Highlands County, FL Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)
Swimming pool permit rules in Highlands County, FL, also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations, set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Highlands County Code § 12.12.500
- Covered activity
- 'installation of swimming pools'
- Floodplain administrator
- Development Services Director
- Permit issuer
- County engineer / building official
- Flood map basis
- FIRM dated Nov. 18, 2015
Summary
Highlands County's Floodplain Management Ordinance, part of the Land Development Regulations, names 'installation of swimming pools' outright as regulated development under Section 12.12.500(B). Any pool sited wholly or partly within a mapped flood hazard area must clear the floodplain administrator's review in addition to the county's general building permit before construction starts.
The provisions of this division shall apply to all development that is wholly within or partially within any flood hazard area, including but not limited to the subdivision of land; filling, grading, and other site improvements and utility installations; construction, alteration, remodeling, enlargement, improvement, replacement, repair, relocation or demolition of buildings, structures, and facilities that are exempt from the Florida Building Code; placement, installation, or replacement of manufactured homes and manufactured buildings; installation or replacement of tanks; placement of recreational vehicles; installation of swimming pools; and any other development.
Full Breakdown
500 opens the county's Floodplain Management Ordinance by defining its scope, and its list of covered activities specifically calls out 'installation of swimming pools' alongside grading, utility work, tank placement and recreational-vehicle siting. 500 layers the flood hazard review on top of that general permit whenever the property sits wholly or partly inside a mapped special flood hazard area. 502 assigns to the director of development services, reviews the pool application to determine whether the proposed development will be reasonably safe from flooding and coordinates with the county engineer, who issues flood hazard development permits for development other than buildings and structures already regulated by the Florida Building Code.
501(C) adopts by reference and keeps on file at the Development Services Department, 501 South Commerce Avenue, Sebring. Because the ordinance treats a pool no differently from a manufactured home pad or a fill project for flood-review purposes, an applicant installing a pool on a flood-prone lot should expect the same base-flood-elevation and site-safety review that any other flood hazard area development receives before the county issues the permit.
Violations & Fines
Installing a swimming pool, or any other development, within a flood hazard area without the required flood hazard development permit exposes the owner to the same enforcement the ordinance applies to unpermitted development generally: the floodplain administrator can inspect the site under Section 12.12.502(G) to determine whether work proceeded without a permit, and unpermitted flood hazard area work can jeopardize the county's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. Building a pool without the county's general building permit under Section 12.03.101 separately exposes the owner to that chapter's misdemeanor penalty under Section 12.03.109.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does building a pool in Highlands County require flood review?
Who reviews a pool permit application for flood risk in unincorporated Highlands County?
Where can I check if my Highlands County property is in a flood hazard area before building a pool?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Highlands County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Highlands County to another location·View the Florida swimming pools & spas overview
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