Wausau, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Fencing & Safety Requirements (2026)

42(8) governs pool enclosures for any swimming pool covered by the section, meaning an outdoor structure holding water more than 24 inches deep. If the pool is not enclosed inside a permanent building, it must be completely enclosed by a fence 'of sufficient strength to prevent access to the pool,' standing at least six feet high but no more than eight, and set back at least four feet from the pool's edge. The fence cannot have voids, holes, or openings larger than four inches in any dimension.

Every gate or door in the enclosure needs a self-closing and self-latching device mounted at the top on the pool side, except for a residence door that forms part of the enclosure itself. Fences that already existed on the date Title 23 was adopted (the 2019 rewrite, effective January 1, 2020) are grandfathered in at a lower 40-inch minimum height as long as they otherwise meet the enclosure standard. Under subsection (9), any pool that existed before that date and was not adequately fenced must still come into compliance with the full enclosure rule before water can be added, and the Building Inspector inspects existing pool enclosures for compliance, with the authority to approve variations that do not compromise public safety.