Winnebago County, WI Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)
Swimming pool permit rules in Winnebago County, WI, also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations, set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
Key Facts
- Portable pool exemption
- Under 15 ft, taken down seasonally
- Setback rule
- Barred from all yard setbacks
- Decking
- Treated as part of the pool
- Coverage
- Only towns that adopted county zoning
Summary
An above-ground pool 15 feet or wider, or one left up year-round, is a regulated swimming pool under Chapter 23 and must stay out of every yard setback: smaller take-down pools are exempt.
A structure placed on the ground surface that is filled with water for swimming. The term does not include those pools that are below ground or those pools that are less than 15 feet in diameter and which are taken down and stored in the off-season. ... (a) Location. A swimming pool shall not be located in a street yard or in the side yard, rear yard, or shore yard setback.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 23 § 17.50 defines a swimming pool as any structure placed on the ground and filled with water for swimming, but exempts a pool under 15 feet in diameter that is taken down and stored each off-season: the line that separates a casual kiddie pool from a regulated one. Once a pool crosses that threshold, § 23.8-490(a) bars placing it in a street yard or in the side, rear, or shore yard setback, and its decking counts as part of the pool for that purpose. This applies only in a town that has adopted the county's zoning ordinance under Wis. Stat. § 59.69, and never inside Oshkosh, Neenah, or Menasha.
Violations & Fines
Setting an above-ground pool that exceeds the 15-foot exemption inside a required yard setback, or draining pool water onto a neighbor's lot, is a zoning violation the county can order corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small inflatable kiddie pool need a permit?
Can I set up an above-ground pool in my side yard setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
Compare Winnebago County to another location·View the Wisconsin swimming pools & spas overview
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