Muncie, IN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Adopted in 1979 under Ordinance No. 474-79 and still codified at Muncie City Code § 150.214, the pool-fencing rule sits inside the zoning code's residence-district standards rather than the building code. Section 150.214(A) limits pools in residence districts to accessory use for a dwelling's own occupants and their guests, or for a nursery school or day camp, and § 150.214(B) sets the minimum barrier: a good quality fence not less than five feet high with posts imbedded in concrete, surrounding the entire area where the pool sits.

Section 150.214(C) then targets the weak point in any pool fence, the gate: every gate or opening, aside from a door through the dwelling or other main building, must be kept securely closed and locked whenever the owner or occupant is not present at the pool. The section also layers on placement and use limits: § 150.214(D) keeps the pool at least four feet from the rear and side lot lines, ten feet from the required setback on a corner lot; § 150.214(E) caps the pool at 40 percent of the rear yard area, excluding garages and other accessory structures; and § 150.214(H) requires the water be chemically treated to the bacterial standards of the Indiana State Sanitary Code for public pools.

Because § 150.214 carries no fine of its own, a violation falls under the citywide general penalty of Muncie City Code § 10.99: a fine of not more than $2,500.00 for each offense for any Code provision lacking a specific penalty.