Pinellas Park, FL Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

515.27 Residential swimming pool safety feature options; penalties. — (1) In order to pass final inspection and receive a certificate of completion, a residential swimming pool must meet at least one of the following requirements relating to pool safety features: (a) The pool must be isolated from access to a home by an enclosure that meets the pool barrier requirements of s. 515.29;

(b) The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool cover;

(c) All doors and windows providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with an exit alarm that has a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet;

(d) All doors providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor; or

(e) A swimming pool alarm that, when placed in a pool, sounds an alarm upon detection of an accidental or unauthorized entrance into the water. Such pool alarm must meet and be independently certified to ASTM Standard F2208, titled "Standard Safety Specification for Residential Pool Alarms," which includes surface motion, pressure, sonar, laser, and infrared alarms.

515.29 Residential swimming pool barrier requirements. — (1) A residential swimming pool barrier must have all of the following characteristics: (a) The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside.

(b) The barrier may not have any gaps, openings, indentations, protrusions, or structural components that could allow a young child to crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over the barrier.

(c) The barrier must be placed around the perimeter of the pool and must be separate from any fence, wall, or other enclosure surrounding the yard unless the fence, wall, or other enclosure or portion thereof is situated on the perimeter of the pool, is being used as part of the barrier, and meets the barrier requirements of this section.

(3) Gates that provide access to swimming pools must open outward away from the pool and be self-closing and equipped with a self-latching locking device, the release mechanism of which must be located on the pool side of the gate and so placed that it cannot be reached by a young child over the top or through any opening or gap.