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

The barrier requirement sits under UDC § 5.3.6, the Commercial Use Group's Recreation and Entertainment, Outdoor standards in Appendix A, and the UDC's own definitions article pegs a regulated 'swimming pool' as any structure holding more than 24 inches of water, covering in-ground, aboveground, and on-ground pools plus hot tubs and spas. Beyond requiring the barrier itself, the standard fixes placement: on corner lots a pool goes in the rear yard only, on other lots the rear or side yard, always at least 5 feet off the side and rear property lines, and never ahead of the front building plane.

Because pool construction also triggers a building permit, the Planning and Inspections Department reviews plans under the North Carolina Building Code the county adopted by reference at Code § 8-19(b), which is where the specific barrier height, self-closing gate, and latch mechanics come from; the UDC does not restate those dimensions separately. The UDC's Administrator investigates complaints, issues a written notice of violation under § 3.3.2, and a final correction order under § 3.3.3 that can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment within the time limit set in Article 4.

An uncorrected violation exposes the owner to a civil penalty of up to $500 per day under § 3.4.2.C, a Class 3 misdemeanor carrying a maximum $500 fine under § 3.4.2.D, permit revocation or denial, and a stop work order for pool construction that substantially violates the code.