Above-ground pools in Rio Rancho are subject to the same Section 154.77(F)(1) barrier rule. For an above-ground pool, the required six-foot barrier height is measured from outside the fence while the pool is on the inside. A building permit is also required if the pool exceeds the city's depth or volume thresholds.
Rio Rancho's zoning code does not exempt above-ground pools from its barrier requirement. Section 154.77(F)(1) requires a fence around any pool greater than three feet deep or exceeding 5,000 gallons, and the city's pool definition covers a pool 'built into the ground, or situated above the ground' that exceeds 36 inches in depth. The code addresses above-ground pools directly: 'In the event of a grade separation or the erection of an above ground swimming pool, the six-foot minimum height is measured from outside the fence, while the pool is on the inside.' This means the elevated wall of an above-ground pool does not, by itself, satisfy the six-foot barrier; the impediment is judged from the outside of the enclosure. Gates must still be six feet high with a self-closing latch at least 54 inches off the ground, and the common-fence alternative (minimum four feet plus an IBC-compliant hard cover) applies the same way. A pool that meets the depth or gallon thresholds also goes through the city's building permit process. Statewide, the New Mexico Residential Code (Chapter 42, R4205.2) likewise applies its 48-inch barrier rule to above-ground pools; the stricter city rule controls inside Rio Rancho.
Relying on the pool wall alone instead of a six-foot exterior barrier, or installing an above-ground pool without the required permit, are violations subject to correction orders. A barrier declared a hazard must conform or be removed within 30 days.
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See how Rio Rancho's above-ground pools rules stack up against other locations.
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