Canyon County, ID Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Canyon County Code § 06-01-11(2) adopts the 2018 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings to also include Appendix G, 'Swimming Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs,' as part of the building code for unincorporated Canyon County. That means any residential swimming pool, spa or hot tub built outside Caldwell, Nampa and the county's other cities is reviewed against the barrier, gate and enclosure standards printed in Appendix G as part of the permit process administered by the County Development Services Department under § 06-01-09.

The code cross-references the same barrier standard elsewhere: § 07-15-09(2)(E), governing daycare facilities in unincorporated Canyon County, requires that every outdoor play area be completely enclosed by a minimum six-foot barrier both to keep small children in and to screen the play area from neighboring properties, and specifies that the fencing material must meet the swimming pool barrier requirements of the Canyon County building code set forth in chapter 6. That cross-reference confirms Chapter 6's Appendix G standard is the County's actual pool-barrier rule, not just a title on a list.

Enforcement runs through the same building-code officers who administer permits, and applies only in unincorporated territory; a pool built inside Caldwell or Nampa is inspected under that city's own adopted code, not this one.