Hendersonville, TN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Fence required
- Pool/hot tub enclosed per Chapter 10.4.11 fence rules
- Rear yard setback
- Pool, apron, deck: 5 feet from every lot line
- Front-yard pools
- Allowed only with 90% evergreen screen or 6-ft wall
- Walkway setback
- 5 ft at grade; 10 ft if deck raised 1+ ft
- Permit
- Zoning Permit required before construction begins
- Fence height (rear yard)
- Up to 8 feet, no separate fence permit
- Penalty
- $50 misdemeanor fine per day of violation
Summary
Every swimming pool and hot tub in Hendersonville must be enclosed by a fence that meets the city's residential fence standards, the adopted pool code, and any other applicable law. The pool itself has to sit in the rear yard at least five feet off every lot line, or be screened with evergreen landscaping or a six-foot wall if placed between the house and the street.
10.4.25.1 | LOCATION
A. Swimming Pools (including apron and decks), hot tubs (including apron and deck), and any related equipment are permitted within the rear yard and must be located at least five feet from any lot line. These items are not permitted within easements.
B. Swimming pools and hot tubs may be located between the house and the front lot line or the corner street lot line provided they do not encroach into the required front yard setbacks and provided they are screened from view from the street(s) with evergreen landscaping... or enclosed with a wall, six feet in height minimum, which is constructed of the same materials as the house and are otherwise architecturally consistent with the house. Plans drawn up by a licensed architect must be submitted to and approved by the Planning Department prior to the issuance of the Zoning Permit.
C. A Zoning Permit must be secured prior to commencement of construction. 10.4.25.3 | FENCING All pools and hot tubs shall be enclosed by a fence conforming to the requirement of Chapter 10.4.11 (Fences) of this Ordinance, the City's pool code, and any other law.
Full Breakdown
Section 10.4.25.3 of the Zoning Ordinance (Ord. 2025-19, effective November 18, 2025, revised February 4, 2026) requires that all pools and hot tubs be enclosed by a fence conforming to the requirement of Chapter 10.4.11 (Fences) of the Ordinance, the City's pool code, and any other law. That points to the general residential fence chapter, where fences in the rear yard and interior side yards may run up to eight feet tall and can sit as close to the property line as the owner wants, without a separate fence permit (Section 10.4.11.2.C).
The pool itself is governed by Section 10.4.25.1. Pools, hot tubs, their aprons and decks, and related equipment must sit in the rear yard at least five feet from any lot line, and none of it may go in an easement. A pool can instead sit between the house and the front or corner-side lot line, but only if it stays out of the required front setback and is screened from the street: either evergreen landscaping tall and thick enough to block 90 percent of the view, or a six-foot wall built of the same material as the house, with plans stamped by a licensed architect and approved by the Planning Department before the Zoning Permit issues. That screening has to stay in place for as long as the pool does.
Walkways add their own setback under Section 10.4.25.2: a grade-level walkway or deck around the pool must stay five feet off every lot line, and any walkway or deck raised a foot or more above grade needs ten feet. Separately, the city's Property, Building and Utility Code adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as Title 12, Chapter 7 of the Municipal Code, which the Codes Department enforces alongside these zoning setbacks and the fence requirement.
Violations & Fines
Building a pool, deck or required screen without the Zoning Permit, or removing the street-side screening once it's approved, violates the Zoning Ordinance. Section 4.13 makes any Zoning Ordinance violation a misdemeanor carrying a $50.00 fine, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense and additional daily penalties allowed by law. The Planning Department reviews the required architect-stamped screening plans before it will issue the permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hendersonville require a fence around a backyard pool?
How far from the property line does a pool have to be in Hendersonville?
Can I put a pool between my house and the street in Hendersonville?
What happens if I build a pool in Hendersonville without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hendersonville
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