Caddo Parish, LA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum fence height
- 4 feet
- Gate requirement
- Self-closing with locking device
- Regulated pool size
- 18 inches deep, 100 sq ft
- Correction window after conviction
- 30 days
- Effective date
- Feb. 29, 1984 (Ord. 2119)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Caddo Parish only
Summary
Any swimming pool built in unincorporated Caddo Parish must sit inside a fence or wall at least four feet tall, made of masonry, wood, or chain-link, fitted with a self-closing gate and locking device at every opening. Above-ground pools four feet or taller can skip the separate fence if they use locking entry devices. The rule reaches pools 18 inches deep and 100 square feet or larger.
All swimming pools constructed or installed in the unincorporated portion of the parish shall be completely enclosed by a fence or wall at least four feet in height, constructed of masonry, wood, or chain link wire, except that above-ground pools four feet or greater in height shall not be required to be so enclosed where equipped with locking devices designed to prevent pool entry when unattended or where the ladders, steps, or other pool entry devices are so enclosed. The fence or wall shall be of substantial construction, designed to discourage entry by trespassing children, and shall be provided with a self-closing gate and a locking device at each opening.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Caddo Parish Code of Ordinances § 32-54 requires every swimming pool constructed or installed in the unincorporated parish to be completely enclosed by a fence or wall standing at least four feet high, built of masonry, wood, or chain-link wire. The fence must be of substantial construction designed to discourage entry by trespassing children, and every opening needs a self-closing gate fitted with a locking device. Above-ground pools that are already four feet or taller in their own wall height are excused from the separate fence requirement only if they carry locking devices that block entry when the pool is unattended, or if their ladders, steps, or other entry points are themselves enclosed and locked.
The section defines a regulated 'swimming pool' as any structure not built for agricultural, industrial, drainage, or water-supply purposes that holds water at least 18 inches deep and covers a minimum surface area of 100 square feet, so small kiddie pools and shallow wading pools fall outside the rule. Responsibility runs to every property owner or lessee who builds, installs, or allows installation of a pool on land they own or lease, and it carries forward to successors in title, for any pool put in after February 29, 1984, the effective date set in Ordinance No.
2119. The parish added the current gate and locking-device language through Ordinance No. 2351 in 1986. A separate state law, R.S. 33:4875.1, backs the parish's police-power authority to require these enclosures on residential and commercial pools alike.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under § 32-54 gives the property owner or lessee 30 days from the date of conviction to correct the missing fence, gate, or locking device. Failing to fix it within that window, and every following 30-day period, counts as a new, separate violation, so an uncorrected pool can generate repeated citations. Where the pool section sets no specific fine, the parish's general penalty, § 1-8, applies: up to $500.00 or 30 days in the parish jail, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an above-ground pool need a fence in Caddo Parish?
What counts as a 'swimming pool' under the parish's fencing rule?
Who is responsible if a Caddo Parish pool lacks the required fence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Caddo Parish
Compare Caddo Parish to another location·View the Louisiana swimming pools & spas overview
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