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

The City of Noblesville regulates residential swimming pools as an accessory use under § 159.121(D)(20) of the Unified Development Ordinance. The threshold provision applies to any swimming pool, spa, or hot tub at least 42 inches deep and 12 feet in diameter; smaller portable pools fall outside this size trigger. For a permanent pool that meets that threshold, division (a) requires the pool to be protected by a surrounding fence at least four feet in height, maintained to prevent access by small children or animals, or alternatively by a safety pool cover meeting all specifications set forth in the adopted Indiana Swimming Pool Code, as amended.

The ordinance gives owners flexibility on where the barrier sits: the fence may be located around either the pool itself or the property on which the pool is located, so an existing perimeter yard fence at least four feet tall can satisfy the requirement without a separate pool enclosure, provided it is maintained to keep out small children and animals. Non-permanent pools are treated differently under division (b): they must meet the general accessory-building structure regulations in § 159.121(B) and (C) but are exempt from the safety-fence and screening rules that apply to permanent pools.

Because the fence-or-cover standard ties into the state's adopted Swimming Pool Code, a homeowner installing a cover in lieu of fencing should confirm the cover's specifications with the Building Commissioner before relying on it in place of a physical barrier, since an approved cover must meet that separate code's own requirements.