Greenville, NC Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Section 9-4-100(D)(7) of the zoning code lists a swimming pool among the residential accessory structures allowed on a lot, alongside garages, sheds and greenhouses, so a pool goes through the same accessory-structure review as those uses. Section 9-1-31(A) is the operative permit requirement: no person may commence construction of any structure, including a pool, without a written permit from the Inspections Division unless the work is exempt under the North Carolina State Building Code, and the permit and an identification placard showing the permit number must stay posted on site and visible from the street throughout the job.

Section 9-4-100(E)(1) then adds pool-specific standards the Inspections Division checks before signing off: an outdoor pool, whether in-ground, above-ground or on-ground, that holds water deeper than two feet or has more than 40 square feet of surface area must be enclosed by a barrier at least four feet high, whether a fence, wall or building wall, built to the North Carolina State Building Code. The pool structure itself, along with its decks and concrete aprons, cannot sit closer than five feet to a property line. Failing to secure the building permit before construction begins triggers the Section 9-1-31(E) penalty of double the permit fee or a minimum of $100, and Section 9-1-40 backs the whole permit article with a Class 1 misdemeanor charge and civil penalties running $100 to $500 for repeat violations within 365 days.