Swimming Pools & Spas in El Paso, TX (2026)
2 verified swimming pools & spas rules for El Paso, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pool Permits
El Paso exempts a small pool from a building permit only if it holds less than 24 inches of water and less than 5,000 gallons, whether it's in-ground or above ground. A typical framed above-ground pool over that size, the common backyard size, needs a residential building permit before installation.
El Paso Above-Ground Pool Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 18.10.040 (Section R105.2 Work Exempt from Permit)
6. Swimming pools, wading pools or ponds that are in-ground or above ground containing a body of water less than twenty-four inches in depth and less than five thousand gallons of water.
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Residential swimming pools in El Paso are regulated under Title 18 Chapter 18.08 (Building Code), which adopts the International Residential Code with local amendments and requires permits and barrier compliance. Multiunit rental complexes and POA-owned pools are independently subject to Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 757 (Pool Yard Enclosures): minimum 48-inch barrier, no chain link, restricted openings, and self-closing/self-latching gates that swing outward.
El Paso Swimming Pool Safety and Barrier Rules
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 757.003 (Enclosure for Pool Yard)
Sec. 757.003. ENCLOSURE FOR POOL YARD. (a) Except as otherwise provided by Section 757.005, the owner of a multiunit rental complex with a pool or a property owners association that owns, controls, or maintains a pool shall completely enclose the pool yard with a pool yard enclosure.(b) The height of the pool yard enclosure must be at least 48 inches as measured from the ground on the side ...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement El Paso city rules.
Swimming Pools & Spas in El Paso County →