Residential swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas in Edmonds must comply with the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) adopted at ECDC 19.35.000 and the 2021 International Residential Code Appendix AG, both adopted statewide under RCW 19.27.031 (WAC 51-51, WAC 51-50). The baseline residential barrier is at least 48 inches high, with self-closing/self-latching gates and openings that will not pass a 4-inch sphere. Public and semi-public pools (apartments, hotels, schools) are regulated by Snohomish Health Department under WAC 246-260-031. Edmonds also caps fence height at six feet under ECDC 17.30.000, and pool/spa structures must meet the accessory-structure setbacks of the underlying zoning district under Title 16 ECDC.
ECDC 19.35.000 adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) as published by the International Code Council, exclusive of Chapter 1 of that code, which is replaced by ECDC 19.00 administration provisions. Edmonds also adopts the 2021 IRC and 2021 IBC at ECDC 19.00 (effective March 15, 2024), bringing in IRC Appendix AG (residential pool/spa barriers) through WAC 51-51. Under IRC Appendix AG (Section AG105), residential pools and spas capable of holding water more than 24 inches deep must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches in height measured on the side of the barrier facing away from the pool, with no openings that allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter sphere and no more than a 2-inch clearance from grade at the bottom. Where horizontal members on the pool side are less than 45 inches apart, vertical spacing must not exceed 1.75 inches; chain-link mesh openings cannot exceed 1.25 inches without slats reducing the opening to 1.75 inches. Pedestrian gates must be self-closing and self-latching, open outward away from the pool, and where the latch release is less than 54 inches above grade, the release must be on the pool side of the gate at least 3 inches below the gate top with no openings greater than 0.5 inch within 18 inches of the release. Doors from the dwelling that open directly into the pool area must have an alarm or be equipped with a self-closing/self-latching door with hardware 54 inches or more above the floor, or the pool must have a powered safety cover meeting ASTM F1346. Public and semi-public pools (apartment complexes, hotels, schools, HOAs) come under WAC 246-260-031, which requires barriers of at least 60 inches (limited-use) or 72 inches (general-use) with stricter mesh and ladder-effect controls, inspected by the Snohomish Health Department. Separately, ECDC 17.30.000 limits residential fences to six feet maximum height (measured from the lowest original grade) without a variance, ECDC 17.30.010 imposes a 3-foot height limit within 10 feet of a street right-of-way or 30 feet of a corner unless the city engineer approves up to 6 feet, and ECDC 16.20 site development standards govern accessory-structure setbacks for the pool itself. Building permits for pools, spas, and barriers are issued by the Edmonds Development Services Department / Building Division.
Building Code violations are enforced by the Edmonds Development Services Department through ECDC Title 19 administration: notices of violation, stop-work orders, denial of final inspection, and civil penalties under ECDC 20.110. An unpermitted or non-compliant pool barrier triggers a permit hold and a corrective deadline; building work without a permit can result in double permit fees on the after-the-fact application. The Snohomish Health Department separately enforces WAC 246-260 against regulated public/semi-public pools and may close a facility until barrier deficiencies are corrected. Washington courts treat residential pools as an attractive nuisance, so a barrier that fails IRC Appendix AG can be evidence of negligence in drowning litigation.
Edmonds, WA
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