Anderson County, SC Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Anderson County does not write its own swimming pool fencing rule; instead § 8-79(b) adopts by reference only a hand-picked list of International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) sections, and Section 303, the IPMC's swimming-pool, spa and hot-tub safety provision, is one of them. Rather than use the IPMC's own definition of a protective enclosure, the county specifically substitutes the definition of "Barrier" found in Section 202 of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, so any dispute over what counts as a compliant pool barrier in unincorporated Anderson County turns on that ISPSC definition rather than the IPMC's.

2 and 308, and the county council expressly declined to adopt any IPMC sections dealing with the qualification, discipline or administrative procedures of building officials. Under § 8-81, these standards control the use, maintenance and occupancy of every structure, including a fenced pool enclosure, in the unincorporated areas of the county, and the county building and codes department has authority to review and enforce them. Section 8-79(d) resolves any conflict between the adopted IPMC provisions and the county's own code in favor of the county code.

Because these sections are incorporated by reference rather than reprinted, a pool owner needs both the current IPMC and ISPSC editions in hand, alongside the county code, to see the full barrier specification.