Tehama County, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Hot Tub Rules (2026)

Tehama County Code Section 15.24.040 expressly covers spas as well as pools, requiring that when a building permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa or the remodeling of an existing pool or spa at a private single-family home, the installation include at least two of the seven drowning-prevention safety features, with one being an enclosure or safety cover. Section 15.24.050 requires compliance with California Health and Safety Code Section 115920 et seq. Chapter 15.24 does not contain a local carve-out exempting hot tubs or portable spas, so applicants should not assume an automatic exemption; the state framework controls. Under the state safety-feature menu (Health and Safety Code Section 115922), an approved safety cover meeting the ASTM F1346 standard is one of the recognized features, which is commonly used for spas. Where an enclosure is used, it must meet the 60-inch minimum height and self-closing, self-latching gate standards of Section 115923. Because the County adopts state pool-safety law by reference rather than writing spa-specific technical rules, owners of hot tubs and spas should confirm with Tehama County Building & Safety whether their specific installation triggers a building permit and which safety features satisfy Section 15.24.040.