San Bernardino, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

California adopts the Pool Safety Act statewide, and San Bernardino enforces it through the Building Division on new pool permits and remodels costing more than 5,000 dollars. The barrier must be at least 60 inches tall measured from the finished grade on the exterior side, with a maximum 2-inch gap at the ground and no openings through which a 4-inch sphere can pass. Chain-link mesh is limited to 1.75-inch openings. Horizontal members must be either on the pool side or spaced at least 45 inches apart to prevent climbing. Gates swing away from the pool with self-closing, self-latching hardware, and the latch must be at least 60 inches above the ground. In addition to the barrier, owners choose at least one approved secondary drowning-prevention safety feature from the seven state-listed options, which include a removable mesh fence meeting ASTM F2286, an approved safety pool cover meeting ASTM F1346, a pool alarm meeting ASTM F2208, self-closing doors from the house to the pool yard, exit alarms on those doors, an approved pool fence separating the pool from the house, or other device or means of protection approved by ASTM or ASME. A barrier inspection is required at final. Unpermitted modifications that breach the barrier trigger immediate code enforcement and liability exposure under Civil Code 1714 general negligence rules. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages one to four in California, which drives strict enforcement.