Johnson County and its cities require a 48-inch barrier around a residential pool or spa under the International Residential Code they enforce. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch out of a child's reach.
The building code enforced in unincorporated Johnson County and in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty sets a residential pool barrier at least 48 inches (4 feet) high, measured on the side facing away from the pool, with no easily climbable footholds. Gates must open away from the pool, self-close, and self-latch, with the latch at least 54 inches high or mounted on the pool side. A house wall may form part of the barrier when the doors leading to the pool have alarms or self-closing hardware. Set fence posts below Iowa's roughly 42-inch frost line so they hold through freeze-thaw.
A barrier under 48 inches, or a gate that fails to self-latch, fails inspection. The building department withholds approval to fill and use the pool until the fence complies.
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See how Johnson County's fencing requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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