Petaluma, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

080, and only for the enjoyment of the occupants and their guests. Two numeric standards govern placement and safety: subsection (B) sets a six-foot minimum setback from any property line for the pool, hot tub, or spa itself and for accessory mechanical equipment such as pumps and filters, and subsection (C) requires that the pool, hot tub, or spa, or the entire property on which it sits, be walled or fenced to prevent uncontrolled access by children from the street or adjacent properties. Either approach, fencing the equipment directly or enclosing the whole yard, satisfies the barrier requirement.

010(C) adopts the 2025 California Residential Code, including Appendix CI, the Swimming Pool Safety Act, in its entirety for any new pool built under a building permit. 24) in 2021, relying instead on that state appendix for physical safety features like approved barriers and self-latching gates on new construction. The Community Development Director and Building Official enforce these standards when a pool permit is reviewed, and both the zoning fencing rule and the building code's adopted safety appendix must be satisfied before a pool, hot tub, or spa is approved.