DC requires a 4-foot self-closing self-latching barrier around all private pools under the DC Construction Code adopting IRC Appendix G. Hot tubs with lockable covers may be exempt from full fencing.
Under DC Construction Code adopting IRC Appendix G, every private swimming pool with water depth over 24 inches requires a barrier at least 48 inches high measured from the exterior side, with no more than 4 inches between vertical slats and no more than 2 inches between ground and barrier bottom. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 54 inches above ground. Pools in rowhouse yards in Capitol Hill and Georgetown are rare but subject to the same rules. An alarmed house wall may serve as one side of the barrier if door alarms meet UL 2017. Hot tubs and spas with a safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 are exempt from perimeter fencing. Above-ground pools with removable ladders meet the barrier rule.
DOB stop-work and corrective order; civil liability in drowning cases. Fines $500 to $2,000 plus cost of code compliance.
Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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