5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Durham's joint City-County Inspections Department requires a building permit before installing any swimming pool. You cannot legally use the pool until a Certificate of Compliance is issued; unauthorized use can void the permit and bring fines.
NC Residential Code Appendix G; Durham Swimming Pool Application Acknowledgement Form
Until a Certificate of Compliance is issued from the City-County Inspections Department, the use of the pool is not authorized and could constitute a zoning violation.
Under the North Carolina Residential Code adopted in Durham, outdoor pools over 24 inches deep must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high, with no openings large enough to pass a 4-inch sphere.
NC Residential Code NCA105.2.1, NCA105.2.2
The top of the barrier shall be not less than 48 inches (1219 mm) above grade. Openings in the barrier shall not allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter (102 mm) sphere.
North Carolina's Residential Code, enforced in Durham, requires pool-barrier gates to open outward away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching. Barrier, alarm, and gate details are reviewed before a permit issues.
NC Residential Code NCA105.3
[Access gates] shall open outward away from the pool or spa, shall be self-closing and shall have a self-latching device.
In Durham, an above-ground pool's own wall may serve as the required barrier if it is at least 48 inches high and any ladder or steps can be secured, locked, or removed to prevent access when the pool is unattended.
NC Residential Code NCA105.5
Ladders or steps used as means of access to the pool are capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access. Openings created by the securing, locking or removal of ladders and steps do not allow the passage of a 4-inch (102 mm) diameter sphere.
In Durham, spas and hot tubs are treated like pools and require a permit and barrier, but a spa or hot tub fitted with an approved safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the barrier requirements.
NC Residential Code NCA105.10
Spas or hot tubs with a safety cover that complies with ASTM F1346, as listed in Section NCA107, shall be exempt from the provisions of this appendix.
1 cities in Durham County have their own swimming pools & spas rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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