Sampson County, NC Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Sec. 2-28-10 sets the barrier and siting rules for all residential pools, defining a pool to include the water structure plus any attached walk or patio built at or above grade. Both above-ground and in-ground pools must be located in the rear or side yard, never the front, and are set back a minimum of 10 feet from side and rear property lines; a patio at grade carries no separate side or rear setback. An in-ground pool must be enclosed by a fence no shorter than 4 feet and no taller than 8 feet.

An above-ground pool can use its own wall as the required barrier instead of a separate fence, provided the pool sits on grade and the wall itself is at least 4 feet tall. Where the wall or an attached structure serves as the barrier, the ladder or steps must either be surrounded by their own barrier so the pool cannot be reached, or removed from the pool whenever it is not in use, closing off the access point the ladder would otherwise create. The section does not separately require a self-closing or self-latching gate, but any gate built into the barrier fence must still preserve the 4-to-8-foot height range across its full perimeter.