Des Moines requires a building permit for all in-ground and above-ground swimming pools and spas, including hot tubs. A safety barrier at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate must fully enclose the pool area before use.
Des Moines Code Ch. 26, Division 5 (Swimming Pools, §§ 26-346 et seq.) adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. All residential in-ground pools, above-ground pools, spas, and hot tubs with a water depth exceeding 24 inches require a building permit from Development Services. A four-sided barrier (fence or wall) not less than 48 inches high must completely surround the pool; the barrier must have no opening larger than 4 inches, and all gates must be self-closing and self-latching with the latch on the pool side. Above-ground pools with walls 48 inches or higher may qualify as their own barrier. The City also publishes a Residential Pool Barrier Requirements handout specifying grade-measurement and latch-height rules.
Building or operating a pool without a required permit: stop-work order, mandatory correction, and fines per Ch. 26 enforcement provisions. Non-compliant barriers subject to immediate correction orders.
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