Texas has no statewide residential pool-fence law, and counties cannot code-enforce ordinary homes. El Paso County is an exception: it adopted the International Residential Code for unincorporated areas under Local Government Code 233, Subchapter F, so the IRC pool-barrier standard applies to new residential pools it inspects.
For residential pools, Texas relies on the building code a jurisdiction adopts, not a standalone fence statute. Most Texas counties cannot regulate one- or two-family dwellings, so a typical unincorporated area has no county pool-fence rule. El Paso County differs: through its Subchapter F program it enforces the International Residential Code as adopted by the City of El Paso. The IRC requires residential pools to be enclosed by a barrier - generally at least 48 inches high, no openings passing a 4-inch sphere, and gates that are self-closing, self-latching, and open away from the pool. This is a construction-inspection requirement, not zoning. Statewide Chapter 757 pool-yard-enclosure rules apply only to rental and HOA pools, not single-family homes.
In the unincorporated county, a new residential pool lacking the IRC barrier fails the Subchapter F inspection. Because counties cannot zone, the County cannot cite fence height or location as a zoning matter. Inside a city, a non-compliant barrier is
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See how El Paso County's fencing requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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