Mariposa County, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

Because all of Mariposa County is unincorporated, the County Building Department enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act directly. The County's pool handout lists drowning as a main safety concern and requires a 'safety device or enclosure that is approved by the California Health and Safety Code sections 115920-115929.' Under that state act (Health & Safety Code 115922), when a building permit is issued for a new or remodeled pool or spa at a private single-family home, the pool must be equipped with at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention safety features. Those seven features include: an enclosure that isolates the pool from the home; removable mesh fencing meeting ASTM F2286 with a self-closing, self-latching gate; an ASTM F1346-compliant safety pool cover; exit alarms on doors/windows leading to the pool; a self-closing, self-latching device on doors with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor; an approved pool alarm; and other approved protective means independently verified by a testing laboratory. Importantly, the County notes one local distinction in its building handout: under 2025 CBC §105.2, ordinary fences may be up to 7 feet high without a permit, but this exemption does NOT apply to swimming pool barriers — pool barriers are regulated under the pool safety provisions. Contact the Building Department for the specific barrier dimensions reviewed at plan check.