Santa Barbara requires a protective enclosure around residential pools and spas. The City's pool handout adopts the California enclosure standard: a minimum 60-inch (5-foot) barrier, no more than 2 inches of ground clearance, no openings passing a 4-inch sphere, and self-closing, self-latching gates that open away from the pool.
The City of Santa Barbara's Building & Safety pool handout, citing California Building Code Section 3109 and California Health and Safety Code Section 115923, requires a protective fencing enclosure around the entire pool, built-in spa, portable spa, or yard. The enclosure must have: a minimum height of 60 inches; a maximum vertical clearance from the ground to the bottom of the enclosure of two inches; gaps or voids that do not allow passage of a sphere four inches or greater in diameter; and an outside surface free of protrusions, cavities, or other handholds or footholds that would let a child under age five climb over. Any access gates through the enclosure must open away from the swimming pool and be self-closing with a self-latching device placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground. Where new fencing is required, its permit must be secured before or with the pool permit. These pool-barrier dimensions are the State Pool Safety Act standard, which the City applies through CBC 3109. Separately, the City's general fence rules (SBMC 28.87.170) limit front-lot-line fences and walls to 3.5 feet, but the City's fence guidelines specifically recognize 'a code-required security fence or wall around a pool' as a factor that can justify an administrative height exception so that the pool barrier can meet the 60-inch safety minimum.
An incomplete or non-compliant barrier prevents final inspection approval; no water may be placed in the pool until the enclosure passes. Operating with a deficient barrier can draw code-enforcement action.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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The Fence Guidelines set height and location but defer the exact material, color, width and style to design-review boards. Front-yard fences, walls and gates...
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No fence, screen, wall or hedge over 3.5 feet may stand in a driveway visibility triangle: 10 ft along the driveway and 10 ft back from the front lot line wh...
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Residential retaining walls not over 4 feet (footing to top) are permit-exempt unless they support a surcharge or impound flammable liquids. Where a fence si...
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The City of Santa Barbara addresses animal hoarding through its care-and-keeping and nuisance provisions plus California's anti-cruelty law. Keeping animals ...
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The City of Santa Barbara does not publish a dedicated wildlife-feeding ban in its general animal regulations, but feeding wild animals can create a public n...
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The City of Santa Barbara requires a license for each unaltered cat over four months old, obtained from the City. There is no leash requirement for cats. Red...
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