Fairfield, CT Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Section 93-11C requires residential swimming pools to be protected by fencing or a permanent enclosure, either around the pool itself or the whole property, so the water is inaccessible to small children from outside. The fencing or enclosure, including any gates, must stand at least four feet above the ground, and gates must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch mounted four feet up or otherwise placed out of small children's reach. Buildings can count as part of the enclosure, and natural barriers qualify too if they give protection equal to the fence-gate-latch standard.

Aboveground pools get an exception: if they're guarded by steps with a self-closing, self-latching gate at least four feet high, or have vertical sides at least four feet high with steps that one person can easily remove, no separate fencing is required. Section 93-11A separately bars any overhead electrical conductor within 20 feet of a pool's perimeter and requires metal fences, enclosures or railings near the pool to be grounded against electrical charge from a broken conductor. An abandoned or permanently discontinued pool must be filled, regraded or covered to the satisfaction of the Supervisor of the Building Inspection Department under § 93-11B.

The Supervisor and the Director of Health inspect for compliance under § 93-12, and the Director of Health can suspend use of a pool found to be a health hazard.