Swimming pool permit rules in Birmingham, AL — also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations — set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
Birmingham does not require a building permit to construct a residential swimming pool, but the applicant must submit a site plan and obtain Zoning approval before starting work, and separate electrical and plumbing permits (with inspections) are mandatory. Public pools have a far stricter process: the Jefferson County Board of Health requires engineer-stamped plans, a permit to construct, and an operational permit before a pool may open.
Under Birmingham's 2024 Technical Code (Ordinance 15-164), Section 103.1.1 lists work for which a building permit is not required, and item 13 specifically exempts swimming pools from the building-permit requirement while still mandating a site plan, Zoning approval, and electrical and plumbing permits with associated inspections. For public swimming pools located in Birmingham, the Jefferson County Department of Health Rules and Regulations Governing Public Swimming Pools and Spas, Section 1.11, impose a two-stage permitting process: a Permit to Construct (requiring complete plans and specifications prepared by an Alabama-registered professional engineer or architect, submitted in triplicate, and approved in writing by the Board of Health before any work begins) and an Operational Permit (issued only after an approved final construction inspection of the pool and equipment). The operational permit remains valid until revoked, and the pool is subject to regular operational inspections.
Building a residential pool without the required electrical and plumbing permits, or without Zoning sign-off, violates Birmingham's Technical Code and can result in stop-work orders and corrective requirements from the Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits. For public pools, it is unlawful to construct, maintain, repair, or use a public pool in violation of the Jefferson County regulations, and the Board of Health may seek an injunction in Jefferson County Circuit Court; pools may also be closed until violations are corrected.
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