Farmington Hills, MI Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Chapter 28's swimming pool article defines Barrier in Sec. 28-26 as a fence, wall, building wall, or combination thereof which completely surrounds the swimming pool and obstructs access to it, and separately defines a Safety cover as an ASTM F1346-91 compliant barrier for pools, spas, hot tubs, and wading pools that reduces drowning risk for children under five by inhibiting access and shedding surface water. Rather than writing its own height or gate-latch specifications, Sec. 28-30 instead points to Chapter 7, Article II, stating that pursuant to section 7-26 the city assumes responsibility for administering and enforcing the State of Michigan Construction Codes, which include provisions applicable to pools, spas, hot tubs, barriers and related matters.

That means the specific barrier height, gate, and latch rules a pool owner must meet come from the state construction code as locally enforced, not from a locally-drafted numeric standard. Barrier compliance still matters locally: Sec. 28-38 requires pools existing since June 4, 1974 that are later removed, expanded, or damaged beyond 25 percent of market value to be rebuilt in full conformity with current requirements, and Sec. 28-39 lets an owner who cannot reasonably meet a pool-location requirement seek a zoning board of appeals variance, though that variance path expressly excludes Sec. 28-30's barrier rule from being waived.