Carroll County, GA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Any owner, agent or contractor who wants to construct a structure regulated by the construction codes, which the county's adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code brings pools under, must first apply to the building official and obtain a permit under Code § 18-15(a) before work starts. The only pool exemption listed in § 18-15(b)(1)i is narrow: prefabricated pools accessory to a one- or two-family home that are less than 24 inches deep, hold no more than 5,000 gallons, and sit entirely above ground. Anything deeper, larger, or in-ground needs a permit regardless of size.

Permit applications are reviewed by the building official in the community development department's building section, and no permit issues until fees set by the board of commissioners are paid (§ 18-15(i)(1)). Starting pool construction before the permit is issued triggers a penalty equal to 100 percent of the usual permit fee on top of the fee itself (§ 18-15(i)(2)). Applications lapse if no permit is issued within six months of filing, though the building official can grant up to 90-day extensions on written request with justifiable cause (§ 18-15(c)(2)).

This applies only to unincorporated Carroll County; Carrollton, Villa Rica, Temple, Bowdon, Whitesburg, Mount Zion and Roopville each enforce their own building codes for pools built inside city limits.