Johnson County, IA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

The UDO's fence chapter, which governs fencing in every zoning district, singles out swimming pools in its own subsection: fencing for swimming pools must be installed in accordance with the standards set in Chapter 8:6 Building Code, the county's amended 2021 International Building and Residential Codes, in addition to the fence chapter itself. That cross-reference means a pool fence is not exempt from the same rules that apply to any other fence on the property, including the six-foot average height cap for a boundary fence and the eight-foot cap for an interior fence, and the requirement that structural supports face the parcel's interior.

Separately, the county's building-permit exemption list gives small, prefabricated pools a break on the pool itself, not the fence: a prefabricated pool that is less than 24 inches deep, holds under 5,000 gallons, and sits entirely above ground does not need a building permit to install. A larger or in-ground pool falls outside that exemption and requires a building permit, which is where the Building Code's pool barrier requirements are administered. Homeowners installing any pool, exempt or not, still need to fence it in compliance with the fence chapter's height and setback rules before filling it with water.