Tehama County, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

Tehama County's Chapter 15.24 does not state a local fence height. Instead it adopts the California Residential Code Swimming Pool Safety Act and requires (Section 15.24.040) that new or remodeled pools and spas at single-family homes include at least two of seven drowning-prevention safety features, with one of the two being an enclosure or safety cover. The technical barrier dimensions come from California Health and Safety Code Section 115923, which the County enforces through the permit. Under Section 115923, a qualifying enclosure must have a minimum height of 60 inches, a maximum vertical clearance from the ground to the bottom of the enclosure of two inches, and any gaps or voids cannot allow passage of a four-inch sphere. Access gates must open away from the pool and be self-closing with a self-latching device placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground, and the outside surface must be free of handholds or footholds a child under five could use to climb over. The Section 115922 menu also recognizes alternatives such as ASTM-compliant removable mesh fencing with a self-closing/self-latching gate, an approved safety pool cover, and door/water alarms. Because Tehama County defers to state law here, these state figures are the operative fencing standard in the unincorporated county.