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

County Code § 18.04.025(C) adopts the 2025 California Residential Code "together with... Appendix CI (Swimming Pool Safety Act)" as having "the full legal effect as if their respective contents were set forth verbatim herein." Appendix CI implements California Health and Safety Code § 115922, which requires that any new pool or spa construction or remodel needing a building permit at a private single-family home in the unincorporated county carry at least two of seven listed drowning-prevention features. Owners commonly pair a compliant isolation enclosure under § 115923 with a second layer such as removable mesh safety fencing meeting ASTM F2286, exit-door alarms, self-latching door hardware set at least 54 inches high, a pool cover meeting ASTM F1346, or a water-detecting submersion alarm.

Because the county's own § 18.04.040 amendments to the Residential Code touch only permit timing and refunds, not Appendix CI, the state's seven-feature list controls unmodified inside Mendocino. Building permits and pool inspections run through the Department of Planning and Building Services, whose Building Official signs off on the safety-feature choice before final approval. A pool built or remodeled without meeting the two-feature minimum can be held at final inspection until the owner documents compliance, since occupancy sign-off under Title 18 requires code compliance.