Lakewood, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Section 115922 of the Health and Safety Code lists seven qualifying features: an isolation enclosure meeting Section 115923, removable mesh fencing meeting ASTM F2286 with a self-closing, self-latching gate, a safety pool cover meeting ASTM F1346-23, exit alarms on doors and windows with direct pool access, a self-closing door latch mounted at least 54 inches up, a submersion alarm certified to ASTM F2208, or another feature independently verified as equally protective. A pool needs only two, but subdivision (b) blocks weak combinations: an exit alarm paired with a latch on the same door, an exit alarm and a latch on two different doors, or a safety cover paired with a submersion alarm do not satisfy the law.

Public pools, ASTM-compliant spa covers, and any pool at an apartment complex or non-single-family residence are exempt under Section 115925. In Lakewood, the Building Division within the Community Development Department administers the underlying construction permit under Municipal Code Section 8000, and Section 115922(c) puts the final sign-off in that same office's hands: the local building code official must inspect the required features before issuing final approval on the permit, and cannot grant it if violations remain. This is state law layered directly onto the City's own permit process, not a separate city ordinance, so Lakewood cannot loosen the two-feature minimum even though it runs its own Building Division rather than contracting building inspection out to Los Angeles County the way it contracts for policing and fire service.