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Swimming Pools & Spas in Pennsylvania (2026)

49 rules on the books across Pennsylvania, 27 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.

Abington

Some Restrictions

Abington Township requires a building permit before anyone constructs a swimming pool, bathing place, artificial body…

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Allentown

Some Restrictions

A City of Allentown building permit is required before installing any indoor or outdoor hot tub, spa, above-ground or…

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Bensalem

Some Restrictions

Building a residential swimming pool in Bensalem Township requires an alteration-of-land permit under Section 232-763…

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Berks County

Some Restrictions

Your Berks County municipality issues the building permit through Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code. Under 34…

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Bethlehem

Some Restrictions

Bethlehem requires a building permit before any swimming pool goes in, under the city's adoption of the Pennsylvania…

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Bristol

Some Restrictions

In Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania, a zoning permit is required to locate, construct or maintain a noncommercial swimming…

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Bristol Township

Some Restrictions

In Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, a building permit is required to locate, construct or maintain a swimming pool…

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Chester County

Some Restrictions

A backyard pool at a single-family home needs only a municipal building permit under the PA Uniform Construction Code…

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Delaware County

Some Restrictions

Above-ground residential pools are regulated by your municipality under the PA Uniform Construction Code, not by…

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Erie

Some Restrictions

The City of Erie requires a building permit for any swimming pool deeper than 24 inches, and the pool, hot tub, or spa…

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Franklin Township

Some Restrictions

A residential swimming pool in Franklin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania counts as a structure, so it cannot be…

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Harrisburg

Some Restrictions

In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the building code exempts one kind of pool from a permit: a prefabricated pool…

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Haverford

Some Restrictions

In Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, no swimming pool can be constructed without a permit secured in…

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Lancaster County

Some Restrictions

Lancaster County issues no residential pool permits. A private single-family pool needs a building permit from your…

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Lower Merion

Some Restrictions

Before Lower Merion Township will issue a building permit to construct or install a residential swimming pool, §…

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Monroe County

Some Restrictions

In Monroe County an above-ground pool wall serves as the required barrier only where it stands at least 48 inches high…

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Montgomery County

Some Restrictions

Yes. A residential pool holding water more than 24 inches deep needs a UCC building permit from your municipality (not…

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Penn Hills

Some Restrictions

Penn Hills requires anyone installing an above-ground portable pool over 100 cubic feet to register it with the…

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Philadelphia

Some Restrictions

A Philadelphia building permit is required to install most in-ground and above-ground pools and spas; small…

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Pittsburgh

Some Restrictions

Pittsburgh's building code exempts prefabricated above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep from a building permit…

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Pottstown

Some Restrictions

Pottstown requires a Licensing and Inspections permit before building or replacing any residential pool, though a…

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Reading

Some Restrictions

In Reading, a portable above-ground pool under 125 square feet and 2 feet deep needs no zoning permit; larger pools…

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Scranton

Some Restrictions

Scranton's zoning code requires outdoor pools 18 inches deep or 72 square feet or larger to be built to Uniform…

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Upper Darby

Some Restrictions

Upper Darby requires a building permit before installing an in-ground pool or private swimming pool. The Department of…

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York County

Some Restrictions

Above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches need a UCC permit and a compliant barrier under Pennsylvania code. Small…

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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.

Pennsylvania: statewide

StatewideHeavy Restrictions

Pennsylvania's Public Bathing Place Act regulates safety, lifeguards, and water quality at public, semi-public, and…

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Allentown

Heavy Restrictions

Allentown's Chapter 556 is silent on fencing, so pool barriers are set by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code…

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Erie

Heavy Restrictions

A residential swimming pool, hot tub, or spa in the City of Erie must comply with the barrier provisions of the…

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Lancaster County

Heavy Restrictions

Residential pool safety is set by the statewide PA Uniform Construction Code (2021 ISPSC), not the county. Public pools…

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Philadelphia

Heavy Restrictions

Every Philadelphia pool, spa, or hot tub must be restricted by one of three approved barrier options, the standard…

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Abington

Some Restrictions

Every swimming pool, bathing place, or artificial body of water in Abington Township deeper than two feet, and not…

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Bensalem

Some Restrictions

Bensalem Township requires any pool, spa, or hot tub 18 inches deep or more at a one- or two-family home to sit at…

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Bristol

Some Restrictions

In Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania, a permanent pool above or below grade, except hot tubs and spas, must be completely…

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Bristol Township

Some Restrictions

In Bristol Township, an outdoor swimming pool, whether in-ground, aboveground or on-ground, and any hot tub or spa…

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Chester County

Some Restrictions

A spa or hot tub is defined by Chester County as a structure up to 48 inches deep with recirculation or air injection…

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Delaware County

Some Restrictions

A residential hot tub or spa is regulated like a pool under the PA Uniform Construction Code's ISPSC 2021, enforced by…

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Franklin Township

Some Restrictions

In Franklin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, every swimming pool must sit in the side or rear yard, stay at…

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Haverford

Some Restrictions

In Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, any swimming pool where water can collect deeper than two feet…

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Lower Merion

Some Restrictions

Lower Merion Township requires fences around swimming facilities to meet the standards of the Pennsylvania Uniform…

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Lower Paxton

Some Restrictions

In Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, an in-ground pool in any zoning district must be enclosed by a…

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Millcreek

Some Restrictions

Private swimming pools in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania must meet the barrier requirements of the…

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Montgomery County

Some Restrictions

PUBLIC pools and spas in Montgomery County are regulated by the county Office of Public Health and require a PA…

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Penn Hills

Some Restrictions

Penn Hills requires every private swimming pool to be enclosed by a four-to-six-foot fence with gaps under two inches…

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Pittsburgh

Some Restrictions

Pittsburgh's Building Code requires public and commercial hot tubs and spas to meet the ANSI/NSPI-2 1999 national spa…

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Pottstown

Some Restrictions

Pottstown's zoning code requires a fence or wall around the pool area or the whole yard where a pool sits, bans…

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Reading

Some Restrictions

Every swimming pool in Reading needs a permanent barrier at least four feet tall with no opening wider than four…

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Scranton

Some Restrictions

Any Scranton pool holding at least 18 inches of water over 72 square feet must be fenced to at least four feet, with…

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Upper Darby

Some Restrictions

Upper Darby requires every swimming pool, public or private, to be surrounded by a fence meeting the barrier standards…

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Monroe County

Few Restrictions

A hot tub or spa in Monroe County skips the 48-inch barrier when it has a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346. It…

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