Knox County, TN Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)
Swimming pool permit rules in Knox County, TN, also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations, set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Private residential pools countywide
- Permit prerequisite
- Health department plan approval
- Governing sections
- Knox County Code §§ 10-237, 10-238(b)
- Related adopted code
- 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code
- Penalty range
- $50.00 to $500.00 per violation
- Grandfathered pools
- Pre-1991 pools meeting old thresholds
Summary
Before Knox County will permit a private pool, § 10-238(b) requires the pool plans, including the required fence, to be approved by the county health department; the county's private-pool division at § 10-237 applies these rules to every residential pool countywide.
Sec. 10-237. - Applicability. The provisions of this division shall apply to private swimming pools in the county. ... Sec. 10-238. - Fencing. ... (b)No swimming pool shall be permitted in the county unless the plans for such swimming pool include plans for building a fence or wall around the swimming pool in compliance with this section. No swimming pool shall be permitted by the county codes enforcement department unless the swimming pool plans have been approved by the county health department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Knox County's Division 3 pool ordinance opens with an applicability clause at § 10-237 stating that "[t]he provisions of this division shall apply to private swimming pools in the county," making clear the permit rules that follow reach ordinary residential backyard pools, not just commercial or public ones. " In practice that means an applicant cannot get a residential pool permit issued by codes enforcement until the health department has signed off on the plans and the fence design is part of the submission. 2 requires health department approval of pool plans for permit applications generally, while expressly excluding "private residential pool accessory to and on the same lot as a single family dwelling" from that particular ISPSC clause; the Division 3 permit gate at § 10-238(b) is the provision that actually reaches those residential pools.
Section 10-236 defines which structures count as a "swimming pool" for permit purposes and exempts pools that existed on May 20, 1991 with a three-foot-plus fence, or pre-June 1991 pools on one-acre-plus agricultural or estate lots, from the whole division, including its permit requirement.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or maintaining a private pool without the required health-department-approved permit plans is enforced under § 10-240: a monetary penalty and forfeiture of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00 per violation. The director of codes enforcement may also pursue injunctive relief to bring an unpermitted or noncompliant pool into compliance with the division.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a residential pool in unincorporated Knox County?
Why does the health department review my pool plans instead of just codes enforcement?
Does the swimming pool code exempt private homeowner pools from health review?
What's the penalty for building a pool without the required permit approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
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