College Station, TX Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Start with the definition, because it decides which backyard setups are regulated at all. Under Sec. 757.001, a pool means a swimming pool, a permanent wading or reflection pool, or a permanent hot tub or spa over 18 inches deep, whether it sits at ground level, above ground, below ground, or indoors. It follows that raising a pool above grade changes nothing, since the statute names above-ground placement expressly. Depth is the real trigger: a shallow inflatable holding no more than 18 inches of water falls outside the definition, while anything deeper is a pool in the statute's eyes.

Once a pool exists, Sec. 757.003 requires a pool yard enclosure. Its height must be at least 48 inches measured from the ground on the side away from the pool, which means the measurement is taken on the outside face, the side a child would approach from. Openings under the enclosure may not allow a sphere four inches in diameter to pass beneath it, which caps the crawl space at the fence bottom.

Barrier and fencing requirements apply to above-ground pools the same as to in-ground pools, though pool walls 48 inches or higher may themselves satisfy the barrier requirement. Electrical connections must comply with NEC requirements including GFCI protection, and drainage must not discharge onto neighboring properties. Note that the quoted sections set definitions and enclosure standards, not permit procedures; what they fix is that the safety floor begins at 18 inches of depth.