Knox County, TN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum fence height
- 4 feet
- Governing section
- Knox County Code § 10-238
- Permit prerequisite
- Health department plan approval
- Penalty range
- $50.00 to $500.00 per violation
- Grandfathered pools
- Pre-1991 pools meeting old thresholds
- Abandoned pool rule
- Must be filled in, § 10-239
Summary
Private pools in unincorporated Knox County must be walled or fenced at least four feet high and kept in good condition under Code § 10-238, and pool plans cannot be approved for a permit unless they include that fence and win county health department sign-off.
(a)All swimming pools shall be so walled or fenced so as to prevent uncontrolled access by children from the street or from adjacent properties. Such fence or wall shall not be less than four feet in height and shall be maintained in good condition.(b)No swimming pool shall be permitted in the county unless the plans for such swimming pool include plans for building a fence or wall around the swimming pool in compliance with this section. No swimming pool shall be permitted by the county codes enforcement department unless the swimming pool plans have been approved by the county health department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (a) requires every pool to be "so walled or fenced so as to prevent uncontrolled access by children from the street or from adjacent properties," sets a four-foot minimum height for that fence or wall, and requires it to be "maintained in good condition" on an ongoing basis, not just at the time of construction. Subsection (b) folds the fence requirement into the permit process itself: no pool may be permitted in the county unless the submitted plans include the fence or wall, and no pool may be permitted by the county codes enforcement department unless those plans have first been approved by the county health department.
The county's definitions section, § 10-236, exempts two categories of existing pools from the whole division: pools that existed on May 20, 1991 with a fence already three feet or taller, and pools built before June 1, 1991 on a lot of one acre or more zoned agricultural or estates. Abandoned pools are addressed separately at § 10-239, which requires any pool not used for a year, presumed abandoned, to be filled with concrete, dirt or similar material rather than left as an open hazard.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the private pool division, including an unfenced pool or a fence below the four-foot minimum, are punishable under § 10-240 by a monetary penalty and forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 per violation. The director of codes enforcement can also seek injunctive relief in addition to that penalty to force a noncompliant pool into compliance with the fencing requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall must a pool fence be in unincorporated Knox County?
Can I get a pool permit without fence plans in Knox County?
Are any older pools exempt from the fencing rule?
What happens if my pool fence doesn't meet code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
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