5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Shasta County, California.
Verified from official government sources
A building permit is required to build a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Shasta County. The Building Division reviews plans under the 2022 California Residential Code, requires staged inspections, and on parcels with a septic tank also requires an Environmental Health clearance for in-ground pools and spas.
Shasta County Code section 8.48.030
No person shall operate or maintain any public swimming pool in the county unless a valid, unrevoked swimming pool permit issued by the health officer is in effect for the pool.
Pools and spas in unincorporated Shasta County must be enclosed by a barrier at least five feet (60 inches) high, with no gaps that pass a four-inch sphere and gates that are self-closing and self-latching. The County applies its own Code Chapter 8.48 plus the California Building Code and the state Swimming Pool Safety Act.
California Health and Safety Code section 115922(a)
Except as provided in Section 115925, whenever a building permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa, or any building permit is issued for remodeling of an existing pool or spa, at a private single-family home, it shall be equipped with at least two of the following seven drowning prevention safety features: (1) An enclosure that meets the requirements of Section 115923...
Because Shasta County builds pools under the California Building Standards Code, the state Swimming Pool Safety Act controls. When a permit is issued for a new or remodeled pool or spa at a single-family home, the pool must include at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention features, and suction outlets must meet anti-entrapment standards.
Above-ground pools in unincorporated Shasta County are treated like other pools: those holding water over 18 inches deep need a building permit and must meet the same barrier and drowning-prevention rules under County Code 8.48, the California Building Code, and the state Swimming Pool Safety Act. The pool wall may count as the barrier if non-climbable.
Hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Shasta County are treated as pools under state law and generally need a building permit and compliant barriers when they hold water over 18 inches deep. However, a spa or hot tub fitted with a locking safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the state Swimming Pool Safety Act.
1 cities in Shasta County have their own swimming pools & spas rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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