Maricopa, AZ Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

The City of Maricopa's zoning code (MCC 18.80.120) does not spell out its own fence heights; instead it directs owners to the current adopted building codes for the minimum barrier requirements, and it requires a minimum three-foot setback from the water edge to the lot perimeter barrier or fence. The governing safety standard comes from Arizona Revised Statutes 36-1681, which applies statewide to pools 18 inches or more deep and wider than 8 feet intended for swimming. Under A.R.S. 36-1681, the pool must be entirely enclosed by at least a five-foot wall, fence, or other barrier measured on the exterior side. There must be no openings through which a four-inch-diameter spherical object can pass; horizontal members must be at least 45 inches apart (or placed on the pool side with openings no greater than 1.75 inches); and wire mesh or chain-link must have a maximum mesh size of 1.75 inches. The barrier must be at least 20 inches from the water's edge and have no exterior handholds or footholds. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, open outward from the pool, with the latch at least 54 inches above the ground. Where a residence forms part of the enclosure, ground-level doors with direct pool access must have a self-latching device. A key statutory exception: these enclosure rules do not apply to a residence in which all residents are at least six years of age.