Pitkin County enforces the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) and the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), both adopted under Pitkin County Code Title 11 (Sections 11.40.010 and 11.20.010, Ordinance 045-2022). Residential pool and spa barriers must be at least 48 inches tall with self-closing, self-latching gates that open outward away from the pool. Public pools must additionally meet Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulations under 5 CCR 1003-5.
The Pitkin County Building Department, located in Aspen, enforces the 2021 family of I-Codes effective January 30, 2023, including the 2021 ISPSC adopted under Pitkin County Code Section 11.40.010 and the 2021 IRC (with Appendices AE, AF, AH, AK and AQ) adopted under Section 11.20.010. Under 2021 ISPSC Section 305, residential pool and spa barriers must be at least 48 inches above finished grade measured on the side facing away from the pool. Openings in the barrier may not allow passage of a 4-inch sphere. Gates that are part of the barrier must open outward away from the pool and be both self-closing and self-latching; the latch release must be at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate, or located on the pool side of the gate at least 3 inches below the top. Where a wall of the dwelling forms part of the barrier, doors with direct access to the pool must be equipped with an audible alarm or other approved means of protection. Public, semi-public, and HOA pools located in Pitkin County are also regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment under 5 CCR 1003-5 (Swimming Pools and Mineral Baths), which requires a fence at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates whose latch is at least 54 inches high, picket spacing not greater than 4 inches, and accessible entrances; separate wading pools require a 3-foot fence. A separate pool/spa permit is required from the Pitkin County Building Department, and barriers are verified at final inspection.
A pool or spa cannot pass final inspection or be filled and used until a compliant barrier, gate hardware, and any required door alarms are installed and operating. Building without a permit or operating a public pool without state-required fencing can result in stop-work orders, re-inspection fees, and code enforcement action by the Pitkin County Building Department, plus CDPHE enforcement for licensed public pools.
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See how Pitkin County's fencing requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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