Hot tubs and spas holding water over 24 inches deep are 'swimming pools' under Georgia's code. But a spa or hot tub with a safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the pool barrier requirements.
Georgia IRC Appendix G includes hot tubs and spas with water more than 24 inches deep in the definition of a swimming pool, so they normally fall under the same barrier and permit rules as a pool in unincorporated Chatham County. Section AG105.5 gives an important exception: spas or hot tubs with a safety cover complying with ASTM F1346 are exempt from the appendix's barrier provisions. A locking, ASTM-rated hard cover is therefore the simplest way to comply for a hot tub. Hardwired or built-in spa installations still require the appropriate county building and electrical permits.
A spa over 24 inches deep with neither a compliant barrier nor an ASTM F1346 safety cover fails inspection and can be cited by Chatham County code enforcement.
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