Bothell, WA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Bothell Municipal Code § 20.04.132 adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as part of the International Building Code adoption, excluding Chapter 1. The design and construction of swimming pools, spas and other aquatic recreation facilities must comply with the ISPSC when the facility is for the sole use of residents and invited guests at a single-family dwelling, for the sole purposes of residents and invited guests of a duplex owned by the residents, or operated exclusively for physical therapy or rehabilitation under a licensed medical practitioner. Public swimming pool barriers are regulated by WAC 246-260-031(4), and all other water recreation facilities defined in RCW 70.90.110 fall under Chapters 246-260 and 246-262 WAC rather than the city's building code.

The permit trigger lives in § 20.02.095. Subsection A requires any owner or agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or change a building or structure to apply to the building official first. The only pool carved out is in subsection B(1)(i): prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a one- and two-family dwelling or Group R-3 occupancy that are less than 24 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above ground. A pool that is deeper, larger or in-ground is outside that exemption. Plumbing and electrical work for a pool is covered by the same section, which lists electrical and plumbing systems among the work needing a permit.

The application follows § 20.02.110, which calls for a written form describing the work, the legal description or street address, the valuation, and the actual dimensions and shape of the lot with the exact locations of existing buildings and the proposed work. Fees follow the council's fee schedule under § 20.02.155, and inspections run under § 20.02.160, where work must stay exposed until approved.