Daly City, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Above-Ground Pools (2026)

Under CBC Sec. 105.2 as adopted through Daly City Municipal Code Title 15, prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a single-family home are exempt from building permits only if they are less than 24 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons, and are installed entirely above ground. Deeper or larger above-ground pools need the same building, plumbing, and electrical permits as in-ground pools, including the per-pool plumbing unit fee in the city's Master Fee Schedule (Fee No. 3.89, $179.00 each in FY 2025). State law defines a swimming pool broadly: Cal. Health and Safety Code Sec. 115921(a) covers any structure for swimming or recreational bathing containing water over 18 inches deep, expressly including aboveground structures, so the Swimming Pool Safety Act's two-of-seven safety feature requirement applies whenever a building permit is issued for new construction or remodeling. Daly City's storm drain rules (DCMC Title 14) also apply when emptying an above-ground pool: only dechlorinated, properly managed discharges are exempt from the non-stormwater discharge prohibition.