Bristol Township, PA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

The barrier rule sits in § 205-16G(2)(f)[4] of the Bristol Township zoning chapter, one of the conditions that make a swimming pool a permitted accessory use. It applies to an outdoor swimming pool, and the text names the types it covers: an in-ground pool, an aboveground/on-ground pool, and a hot tub/spa. A hot tub or spa is therefore held to the same enclosure rule as a full-size pool.

The standard is a fence or barrier that completely surrounds the swimming pool. Partial fencing, or a fence along only the street side, does not satisfy the wording. The fence or wall shall comply with the applicable regulations in the municipality's adopted BOCA National Building Code.

The section does not print its own height, picket spacing or gate-latch numbers. Instead it sends the reader to the building code. If the adopted BOCA National Building Code does not contain regulations for fences or barriers around swimming pools, or if a municipality has not adopted a BOCA National Building Code, the fence or barrier shall comply with applicable regulations contained in the most recent BOCA National Building Code. An editor's note printed under the subsection points to Chapter 84, Construction Codes, Uniform, which is where the Township's adopted construction codes live.

This barrier requirement is separate from the permit rule in subsection [1], which requires a building permit to locate, construct or maintain the pool, and from the six-foot side and rear setback in subsection [2]. A pool owner in Bristol Township needs all three: the permit, the setback, and the complete enclosure.