Richland County, SC Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Article IX of Chapter 6 governs swimming pool construction countywide. Section 6-167 states the article regulates the installation and alteration of swimming pools, public or private. Section 6-168(a) adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) with modifications, including Chapter 1 (Administration), so that all workmanship, construction, maintenance, or repair of pool work must conform to that code's requirements. On top of the adopted code, Section 6-168(b) layers two county-specific administrative rules. First, a licensed swimming pool contractor, not the homeowner directly, is responsible for securing the permit from the county Building Official before any in-ground swimming pool or spa can be installed; this is a general permit requirement applying to every in-ground pool regardless of size.

Second, if an approved enclosure (a wall, fence, or other substantial structure) is not already in place when the permit application is filed, the property owner is responsible for having that enclosure installed before the final inspection, and for keeping it in place for as long as the pool exists. Because the enclosure duty travels with the pool's existence rather than expiring after installation, removing a required enclosure later while the pool remains is itself noncompliance with the permit conditions. Permit issuance follows the general Chapter 6 process: applications go to the Building Official, and inspections including the final inspection confirm the pool and its required enclosure are complete before the county signs off.