Chino Hills, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Hot Tub Rules (2026)

The City of Chino Hills treats spas and hot tubs alongside swimming pools in its Pool/Spa Enclosure Requirements: 'the City of Chino Hills requires that all Swimming Pools & Spas be fully fenced with permanent barriers that comply with the 2019 California Residential Code.' The same enclosure rules apply - a minimum 60-inch barrier, a maximum 2-inch ground gap, and a self-closing, self-latching gate with the latch no lower than 54 inches. Under the City's amended Health & Safety Code Section 115922, when a permit is issued for a new or remodeled spa at a single-family home, the spa must be equipped with at least two drowning-prevention safety features. One of the qualifying features is 'an approved safety pool cover, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 115921,' which is the option many spa owners rely on in place of a separate fence - but it must be an approved safety cover, not an ordinary thermal cover, and it counts as only one of the two required features. Doors with direct access from the home or garage to the spa must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch at least 54 inches above the floor, and glazing within five feet of the water's edge must be safety glazing. The building official inspects these features before granting final approval.