Small prefabricated above-ground pools under 24 inches deep, holding 5,000 gallons or less and installed entirely above ground, are exempt from building permits in Sammamish. Larger above-ground pools need permits and must meet the adopted 2021 ISPSC barrier rules. Where the pool wall is the barrier, it must be 48 inches high and the ladder must be removable or lockable.
Sammamish applies the adopted 2021 ISPSC (SMC 16.05.157) and the property maintenance code (SMC Chapter 16.25) to above-ground pools. Following the Washington building-code guidance used in King County, a prefabricated above-ground pool accessory to a single-family home is exempt from a building permit only if it is less than 24 inches deep, holds no more than 5,000 gallons, and sits entirely above ground. Above-ground pools more than two feet deep must satisfy barrier requirements. Where only the pool wall serves as the barrier, the bottom of the wall is on grade, the top of the wall (or a barrier mounted on top of it) must be at least 48 inches above grade around the entire perimeter, and the wall and any top-mounted barrier must comply with the standard barrier provisions. In addition, the ladder or steps must be capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access, OR the ladder/steps must be surrounded by a complying barrier. When the ladder is secured, locked or removed, any opening created must not allow passage of a 4-inch sphere. Mesh fences may not be installed on top of on-ground pool walls. Even permit-exempt pools must still meet SMC 16.25 barrier rules if water depth exceeds 36 inches.
Installing a permit-required above-ground pool without a permit, or leaving a fixed ladder accessible on an unbarriered above-ground pool, violates SMC Title 16. The City can require a complying barrier, a removable/lockable ladder, or removal of the installation. Property-maintenance barrier rules still apply even to permit-exempt pools.
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