Gary, IN Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Article V of the Gary building code, Sections 105-200 through 105-203, regulates private swimming pools. Section 105-200 defines a swimming pool as an artificially constructed, non-portable pool capable of being used for swimming or bathing that has a depth of three feet or more at any point, and defines 'private' as a pool that is not open to the public, not publicly owned, and not otherwise regulated by the state under its own statutes or agency rules. Section 105-201 requires the owner to apply for and obtain a permit from the department of health before construction on a private pool begins.

The application must come with a complete, detailed set of plans and specifications, and the health department must approve those plans and specifications before the permit can issue. Construction is not the end of the process: before the pool may actually be used, Section 105-201 requires a final inspection and approval from the health department. Section 105-203 backs this up on an ongoing basis, giving the health department the right, at any reasonable hour, to inspect any swimming pool to confirm the article's provisions are being followed by every person involved.

Because the permit and both approvals run through the health department rather than the building department, a Gary pool owner deals with health officials, not just the building commissioner, from application through final sign-off.