Middleton, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

42(8) requires that pools not enclosed within a permanent building be completely enclosed by a fence of sufficient strength to prevent access. The barrier must be a maximum of 6 feet and a minimum of 4 feet in height from ground level, and a minimum of 4 feet from the water's edge, with no voids, holes, or openings larger than 4 inches in any dimension. Gates or doors must have self-closing and self-latching devices mounted at the top of the gate on the pool side of the enclosure, except for a residence door that itself forms part of the enclosure.

Subsection (8)(a) waives the fence requirement if every side of the pool structure itself is at least 54 inches tall with a removable ladder or gate, or if a shorter structure has Zoning Administrator-approved wall extensions reaching that height. Existing fences at least 48 inches tall that otherwise comply are grandfathered under (8)(b). 42(9) requires that any pool existing when the chapter was adopted but not properly fenced must be brought into compliance whenever water is placed in it, and the Building Inspector inspects enclosures on existing pools for compliance. 42(5).