Swimming Pools & Spas in Idaho (2026)
24 rules on the books across Idaho, 14 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Pool Permits
Building and electrical permits required before installing a pool, including the depth and size thresholds that trigger them, and where above-ground and inflatable pools fall in or out of the rules.
Ada County
Some RestrictionsAbove-ground pools are explicitly covered by Ada County's Section AG 105. They need a barrier at least 48 inches tall…
Read full rule →Bannock County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Bannock County, building a permanent or deep swimming pool requires a building permit under the…
Read full rule →Boise
Some RestrictionsBoise requires a building permit for any residential swimming pool deeper than four feet; only prefabricated pools four…
Read full rule →Bonner County
Some RestrictionsBonner County counts a pool as a structure, but swimming pools not exceeding 4,000 square feet of area (15-20,000…
Read full rule →Bonneville County
Some RestrictionsBuilding a pool or spa in unincorporated Bonneville County requires a written permit from the Zoning Administrator…
Read full rule →Caldwell
Some RestrictionsCaldwell exempts prefabricated swimming pools four feet deep or shallower from the building permit process. Under City…
Read full rule →Canyon County
Some RestrictionsBuilding a residential pool in unincorporated Canyon County requires a permit from the County Development Services…
Read full rule →Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsAbove-ground pools follow the same building path as in-ground pools: they are regulated under the county building…
Read full rule →Meridian
Some RestrictionsMeridian exempts only shallow prefabricated pools from building permits: any prefab pool four feet deep or less needs…
Read full rule →Nampa
Some RestrictionsNampa treats any pool over three feet deep, above-ground and portable models included, as a regulated "swimming pool"…
Read full rule →Pocatello
Some RestrictionsPocatello regulates residential swimming pools, spas and hot tubs under Appendix G of the 2018 International…
Read full rule →Idaho Falls
Light RestrictionsIdaho Falls exempts prefabricated swimming pools four feet deep or less from a building permit, under an amendment to…
Read full rule →Fencing & Safety Requirements
Mandatory barriers around pools, spas, and hot tubs, minimum heights, self-latching gate specs, and the alarm, cover, and anti-entrapment rules that ride along with them.
Idaho: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsIdaho requires every licensed day care with a pool, hot tub, or pond on the premises to enclose it with a fence at…
Read full rule →Ada County
Some RestrictionsResidential pool safety in Ada County is enforced through the AG 105 barrier. Public/commercial pools must follow Idaho…
Read full rule →Bannock County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Bannock County requires every private swimming pool to be fenced or otherwise protected against…
Read full rule →Boise
Some RestrictionsBoise's Development Code defines an improperly maintained or secured swimming pool or hot tub as an 'attractive…
Read full rule →Bonneville County
Some RestrictionsA swimming pool in unincorporated Bonneville County that isn't inside a building with solid walls must sit at least 5…
Read full rule →Caldwell
Some RestrictionsCaldwell requires every swimming pool, in every zoning district, to sit back at least 10 feet from all property lines…
Read full rule →Canyon County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Canyon County enforces pool-barrier safety through the 2018 International Residential Code's Appendix G…
Read full rule →Coeur Dalene
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Coeur d'Alene, every public, semipublic and private pool, spa or hot tub that can hold twenty-four…
Read full rule →Kootenai County
Some RestrictionsA residential hot tub or spa is handled like a pool under the county building code's adopted IRC. Idaho ended its…
Read full rule →Meridian
Some RestrictionsMeridian requires any outdoor swimming pool under its arts, entertainment or recreation facility land-use standards to…
Read full rule →Nampa
Some RestrictionsNampa requires a 5-foot property-line setback for uncovered pools plus either a safety cover or a fence meeting 2018…
Read full rule →Twin Falls County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Twin Falls County requires any swimming pool not fully enclosed inside a building to sit back at least…
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