Old Bridge, NJ Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Township Code § 164-9 folds pool fencing into the Township's general fence chapter rather than setting its own dimensions: a fence enclosing a swimming pool in Old Bridge Township must satisfy the Swimming Pool Safety Devices section of the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, the state barrier standard the Construction Code Office applies when it reviews a pool permit application under Ch. 108. Because § 164-9 sits inside Chapter 164, the surrounding fence provisions still govern the mechanics of putting one up: a fence permit from the Department of Community Development is required before construction under § 164-1, at the standard $30 fee, and any pool fence over six feet triggers a separate construction permit.

The chapter's material bans in § 164-4, barring barbed wire, electrically charged fencing, canvas and cloth, apply to a pool enclosure the same as any other residential fence, and the finished-side rule in § 164-5 requires the smooth face of the fence to point toward the neighboring property. A homeowner who believes a pool fence requirement creates a hardship can appeal to the Township Council under § 164-8, which may grant a variance once adjacent owners have been notified. There is no separate penalty written for pool fences, so an unpermitted or noncompliant pool barrier falls under the Code's general penalty in § 1-3: a fine up to $1,250, up to 90 days of imprisonment or community service, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense under § 1-4.