Anne Arundel County enforces the 2018 IRC Appendix G pool barrier standards as adopted by Maryland — 48-inch barrier, self-closing/self-latching gate with latch ≥54 inches, and less-than-4-inch openings. Barrier inspection is required before the pool is filled.
Residential pool, spa, and hot-tub barriers in Anne Arundel County must comply with the Maryland Building Performance Standards / 2018 IRC Appendix G (as amended). Minimum barrier height is 48 inches from finished grade on the pool side with no more than 2 inches of ground clearance. Openings in the barrier may not allow passage of a 4-inch sphere; mesh fabric must be 1¼ inch or smaller openings. Chain-link mesh openings must not exceed 1¾ inches (and typically require slats). Gates must open outward from the pool, be self-closing and self-latching, with a latch at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate if the release is on the pool side. A house wall may form part of the barrier if all doors leading to the pool have an alarm (ANSI/UL 2017 or equivalent) or the pool has an ASTM F1346-compliant safety cover. Above-ground pools with walls ≥48 inches and a removable or lockable ladder satisfy the barrier rule. Inspections & Permits conducts a barrier inspection before final; Critical Area properties may need additional buffer planting post-construction.
Noncompliant barrier: pool cannot be filled or used until corrected. Civil penalty up to $1,000 plus $500/day continuing. Drowning-incident liability exposure significantly increased. Unpermitted pool: stop-work and retroactive permit at double fee.
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County Code §12-4-101(36) defines a dog that continuously barks, howls, or whines causing unreasonable annoyance to neighbors as a public nuisan...
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zoning districts. Vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVW may not be parked in residential areas...
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County requires electrical permits for Level 2 EV chargers and follows the 2018 IBC/IRC EV-ready provisions adopted statewide. Maryland RP §2-12...
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County does not have a countywide overnight parking ban. Annapolis restricts overnight parking in residential permit zones and prohibits on-stre...
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County requires building permits for new driveways and curb cuts. Driveways must not block pedestrian access or sight triangles. Impervious surf...
Anne Arundel County, MD
Anne Arundel County is not in a mapped high-wildfire-hazard area under Maryland DNR Forest Service assessments. Defensible-space rules are not codified local...
See how Anne Arundel County's pool barriers rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.