5 rules for unincorporated Columbia County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Columbia County requires a building permit before any in-ground or permanent above-ground pool is built. Plan review, inspections, and the pump's electrical work run through Columbia County Building Standards under the state minimum codes the county adopts.
Every residential pool in Columbia County must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high. Georgia's adopted Swimming Pool and Spa Code, Section 305.2.1, sets that height, enforced through the county building permit and inspection.
Georgia State Minimum Standard Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC 2018) 305.2.1
The top of the barrier shall be not less than 48 inches (1219 mm) above grade where measured on the side of the barrier that faces away from the pool or spa.
Pool safety in Columbia County runs on Georgia's adopted Swimming Pool and Spa Code plus the federal VGB Act. Gates must self-close and self-latch, drains need anti-entrapment covers, and pool wiring needs GFCI protection and bonding.
Georgia State Minimum Standard Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC 2018) 305.3
Pedestrian access gates shall open outward away from the pool or spa, shall be self-closing and shall have a self-latching device.
An above-ground pool in Columbia County still needs a permit and a barrier. The pool wall counts as the barrier only when it stands at least 48 inches high and the access ladder is secured, locked, or removable.
Georgia State Minimum Standard Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC 2018) 305.2.1
The top of the barrier shall be not less than 48 inches (1219 mm) above grade where measured on the side of the barrier that faces away from the pool or spa.
A hot tub gets the one real break in Georgia's pool code. Under Section 305.1, a spa or hot tub fitted with a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the 48-inch barrier rules in Columbia County.
Georgia State Minimum Standard Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC 2018) 305.1
Where spas or hot tubs are equipped with a lockable safety cover complying with ASTM F1346 and swimming pools are equipped with a powered safety cover that complies with ASTM F1346, the areas where those spas, hot tubs or pools are located shall not be required to comply with Sections 305.2 through 305.7.
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