Tuscaloosa, AL Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Section 25-107(x)(3) of the zoning ordinance requires any permanently constructed swimming pool, or any temporary or inflatable pool capable of being filled to a depth greater than 18 inches, to be enclosed by a fence or wall that extends from the surface to a height of at least six feet. The ordinance bans basketweave, split rail, and other decorative fence styles that a child could easily climb, and requires that any braces or frames that could give a child a foothold or handhold be installed on the pool side of the fence rather than the outward-facing side.

The gate or door into the enclosure must be self-closing and self-latching, with the latch mechanism placed out of reach of children. Where the pool enclosure is part of a multifamily building, no door or window may open directly into the pool area unless it carries its own barrier or safety feature under the same subsection. 1, which sets the enclosure height at 72 inches above grade specifically to match Tuscaloosa's zoning regulations, confirming that the six-foot zoning standard and the building-code barrier height clearance work together rather than in conflict.

Pools also have placement limits: accessory to a single-family, duplex, triplex, or quadplex dwelling, a pool and its equipment may encroach up to six feet into the required rear yard but must stay at least six feet, or the required side yard depth if larger, from a side lot line, and cannot sit in the required front yard at all.