Douglas County, CO Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Resolution § 1-715, Subsection 6
- Baseline standard
- Fence/wall must meet or exceed Building Code
- Height/permit rule applies
- Permit required past 6 ft (4 ft wall)
- Maintenance duty
- Owner must repair or remove a failing barrier
- Enforcing office
- Building Division / Planning Services
- Cure period before penalty
- 10 days after written notice
Summary
Douglas County requires every swimming pool in unincorporated areas, including Highlands Ranch, to be enclosed by a fence or wall that meets or exceeds the pool-barrier standards in the Building Code the county has adopted. § 1-715(6) sets that baseline; the enclosure still has to clear the same permit, height, and maintenance rules that apply to any other residential fence or wall.
A building permit is required for any retaining wall greater than four feet in height or any fence or wall greater than six feet in height, or as required by the Building Code, as amended and adopted by Douglas County. ... Swimming pools shall be enclosed by a fence or wall that meets or exceeds the requirements of the Building Code, as amended and adopted by Douglas County.
Full Breakdown
Douglas County Zoning Resolution § 1-715(6) requires a swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence or wall that meets or exceeds the requirements of the Building Code as amended and adopted by Douglas County, folding the county's residential swimming-pool barrier standard into the same fencing-standards section that governs every other yard fence in the SR Suburban Residential District, the zoning that covers most unincorporated subdivisions including Highlands Ranch. § 1-715(5) puts ongoing upkeep on the pool owner directly, requiring the barrier to be kept in good structural condition and making the landowner responsible for repairing or removing it once inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or abandonment turns it into a safety hazard, exactly the scenario a failing pool gate or a rotted panel creates.
Because the enclosure standard is pegged to 'the Building Code, as amended and adopted by Douglas County' rather than spelled out in the Zoning Resolution itself, the specific gate self-closing, self-latching, and non-climbable mesh requirements sit in that adopted Building Code rather than in this section, and a pool owner should confirm current barrier specifications with the Douglas County Building Division before installing or replacing an enclosure.
Violations & Fines
An unenclosed pool, or a pool barrier that has fallen into disrepair, is enforced as a Zoning Resolution violation under § 1-113, since § 1-715 treats the pool enclosure as a regulated fence or wall. § 1-114 authorizes a $100 civil infraction plus a civil penalty of $500 to $1,000, with a continuing fine of up to $100 for each day the pool remains without a conforming barrier, and the county can seek an injunction to force compliance. § 1-115 requires the Director's staff to issue written notice and give the owner at least 10 days to fix the enclosure before penalties are pursued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Douglas County require a fence around a backyard swimming pool?
How tall does a pool fence need to be in Douglas County?
Who is responsible if my pool fence gate breaks or rots?
Do I need a permit to build my pool's fence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Douglas County
Compare Douglas County to another location·View the Colorado swimming pools & spas overview
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