Palm Coast, FL Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

City Code § 15-109, part of the Property Maintenance Code adopted by Ordinance No. 2010-02, splits pool enclosure requirements by use. For nonresidential (public) pools, spas, and hot tubs containing water more than 24 inches deep, subsection (b)(1) requires a fence or barrier at least 48 inches high, measured on the side away from the pool from the finished ground level. Gates and doors in the barrier must be self-closing and self-latching; where the latch release is mounted less than 54 inches above the bottom of the gate, the release mechanism has to sit on the pool side of the gate so a child can't reach it from outside.

The gate must positively close and latch on its own when released just six inches open, and the section specifically bars removing, replacing, or altering an existing pool enclosure in any way that reduces its effectiveness as a safety barrier. 29, which governs barrier requirements for single-family residential pools statewide. Subsection (a) separately requires that all pools, spas, and hot tubs, residential or not, be kept clean, sanitary, and in good repair, with water that isn't allowed to sit stagnant. Under § 15-102(l) of the same Property Maintenance Code, every violation of these maintenance provisions is treated as a strict-liability offense, meaning the City doesn't have to prove intent to cite an owner for a broken gate latch or an under-height barrier.