An above-ground pool holding water over 24 inches deep needs a county building permit in unincorporated Yakima County and must meet the same IRC Appendix V barrier rules, though a pool wall 48 inches high can itself serve as the barrier.
Yakima County treats an above-ground pool over 24 inches deep as a regulated swimming pool under the 2018 IRC (WAC 51-51), so the building permit and barrier requirements both apply. The pool's own wall can act as the barrier when it is at least 48 inches high on the outside with no handholds or footholds. Any ladder or steps must be removable, lockable, or secured behind their own compliant barrier. Electrical connections need GFCI protection and NEC Article 680 bonding, permitted through Washington State L&I under WAC 296-46B. Drainage must not discharge onto neighboring property. Temporary pools under 24 inches deep are generally exempt.
Leaving a climbable ladder on an above-ground pool, or a wall under 48 inches without a separate barrier, fails inspection. Building over 24 inches deep without a permit draws doubled fees.
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See how Yakima County's above-ground pools rules stack up against other locations.
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