5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Sarasota County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Yes. Building a residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Sarasota County requires a county building permit, and you must submit a signed Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (FS 515) form before the pool can be finaled.
Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act sets the barrier standard used countywide: a fence at least 4 feet high with no climbable gaps, and self-closing, self-latching gates that open away from the pool.
FS 515.29(1)
The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside... may not have any gaps, openings, indentations, protrusions, or structural components that could allow a young child to crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over the barrier.
Every new residential pool in Florida must have at least one approved safety feature: a compliant barrier, an approved safety cover, exit alarms on pool-access doors, self-closing doors, or a pool alarm, per FS 515.27.
FS 515.27(1)
(a) The pool must be isolated from access to a home by an enclosure that meets the pool barrier requirements of s. 515.29; (b) The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool cover... (e) A swimming pool alarm...
Permanent above-ground pools in unincorporated Sarasota County generally need a building permit and must meet the same FS 515 barrier/alarm safety standards as in-ground pools; small portable inflatables usually do not.
Residential hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Sarasota County require a building permit, and a spa must either meet FS 515 barrier/alarm safety requirements or use an approved safety cover.
FS 515.27(1)(b)
The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool cover.
3 cities in Sarasota County have their own swimming pools & spas rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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