5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Polk County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Yes. In unincorporated Polk County, in-ground swimming pools and spas, and above-ground pools/spas more than 24 inches deep, require a building permit from the Polk County Building Division before construction. Separate electrical, plumbing, and gas permits may also apply.
Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act requires a barrier at least 4 feet high on the outside, with gates that open outward, self-close, and self-latch. The latch release must sit on the pool side, out of a young child's reach.
FS 515.29(1), (3)
The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside. Gates that provide access to swimming pools must open outward away from the pool and be self-closing and equipped with a self-latching locking device, the release mechanism of which must be located on the pool side of the gate.
New residential pools in Polk County must have at least one approved safety feature: a compliant barrier, an approved safety pool cover, exit alarms on doors/windows to the pool, or self-closing self-latching devices on those doors.
FS 515.27(1)(c), (d)
All doors and windows providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with an exit alarm that has a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet. All doors providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor.
Above-ground swimming pools and spas more than 24 inches deep require a Polk County building permit and must meet the same Florida Statutes Chapter 515 barrier and safety-feature rules as in-ground pools.
Spas and hot tubs are treated as pools: those more than 24 inches deep need a Polk County permit. A spa with a safety cover meeting ASTM standards satisfies the barrier requirement under Florida Statutes Chapter 515.
FS 515.25(1)
"Approved safety pool cover" means a manually or power-operated safety pool cover that meets all of the performance standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), in compliance with standard F1346-91.
2 cities in Polk County have their own swimming pools & spas rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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