Gulfport, MS Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

Gulfport enforces pool safety through its adopted IRC/IBC, not a stand-alone municipal pool ordinance. Mississippi's framework: Miss. Code Ann. §17-2-1 et seq. created the Mississippi Building Codes Council and authorizes IRC/IBC adoption; Miss. Code Ann. §21-19-25 lets municipalities adopt and amend nationally recognized codes by reference. IRC R326 / Appendix G governs residential pool barriers. Key requirements: barrier minimum 48 inches (4 ft) high measured on the side facing away from the pool; openings cannot allow passage of a 4-inch sphere; bottom of barrier within 2 inches of grade on solid surfaces and within 4 inches above grade on grass; vertical members maximum 1.75 inches apart on barriers under 45 inches tall; gates must open outward from the pool, be self-closing and self-latching, with the release mechanism at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate or located on the pool side with screening; where a wall of the dwelling forms part of the barrier, doors must have alarms or self-closing/self-latching mechanisms. The Mississippi William Lee Montjoy Pool Safety Act (Miss. Code Ann. §45-43-1 through §45-43-31) imposes additional requirements on pools owned, controlled, or maintained by property-owner associations: §45-43-7 mandates a complete pool-yard enclosure; §45-43-9 sets gate-and-latch standards (latch at 60 inches above ground unless on pool side and within 3 inches of top); for new pool yard enclosures constructed after July 1, 2012, chain-link fencing materials are prohibited and diagonal fence members lower than 49 inches above ground are prohibited. Gulfport permits are issued by the Urban Development Department / Building Code Services, (228) 868-5700. Public/commercial pools fall under Mississippi State Department of Health regulations (15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 18).