Tulare County, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing Requirements (2026)

Tulare County does not maintain a separate county-specific pool-fence height; instead it enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act, which applies statewide whenever the RMA issues a building permit for a new pool/spa or for remodeling an existing one at a private single-family home. Under Health & Safety Code 115922, the pool or spa must be equipped with at least two of seven listed drowning-prevention safety features. One option is an enclosure that isolates the pool from the home and meets Section 115923: a minimum height of 60 inches, gaps that prevent a small child from passing through, and access gates that are self-closing and self-latching, open away from the pool, with the latch release placed no lower than 60 inches above the ground (or otherwise made inaccessible to young children). Other accepted features include ASTM-compliant removable mesh fencing with a self-latching gate, an approved safety pool cover (ASTM F1346), pool/door alarms (ASTM F2208/F2090), and self-closing/self-latching doors with raised release mechanisms. Because the County adopts the California Building Standards Codes, the barrier is verified at final inspection — a pool will not pass without compliant safety features.