Rothschild, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Village Code § 476-1 requires anyone who owns, operates, or controls an outdoor private swimming pool in Rothschild to erect and maintain a fence or barrier around it. The ordinance defines a swimming pool as any pool of water 18 inches or more deep with a surface area of 48 square feet or more, so most backyard above-ground and in-ground pools are covered the moment they hold that much water. The enclosure must be at least four feet high, built without openings, holes, or gaps larger than four inches in any dimension; a picket fence's horizontal gaps are held to that same four-inch limit.

A house or accessory building can serve as part of the enclosure, but every gate or door in it must carry a self-closing and self-latching device that keeps it shut when not actually in use. The Village drops the fencing requirement entirely for above-ground pools with walls 42 inches or higher, since the pool wall itself acts as the barrier. Pools built before the ordinance's adoption that were not already fenced had 60 days from publication to comply. Anyone seeking relief from the height, materials, or gate hardware can ask the Rothschild Board of Appeals for a variance under § 476-2, following the same appeal procedure used for Chapter 590 zoning appeals; the fencing protection itself cannot be reduced below what the chapter requires, and the Board's decision is final.