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

140 folds pool-barrier compliance directly into the final sign-off for every swimming pool built in the unincorporated county: the building official must complete the final plumbing, electrical, structural, pool barrier, alarm, and mechanical inspections before the contractor applies the finished plaster coat or fills the pool with water. Because the inspection is tied to the physical barrier required around the pool, a contractor cannot plaster or fill the shell until the enclosing fence or wall, along with any required self-closing gates and pool alarms, has been field-verified by the building and safety division.

The section also requires that mechanical and electrical equipment serving the pool, such as pumps, heaters, and filters, be mechanically fastened to the structure or to a concrete equipment slab, so loose or improvised equipment mounts fail the same final inspection. 070 before any barrier or equipment work begins, administered by the deputy director of buildings in the Community and Economic Development Department. 18. What the county-specific rule adds is the enforcement point: the barrier and alarm sign-off happens at the final swimming-pool inspection, not earlier and not later.