5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Verified from official government sources
Every Plymouth County community builds pools under one rulebook, the state building code, 780 CMR. A swimming pool is a regulated structure, so the town building department, not the county, issues the permit before excavation or assembly begins.
Across Plymouth County the pool fence rule is the state building code, not a town invention. Every outdoor pool must sit behind a barrier at least 48 inches high, identical in Brockton, Plymouth, and every South Shore town.
780 CMR 51.00 Appendix G AG105.2
The top of the barrier shall be at least 48 inches (1219 mm) above grade measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool.
Pool safety in Plymouth County runs on 780 CMR Appendix G. The gate is the heart of it: every pedestrian gate must swing outward, close itself, and latch itself, so a barrier is never left open.
780 CMR 51.00 Appendix G AG105.2
Pedestrian access gates shall open outward away from the pool and shall be self-closing and have a self-latching device.
An above-ground pool gets no special break in Plymouth County. Its wall can serve as the required barrier only when it stands 48 inches high, and the access ladder must be removable or lockable so it cannot be climbed.
780 CMR 51.00 Appendix G AG105.2
The ladder or steps shall be capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access.
Hot tubs get the one real exemption in the pool code. A spa or hot tub fitted with a safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is excused from the barrier rules, so no 48-inch fence is required around it anywhere in Plymouth County.
780 CMR 51.00 Appendix G AG105.5
Spas or hot tubs with a safety cover which complies with ASTM F 1346, as listed in Section AG107, shall be exempt from the provisions of this appendix.
1 cities in Plymouth County have their own swimming pools & spas rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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