Plymouth, MN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

01 requires fencing, or another effective barrier such as a wall or building, to positively control all access to a Private Residential Pool; a fence is the default method the Section names, but it is not the only one that satisfies the rule if the alternative barrier truly controls access as completely. Subdivision A sets a design standard rather than just a height number: the fencing must be built to prevent the entrance of children and must be free of hand- or foot-holds that would let a child climb over it, so a chain-link fence with wide horizontal rails a child could step on would not automatically satisfy the Section even if it met the height rule.

Subdivision B sets the numeric floor: the fence must be at least five feet high, and every entrance through it must have a self-closing and self-latching gate that is also capable of being locked, meaning a gate propped open or a latch a child can reach is out of compliance even on an otherwise conforming fence. 03 adds a separate, independent rule: no one may operate, maintain, or permit a swimming pool that creates a nuisance by annoying, injuring, or endangering the safety, health, comfort, or repose of the public, a standard that reaches noise, chemical odors, or overflow as much as it reaches an unfenced pool.