Cherry Hill, NJ Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Section 23-4a of the Revised General Ordinances requires that every swimming pool, whether constructed before or after the ordinance's adoption, be completely surrounded with a fence having a minimum height of six feet, with no opening in excess of two inches unless the openings have locking devices. The requirement applies retroactively to pools already in place as well as new ones, meaning an existing unfenced Cherry Hill Township backyard pool is out of compliance under the plain text of the section, not just newly permitted pools.

Section 23-5 carves out a narrow exemption: the fencing chapter does not apply to a portable pool under six feet in diameter or one that can hold six inches or less of water, covering small kiddie pools rather than standard above-ground or in-ground residential pools. 1, since a newly built or altered pool cannot lawfully be used until that certificate issues, and the certificate can be rescinded if the pool is not properly operated, which in practice ties back to compliance with the fencing standard.

Chapter 40's zoning regulations at Section 40-431G separately address pool and cabana siting and setback standards; Section 23-4 is the operative fence-height and opening-size rule itself.