Swimming Pools & Spas in Reading, PA (2026)
3 verified swimming pools & spas rules for Reading, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pool Permits
Any swimming pool in Reading - in-ground or aboveground - capable of holding water more than 24 inches deep requires both a zoning permit under Chapter 600 (location, setback, barrier) and a UCC building permit under 34 Pa. Code Ch. 403 (structural, electrical, ISPSC 2018 compliance). Hot tubs and spas with secure locking covers are exempt from the zoning fence permit but still need a UCC electrical/equipment permit.
Reading Swimming Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsFencing Requirements
Pool fencing in Reading is the strictest of (a) local Code § 600-1013 - four-foot barrier, four-inch opening max, locking gate - and (b) Pennsylvania ISPSC 2018 § 305 adopted under the UCC - 48-inch barrier, 4-inch sphere test, 2-3/8-inch maximum bottom gap, self-closing/self-latching outward-opening gate with latch hardware at 54 inches. Both apply concurrently and the stricter rule governs each element.
Reading Pool Fencing - Local + ISPSC Statewide Rules
Heavy RestrictionsSafety Rules
Reading pool owners must comply with: (1) Code § 600-1013 prohibiting discharge of pool water onto other properties without owner consent; (2) the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. § 8003) anti-entrapment drain-cover requirements; (3) the ISPSC 2018 alarm, suction, and circulation safety provisions adopted statewide under the PA UCC; and (4) NEC Article 680 electrical bonding and GFCI rules. Public pools are additionally licensed and inspected under 28 Pa. Code Ch. 18.
Reading Pool Safety Rules - Drains, Drainage, Alarms
Heavy Restrictions16 C.F.R. Part 1450 - Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act Regulations
each swimming pool or spa drain cover manufactured, distributed, or entered into commerce in the United States shall conform to the entrapment protection standards of ANSI/APSP/ICC-16 2017, American National Standard for Suction Outlet Fitting Assemblies (SOFA) for Use in Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs, approved on August 18, 2017. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by r...
Looking for Berks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reading city rules.
Swimming Pools & Spas in Berks County →