fencing offers some relief, removing the hot tub entirely is the most effective way to lower your bill.
Swimming Pool
Swimming pools can certainly enhance a home’s value and aesthetic appeal, but they also come with a steep insurance price tag. Insurers label pools as “attractive nuisances,” meaning they pose a liability risk, particularly to children who may access them without permission.
This classification can push annual premiums of up to $1,823, which exceeds the national average, and often necessitates increased liability coverage. Approximately 80% of U.S. homeowners who own pools carry pool-specific insurance.
While installing safety measures can reduce your liability and earn discounts, removing the pool altogether may offer the most substantial drop in insurance costs.
Home Business
Running a business from home often requires additional insurance—either through a home policy endorsement or a separate commercial policy to cover equipment, inventory, and liability. However, if you’ve shut down operations or relocated them off-site, maintaining that coverage could mean you’re overpaying.
According to industry estimates, home-based business endorsements can add 5–10% to your annual premium, depending on the type and value of assets insured. Reporting changes to your insurer can help you adjust or remove unnecessary coverage, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars each year.
Aggressive Dog Breeds
Certain dog breeds, no matter how well-trained, can raise concerns for insurers due to their perceived risk of bites and injuries. Breeds like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and German Shepherds frequently appear on insurers’ restricted lists.
Dog bite claims account for 33% of all homeowners’ insurance claims, with an average payout of $50,000. Some insurers may deny coverage entirely or increase premiums for households with these breeds. If you’re looking to lower your insurance bill, rehoming a high-risk breed could make a significant difference.
Old Roof
For homeowners looking to lower insurance bills, updating or removing risk-prone roofing is a smart move. Insurance providers view roofs over 15–20 years old as high-risk due to increased chances of leaks, storm damage, and costly claims.
Homes with roofs older than 20 years may face 20% higher premiums, and some insurers may only offer actual cash value (ACV) coverage instead of full replacement cost. Regular inspections and maintenance can help, but if your roof is nearing the end of its lifespan, replacing it with durable materials like metal or tile could earn you discounts on your policy.
Playground Equipment
Playground equipment might seem harmless, but insurers see it differently, especially when swings lack safety closures or monkey bars and slides pose injury risks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that over 200,000 playground-related injuries are treated in U.S. emergency rooms annually, with three-quarters caused by falls.
These stats make backyard playgrounds a liability concern, prompting insurers to raise premiums or require costly upgrades. Fencing to improve safety can exceed $7,000 for 300 linear feet, making removal a more cost-effective option, especially if your children have outgrown the space.
Dilapidated Structures
Neglected sheds, collapsing gazebos, or abandoned outbuildings aren’t just eyesores; they’re insurance liabilities. Insurers often flag dilapidated structures as safety hazards, particularly if they pose a risk of injury to visitors or trespassers.
Removing or repairing these structures not only improves safety but can also lower your premiums and make your property more insurable. If you’re unsure, ask your insurer whether excluding or upgrading these features could unlock savings.
Wood-burning Stove
Wood-burning stoves carry serious insurance implications. As one of the top contributors to home heating fires, they’re viewed as high-risk by insurers.
In fact, 65% of the wood stoves in use today are older, inefficient models, which further raises red flags. Depending on the stove’s age, installation quality, and safety features, homeowners may see premium increases of 5% to 20%.
Some states have even banned wood stoves due to concerns about air quality, while others offer tax incentives for switching to cleaner alternatives, such as gas or electric heating. If you’re looking to lower your insurance bill, replace or deactivate your wood-burning stove.
Treehouse
Treehouses may be a nostalgic backyard staple, but they’re also a liability magnet in the eyes of insurers. Considered attractive nuisances, they pose injury risks to children, whether invited or not. If someone falls from your treehouse, even while trespassing, you could be held legally responsible.
While some home insurance policies cover treehouses under “other structures” and liability sections, many providers raise premiums or require safety upgrades like guardrails and restricted access.
In some cases, coverage may be denied altogether. If your kids have outgrown the treehouse, removing it or converting it into a non-accessible feature could help lower your insurance bill and reduce risk exposure.
Oil-Based Heating
Oil-based heating systems may be effective in colder climates, but they come with elevated risks that insurers don’t ignore. Leaks from aging tanks can lead to costly environmental damage, especially if oil seeps into soil or groundwater.
Homes with oil tanks may face premium increases of 10–20%, and some insurers won’t cover properties with underground tanks at all. Fire hazards and cleanup costs further complicate coverage. Switching to safer alternatives like heat pumps or gas furnaces can reduce your risk profile and potentially lower your insurance bill.
