Macon-Bibb County, GA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

11[4] of the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution, the county's zoning code, sets the pool enclosure standard. All swimming pools, whether above or in ground, must be completely enclosed by a fence or wall. That enclosure cannot be less than 4 feet in height and must have both a self-latching and self-closing gate. The code specifically closes a common workaround: fences or rails built along the deck of an above-ground pool do not qualify as meeting this requirement on their own, so a separate fence or wall meeting the full enclosure standard is required even if the pool deck already has a rail.

Openings in the enclosure fence cannot be large enough to allow a 4-inch diameter sphere to pass through, which rules out wide-gap picket or ornamental fencing as a qualifying barrier. 11[4](b): every gate must swing outward, away from the pool, and must be both self-closing and self-latching, matching the requirement for the enclosure fence itself. These pool rules sit inside the same fence chapter that sets the general residential height cap of 8 feet for side and rear yards, so a compliant pool enclosure can be built anywhere between the 4-foot minimum and the district's general fence height ceiling.