Kanawha County cities require a barrier around residential pools, spas, and hot tubs under the adopted building code: at least a 48-inch fence with self-closing, self-latching gates, to prevent child drownings. Compliance is checked at the pool permit inspection.
Under the building code enforced by Charleston and other Kanawha municipalities, any residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub needs a surrounding barrier. The fence must be at least 48 inches high, with no gap a 4-inch sphere can pass through and no easy footholds a child could climb. Gates must swing away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch mounted high out of a small child's reach. A house wall can form part of the barrier only if doors to the pool have alarms or self-closing hardware. Above-ground pools with tall enough sides may satisfy the requirement.
A pool without a compliant barrier fails inspection and cannot be filled or used until corrected. Beyond code penalties, an unfenced pool is a serious drowning and liability hazard.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kanawha County, WV
Kanawha County does not regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on private property, and West Virginia has no state holiday-display law. No co...
Kanawha County, WV
Temporary garage-sale signs are generally fine on your own property. Unincorporated Kanawha County barely regulates them; cities apply their zoning sign code...
Kanawha County, WV
Political signs are allowed on private property across Kanawha County. Unincorporated areas have little sign regulation; Charleston's zoning code governs sig...
Kanawha County, WV
West Virginia has no statewide rental license, and unincorporated Kanawha County runs no rental registry. Programs are municipal: West Virginia Code §8-12-16...
Kanawha County, WV
West Virginia has no just-cause eviction law, and Kanawha County cannot add one. A landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with a full period's notice under §...
Kanawha County, WV
Neither Kanawha County nor Charleston can impose rent control. West Virginia is a Dillon's Rule state, and the Legislature has never granted local government...
See how Kanawha 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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.