Buncombe County, NC Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

Buncombe County does not have a separate county pool-barrier ordinance; it administers the North Carolina State Building Code, including Appendix NC-A of the NC Residential Code, through its Permits & Inspections department under N.C. Gen. Stat. Ch. 143, Art. 9. Section NCA105.2.1 requires the top of the barrier to be at least 48 inches above grade measured on the side away from the pool. Section NCA105.2.2 limits openings so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass. Section NCA105.2.3 prohibits indentations or protrusions other than normal construction tolerances. NCA105.2.5 limits vertical-member spacing to 1-3/4 inches when horizontal members are less than 45 inches apart, and NCA105.2.6 allows up to 4 inches when horizontals are 45 inches or more apart. NCA105.2.7 caps chain-link mesh openings at 1-3/4 inches. Vertical clearance under the barrier cannot exceed 2 inches over non-solid surfaces (grass, gravel) or 4 inches over solid surfaces. Gates under NCA105.3 must open outward away from the pool, be self-closing, and have a self-latching device; if the latch is below 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, it must be on the pool side with no opening greater than 0.5 inch within 18 inches of the latch. Public/community pools are separately regulated under 15A NCAC 18A .2528 by Buncombe County Environmental Health, which requires a continuous fence at least 4 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates.