Owning a pool is not a problem in Florida but the thing is, can you be able to follow all the Florida residential swimming pool codes?
While these codes or regulations are easy to look down on, it is better to follow them for the safety of your children and anyone that will use the pool.
Florida residential swimming pool code and regulations mandate all residential swimming pools in Florida to have a fence that is at least 4 feet high on the outside and a gate that is self-closing with a self-lathing device. The pool must be equipped with approved safety features and an approved swimming pool alarm.
Table of Contents
Florida Residential Swimming Pool Code
Florida residential swimming pool codes and regulations are:
1. Swimming Pool Installation Permit
You must obtain a building permit first before building any swimming pool in your home. This is a must. While you wish to build a swimming pool in your home, you cannot just start building them without a permit.
To get the permit, you can present a clear plan of the type of swimming pool you wish to build to the appropriate authorities and have them approve it.
If you don’t know how to go about this permit, you can meet a licensed swimming pool contractor to help you out.
You need to get a building permit, plumbing permit, and electrical permit before completing your swimming pool construction. Remember that all these permits cost money too. So be prepared.
2. Approved Safety Pool Cover
All residential swimming pools in Florida are mandated to have an approved safety cover. This is the only way your pool can pass the final inspection and receive a certificate of completion.
You must ensure you equip the pool with the approved safety pool cover else, you will not pass the final inspection.
3. The Pool Must Have A Barrier
All Florida residential swimming pools are mandated to have a fence. As long as the pool has more than 18 inches in depth water, the pool must have an enclosure inform of fence that will serve as a barrier to children from entering the pool in the absence of everyone.
If the barrier is a fence, then the fence should be at least 4 feet high on the outside. Whatever the barrier is, ensure it is at least 4 inches high on the outside.
While installing the swimming pool fence, ensure it does not have a gap, openings, indentions that are too open. This is to avoid your child from trying to squeeze himself inside the pool in your absence.
The gaps on the fence should not be too wide to make a child get stuck in between. This is also very dangerous and may lead to death if the child cannot breathe while stuck with no one around to rescue him.
While the fence is installed at least 4 feet height from the outside, ensure that there is no protrusions, cavity, or any physical characteristics outside that can serve as a foothold or handhold for the child to climb over the fence into the pool. This is very important.
If you wish to build any protrusion, or any physical characteristics to aid construction works, you can do so but once the construction is completed, you are mandated to remove these protrusions for safety reasons.
The pool barrier must be placed around the perimeter of the pool and must be separate from any fence, wall, or other enclosure surrounding the yard except they are situated on the perimeter of the pool. Please take note of this as well.
When building the swimming pool barrier, ensure it is placed sufficiently away from the water’s edge to avoid a child or a medically frail elder from falling inside the water immediately they enter the pools when no one is watching.
If you already have a wall around your home, it can be part of the fence/barrier of the pool as long as it does not contain any door or window that opens to provide access to the swimming pool.
4. The Pool Must Have a Gate at the Fence
All residential swimming pools in Florida are mandated to have a gate around the fence. You must ensure that the gate is fixed in a way it will be opening outwards and not into the pool. Very important.
Also, the gate must a self-closing gate. The type of gate that closes by itself when you open it. This is a must. Don’t do otherwise.
The gate must also have a self-latching device locking device, the release mechanism of the self-latching locking device must be located on the poolside of the gate and a place it cannot be reached by a young child over the top or through any opening gap.
Also, the pool should be locked at all times. As long as the pool is not in use, you are mandated to lock the pool and hide the keys far from the reach of your children.
Also, ensure that the gate does not have any gap a child can squeeze himself into the pool. Please take note of that.
5. Swimming Pool Alarm
Florida residential swimming pool regulations also mandate residential pool owners in Florida have a swimming pool alarm installed or placed in the pool. The alarm is expected to sound upon detection of an accident or unauthorized entrance into the water.
The alarm can beep if your child enters the pool in your absence. The alarm should have a surface motion, pressure, sonar, laser, and infrared.
6. The Pool Should be Installed by a Licensed Installer
While making plans for your swimming pool. You must ensure that a licensed installer installs the pool for you. The swimming pool is a delicate place, therefore, you need someone that is certified to do the job for you. It is not a DIY thing.
7. Other Pool Safety Features
You are also mandated to equip the pool with pool safety features which if you fail to do, means you have committed a misdemeanor of the second degree.
These are the Florida residential swimming pool code and regulations. You are however urged to follow these rules as if your life depends on them. If you leave in a condominium in Florida, see the condominium residential pool regulations of Florida you must know before building your pool in Florida.
Also, it is important to note that these Florida residential swimming pool codes and regulations are subject to change at any time. They can add and remove some rules at any time. For this reason, before the pool construction starts, ensure to call the building department of your city to inquire from them. Or, you can call the Department of Health to inquire from them.
Summary
Florida residential swimming pool code and regulations require all pools in people’s homes to have a fence, gate at the fence, an approved safety pool cover, an alarm placed in the pool, and other pool safety features. You must ensure that the pool is installed by a licensed swimming pool installer.
