Midway City, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

The OC Public Works Swimming Pool/Spa Note Sheet sets the enclosure standard for unincorporated Orange County: a pool and/or spa shall be completely enclosed by 5-foot minimum high fencing and gates with no openings greater than 4 inches. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch a minimum of 5 feet high, and must swing outward (away from the pool). Where any wall of a residential structure or accessory structure is used to complete the enclosure, door openings in that wall must be equipped with exit alarms, or have a self-closing, self-latching device a minimum of 54 inches above the floor. This county note sheet aligns with the California Swimming Pool Safety Act enclosure standard in Health & Safety Code Section 115923, which requires a minimum enclosure height of 60 inches, gates that open away from the pool, and a self-latching device placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground. Glazing within 5 feet of the water edge must be tempered. Because the County's standard mirrors and applies the state Pool Safety Act, the qualifying enclosure functions as one of the two required drowning-prevention safety features (see safety rules). The site plan submitted for the permit must show the proposed pool safety fencing, and it must be reviewed and approved as part of plan check before the permit is issued.