A residential spa or hot tub is exempt from the pool-barrier rules of the adopted SC Residential Code if it has a safety cover complying with ASTM F1346. Otherwise the full 48-inch barrier requirement applies. Public spas fall under SC Reg. 61-51.
Under the SC Residential Code, Appendix G, spas and hot tubs are treated like pools unless they are fitted with a listed safety cover. AG105 provides that spas or hot tubs with a safety cover complying with ASTM F1346 are exempt from the appendix's barrier provisions, which is the practical path most homeowners use. Without such a cover, the spa needs the same 48-inch self-latching barrier as a pool. Electrical bonding and a county permit still apply. A spa serving an HOA, club, apartment complex or short-term rental is a "public" spa regulated by SC DES under Regulation 61-51, with its own equipment and operation standards.
A spa without either a compliant safety cover or a code barrier fails inspection; commercial/public spas without a DES permit may be ordered closed.
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