Noblesville, IN Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Noblesville Code of Ordinances § 159.121(B) treats a residential pool as an accessory structure: division (B)(7) requires a building permit for accessory uses and structures unless division (C) exempts them. Structures 200 square feet or less are normally exempt from that permit, but Appendix A, § 1(F)(3)(h) still lists a dedicated line item, "Permanent Swimming Pool," priced at $175 plus $0.10 per square foot plus a $25 certificate-of-occupancy fee, so plan reviewers in the Planning and Development Department collect a pool-specific charge regardless of footprint.

Division (D)(20) then layers on pool-specific standards once a pool reaches the 42-inch depth and 12-foot diameter threshold: a permanent pool must be protected by a surrounding fence at least four feet high, maintained to keep out small children and animals, or by a safety pool cover meeting the specifications of the adopted Indiana Swimming Pool Code. That fence may enclose either the pool itself or the whole property. Non-permanent pools, meaning smaller seasonal or above-ground units under that threshold, must still satisfy the general accessory-structure size, height, and setback standards of division (B)(3), which scale with lot size (50% of the principal building's footprint or 1,000 square feet on lots of an acre or less), but are not held to the permanent-pool fencing and screening requirements.

Setback placement follows the same rule as any other accessory structure: no closer to a lot line than the minimum setback for the zoning district.