Clifton, NJ Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Clifton Code § 403-23 makes it unlawful to establish, construct or alter a private pool without first obtaining a permit, or to maintain a private pool that does not conform to the article's requirements. Under § 403-24, the Building Inspector issues the permit to the owner or agent of any residential property once the private-pool requirements are met. For a permanent pool specifically, § 403-25 requires the owner to apply to the Building Inspector with a set of plans and specifications and a plot plan, certified by a licensed surveyor or engineer, showing existing and proposed contour lines and the pool's proposed location; the Building Inspector may issue the permit only after the Plumbing Inspector and the Board of Health have approved it.

Section 403-26 fixes the annual fee for all pools at $5, as amended in 2009 by Ordinance No. 6788-09, with permits and renewals expiring on May 1 each year regardless of issuance date. Additional article requirements folded into the permit review include a ban on any physical connection between the pool's circulating system and a potable water supply (§ 403-27), a mandatory drain not exceeding six inches in diameter running to a brook, dry well or sewer for permanent pools built after May 26, 1960 (§ 403-28), and a zoning cap limiting a pool's water surface area to no more than 25% of the yard in which it sits, since pools are regulated as accessory buildings under the City's Zoning Ordinance (§ 403-29).

Lighting and electrical work tied to a pool must also be inspected and approved under the National Board of Fire Underwriters Code standards (§ 403-30B).