Akron, OH Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- In-ground enclosure height
- At least 4 feet above grade
- Aboveground guard fence height
- At least 36 inches
- Gate latch height
- 4 feet above grade
- Gate type required
- Self-latching, inaccessible to small children
- Triggering depth
- 24 inches of water or more
- Walkway around larger pools
- 3-foot walkway required
Summary
Akron law makes every pool owner enclose a pool 24 inches deep or more with a barrier at least four feet high with self-latching gates. Aboveground pools need only a 36-inch guard fence, but access must still be blocked to children.
Every person owning land on which there is a swimming pool, which contains twenty-four inches (six hundred ten millimeters) or more of water in depth at any point, shall erect and maintain an adequate enclosure surrounding either the property or swimming pool area, sufficient to make the body of water inaccessible to small children. The enclosure, including gates, shall be not less than four feet (one thousand two hundred nineteen millimeters) above the underlying ground. All gates shall be self-latching with latches placed four feet (one thousand two hundred nineteen millimeters) above the underlying ground and otherwise made inaccessible from the outside to small children.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
107 places the duty directly on the property owner: anyone owning land with a swimming pool containing 24 inches or more of water at any point must erect and maintain an adequate enclosure around either the property or the pool area, sufficient to make the water inaccessible to small children. The enclosure, including its gates, must stand not less than four feet above the surrounding ground. Every gate in that enclosure must be self-latching, with the latch mounted four feet above the ground and positioned so it cannot be reached from outside by a small child.
109 sets a separate, lower standard for aboveground pools: a guard fence around an aboveground pool need only be 36 inches high. That section also allows a pool built above ground, less than four feet deep, with a maximum dimension of 24 feet, to carry a top rail up to 15 inches wide on the inside of the fence or guard rail, permits a 5-by-8-foot deck attached to the pool through which lockable entry stairs pass, and requires a three-foot walkway completely around the water for any pool larger or deeper than that.
The same section requires that the pool be sited so rescue efforts are not blocked by obstructions. Both sections trace to Ordinance 388-1998, the ordinance that established Akron's current swimming pool chapter.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain the required enclosure, or leaving a gate that does not self-latch, is a building code violation enforced by the Superintendent of Building Inspection. Chapter 197 sets no pool-specific fine, so the citywide default penalty in § 10.99 applies: up to $150 per offense where no other penalty is specified, with each day the enclosure remains noncompliant counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high does a pool fence have to be in Akron?
Do pool gates need to self-latch in Akron?
Does an aboveground pool still need a fence in Akron?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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