A spa or hot tub in Henrico is exempt from the pool-barrier requirement if it has a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346. Without such a cover, the hot tub needs the same 48-inch barrier as a pool, and it still requires a building/electrical permit.
Under the Virginia Swimming Pool and Spa Code (adopted through the USBC, Va. Code § 36-99) that Henrico enforces, spas and hot tubs equipped with a lockable safety cover complying with ASTM F1346 do not have to comply with the barrier sections 305.2 through 305.7. If the hot tub lacks a compliant locking cover, it must be enclosed by the standard 48-inch barrier with a self-latching gate. A hot tub or similar fixture on a deck attached to a dwelling must meet the same setback rules as the deck under Henrico zoning. Electrical work for the spa must be permitted, bonded, and inspected. This exemption is the practical reason most Henrico homeowners can install a covered hot tub without a
A hot tub without a compliant cover and without a barrier is a USBC violation; Henrico can require either an ASTM F1346 locking cover or a 48-inch barrier and gate, fail inspections, and assess civil penalties until brought into compliance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Henrico County, VA
Henrico County does not prohibit residential backyard composting. There is no permit for a home compost pile, but it must be maintained so it does not become...
Henrico County, VA
Henrico County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting artificial turf in residential yards. Single-family homes on individual lots are exempt from the cou...
Henrico County, VA
Henrico does not require native plants in ordinary yards, but land inside a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area must keep a vegetated buffer at least 100...
Henrico County, VA
Henrico County sets no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or rainwater harvesting, and it promotes stormwater capture for water-quality reasons. ...
Henrico County, VA
Henrico has no mandatory watering schedule ordinance and has not imposed mandatory restrictions since the early 2000s. During drought the county requests vol...
Henrico County, VA
Henrico defines regulated 'weeds' broadly and caps growth at 12 inches on residential and subdivision property. Trees, ornamental shrubbery, flowers, and gar...
See how Henrico County's hot tub rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.