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Vanderburgh County, IN Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Required barrier
6-foot impassable fence
Coverage
Pool, accessories, all entries
Depth trigger
Over 2 feet at any point
Excluded
Natural lakes
Enforcing agency
Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission
First violation penalty
Up to $500 civil fine

Summary

Every swimming pool in unincorporated Vanderburgh County must be enclosed by a six-foot impassable fence under Zoning Code Section 17.12.060(B), covering the pool itself, its accessories, and every point of entry. The rule reaches any pool deeper than two feet at any point, though it excludes natural lakes, and is enforced by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission.

City-specific rules exist: Evansville has its own fencing & safety requirements rules that differ from Vanderburgh County's county-level regulations. If you live in Evansville, check the city-specific page instead.

B. A six-foot impassable fence shall surround all swimming pools, all accessories thereto, and all entries thereto. Swimming pools shall include but are not necessarily limited to pools over two feet in depth at any point. Swimming pools shall not include lakes.

Full Breakdown

060(B) folds the county's pool-barrier requirement into the same fence chapter that sets general yard height limits, rather than housing it in a separate swimming-pool code, so it follows the same enforcement path as any other fence or setback violation. The standard is deliberately broad: it reaches not just the pool basin but 'all accessories thereto, and all entries thereto,' meaning pumps, filter equipment, ladders, and gates tied to the pool fall under the same six-foot, impassable requirement. The code defines a regulated pool by depth rather than by size or permanence: any pool 'over two feet in depth at any point' qualifies, sweeping in many above-ground and inflatable pools that homeowners might assume are too small or temporary to need a barrier, while a natural lake on the property is expressly carved out.

Because the fence sits inside whatever yard the pool occupies, it must also respect the underlying yard setback in Table A; this is a stand-alone six-foot minimum specific to pools, not the six-foot residential side-yard cap that applies to ordinary fences elsewhere in the same section. A homeowner installing a pool should plan the fence and any gate hardware before the pool goes into the ground, since the Improvement Location Permit process administered by the Area Plan Commission reviews accessory structures, including pool enclosures, against this section.

Violations & Fines

Pool enclosures are enforced through the same Title 17 penalty schedule as other zoning violations: the Area Plan Commission can issue a Notice of Ordinance Violation and assess a civil penalty of up to $500 for a first offense under Section 17.36.150, rising to $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and $7,500 for subsequent violations within a year, with each day the pool remains unfenced counted as a separate violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every swimming pool in Vanderburgh County need a fence?
Any pool over two feet deep at any point needs a six-foot impassable fence under Section 17.12.060(B), which covers above-ground and inflatable pools as well as in-ground pools. Natural lakes are the only exception the code lists.
Does the pool fence rule cover pool equipment and gates too?
Yes, the ordinance text reaches 'all accessories thereto, and all entries thereto,' so pumps, filters, ladders, and every gate or entry point into the pool area must be part of the six-foot impassable barrier, not just the water itself.
Who enforces the pool fence requirement?
The Evansville-Vanderburgh Area Plan Commission enforces Section 17.12.060(B) the same way it enforces other Title 17 standards, through a Notice of Ordinance Violation and civil penalties under Section 17.36.150 that start at up to $500 for a first offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Vanderburgh County

All Vanderburgh County rules

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