Honolulu County's Building Code Section 16-6.2 requires residential swimming pools on Oahu to be enclosed by compliant fences or protective barriers to prevent unauthorized access and drownings.
ROH Section 16-6.2 sits in Chapter 16, Article 6 (Residential Swimming Pools) and requires every private residential pool to be enclosed by a fence or other protective device meeting minimum standards. Typical requirements include a minimum 4-foot barrier height, self-closing and self-latching gates with latches out of reach of small children, spacing limits on pickets, and no climbable features on the outward-facing side. Where a dwelling wall forms part of the enclosure, doors leading to the pool must have alarms or self-closing mechanisms. Public pools are governed by the companion provision ROH 16-7.9. Barriers must be in place before the pool is filled and inspected by the Department of Planning and Permitting.
Pool barrier violations are treated as high-priority safety issues and can trigger immediate compliance orders, drainage of the pool, daily civil penalties, and potential civil liability if a drowning or injury results from a noncompliant barrier.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Honolulu County.
See how other cities in Honolulu County handle pool barriers.
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