Federal Way, WA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)
Swimming pool permit rules in Federal Way, WA, also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations, set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- FWRC 13.40, Swimming Pool Code
- Plan requirement
- Plans must show compliance before construction
- Inspection hold
- Final approval withheld until compliant
- Conflict rule
- Most restrictive of pool/building code applies
- First penalty
- $100.00 per FWRC 1.15.040(5)
- Appeal path
- Hearing examiner under FWRC 13.11.080
Summary
Federal Way requires plans for any swimming pool to be constructed in the city to show compliance with the swimming pool code before work proceeds, and the city withholds final inspection and approval until every requirement of that chapter is met.
All plans submitted to the city for swimming pools to be constructed shall show compliance with the requirements of this chapter, and final inspection and approval of all pools constructed shall be withheld until all requirements of this chapter have been complied with.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1049, passed August 11, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under FWRC 13.40.010, all plans submitted to the city of Federal Way for swimming pools to be constructed must show compliance with Chapter 13.40 FWRC, the city's swimming pool code, which also governs hot tubs and spas. Final inspection and approval of any pool that is built will be withheld until every requirement of the chapter, including the fencing and excavation standards in the same chapter, has been satisfied. Because FWRC 13.40.007 directs that the more restrictive of the swimming pool code or the building code controls in a conflict, and the residential code governs where it specifically regulates pools, a builder applying for a permit is working under whichever standard is strictest for a given detail.
The building official may approve alternate methods of construction or protection under FWRC 13.40.040 if the applicant demonstrates the same essential safety outcome is met and that peculiar site conditions make literal compliance impractical; a denial of an alternate method can be appealed under FWRC 13.11.080. Pools, hot tubs, and spas already in place before the code's effective date that lacked the required safety features had to be brought into conformity within six months, and any that were not are declared a public nuisance and public hazard under FWRC 13.40.050, exposing the property owner to penalties. Civil enforcement of building permit and inspection requirements runs through Chapter 1.15 FWRC per FWRC 13.11.110.
Violations & Fines
A pool built or maintained out of compliance with Chapter 13.40 FWRC is enforced as a Code violation under Chapter 1.15 FWRC. The community development or building official can issue a notice of violation and order to correct under FWRC 1.15.040, and a monetary penalty accrues for each day the violation continues past the correction date: $100 for the first violation, $200 for a second violation of the same nature, $300 for a third, and $500 for each additional violation beyond three. A pool never brought into safety compliance is separately declared a public nuisance and hazard under FWRC 13.40.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a pool in Federal Way?
What happens if my pool plan does not meet the swimming pool code?
Does an older, unpermitted pool need to be brought up to code?
Which code applies if the building code and pool code conflict?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Federal Way
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Pool Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle pool permits.