Elko County, NV Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Elko County Code § 4-8-6(B) treats a swimming pool as a permitted accessory use in any district in unincorporated Elko County, Nevada, with three conditions. The pool cannot be located in a required front yard. It cannot be nearer than three feet to any fence or building wall. And all swimming pools must be enclosed by a fence, hedge or wall, subject to the approval of the Planning Commission, in order to prevent a public nuisance.

The enclosure rule is discretionary rather than a fixed specification. The section prints no fence height, no latch or gate hardware requirement and no self-closing standard, so the Planning Commission decides whether the proposed fence, hedge or wall is acceptable. Other fence provisions supply some numbers. Section 4-8-8(A) caps fences, walls and hedges at six feet and holds them to three and one-half feet in a required front yard, but § 4-8-8(B) exempts a protective fence enclosing a swimming pool from those height limits if it is built of wire or steel mesh capable of transmitting at least ninety percent light.

Pools inside mobile home and recreational vehicle parks follow Chapter 11 of Title 4. Section 4-11-13(D) bars outdoor pools from any required front yard or utility easement, keeps them at least five feet from any lot line or building (fifteen feet from any lot line for public pools), puts heaters, pumps and filters at least five feet from any lot line, and requires pools to be adequately protected to discourage unauthorized access.

On the building side, § 3-1-1(G) adopts the 2018 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code, and § 3-1-4(G) leaves the swimming pool, spa and hot tub permit fee schedule to a resolution adopted by the Elko County commission. The cities of Elko, Carlin, Wells and West Wendover apply their own pool rules.