Colorado Springs, CO Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Pool barriers in Colorado Springs are governed by the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), which the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) adopted as part of the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code and enforces citywide. Under ISPSC Section 305, all outdoor swimming pools, spas, and indoor pools must be surrounded by a barrier with the top at least 48 inches above grade (measured on the outside, extending 3 feet out). The bottom of the barrier may be no more than 2 inches above non-solid surfaces such as grass and gravel, and 4 inches maximum above solid surfaces such as concrete.

Openings in the barrier must not allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter sphere, and solid barriers must not contain handholds or footholds. For chain link fences, the maximum mesh opening is 1-3/4 inches. Pedestrian access gates must open outward, be self-closing, and have a self-latching device; where the latch release on the outside of the barrier is not self-locking it must be at least 54 inches high, and where the mechanism is inside the barrier, openings within 18 inches of the latch must be 1/2 inch maximum.

Pool pumps, filters, and heaters located outside the barrier must be at least 3 feet from it. Where a dwelling wall serves as part of the barrier, doors and operable windows within 48 inches of the indoor finished floor that provide direct pool access must have a UL 2017 water-hazard entrance alarm. As an alternative to a fence, a powered safety cover complying with ASTM F1346 (for pools) or a lockable cover (for spas and hot tubs) may satisfy the barrier requirement. Colorado's own state pool regulation, 5 CCR 1003-5, applies only to public and semi-public pools, not private single-family residential pools, so the ISPSC barrier rules are the controlling standard for backyard pools.