5 rules for unincorporated Shawnee County, Kansas.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Shawnee County, in-ground and permanent above-ground pools and spas need a building permit from the Land Use & Development Department, reviewed under the county-adopted City of Topeka Title 14 building code.
Shawnee County Building Code (adoption of City of Topeka Title 14)
Shawnee County adopts by reference Title 14, Building and Construction of the City of Topeka Code as the Shawnee County Building Code.
Every residential pool and spa in unincorporated Shawnee County must be enclosed by a barrier under the county's adopted International Residential Code, at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Private pools in unincorporated Shawnee County are inspected by Land Use & Development under the adopted building code and the federal anti-entrapment drain-cover law. KDHE regulates public and semi-public pools, not private backyard pools.
Unincorporated Shawnee County permits above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches through Land Use & Development. Prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep with walls entirely above grade are exempt from a permit.
Shawnee County Building Permit Exemptions (Topeka Title 14, work exempt from permit)
Prefabricated swimming pools that are less than 24" deep and whose capacity does not exceed 5,000 square feet, in which the pool walls are entirely above the adjacent grade.
A permanent hot tub or spa in unincorporated Shawnee County needs a building permit from Land Use & Development, mainly for its 240-volt circuit, and must meet the adopted code's barrier and bonding rules.
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