Appleton, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Section 4-549 requires all private residential swimming pools, in-ground or aboveground, to be enclosed with an adequate and secure fence at least 48 inches high above adjoining grade, built to prohibit the passage of a six-inch sphere between fence members. Any gate must have self-closing and self-latching hardware mounted on the inside of the gate at least 30 inches above ground level. A pool dome, pool-top fencing extending at least 48 inches above ground, or a pool cover rated to support 100 pounds per square inch can substitute for a perimeter fence, but a cover must be fixed securely in place whenever the pool is unsupervised.

Section 4-549(b) exempts above-grade pools whose own walls are at least 48 inches high at every point, or whose platform and railing are 48 inches or higher with railing gaps no greater than 4 inches, from the separate-fence requirement, though ladders and stairways must still be secured to block access when the pool is not in use. This article applies to all new, remodeled, altered and relocated pools on one- and two-family residential properties, and Section 4-544 made the fencing rule retroactive to existing pools, giving owners 12 months from the article's 2009 adoption to comply, with reconstructed or relocated pools required to comply at the time of the work. The Board of Zoning Appeals can grant variances from these requirements under Section 4-547.