Stonecrest, GA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Sec. 7-118(a) states that a permit shall be obtained before beginning construction, erection, alteration or repair to a building or structure, other than ordinary repairs, and a swimming pool counts as a structure subject to that rule. The only pool-specific carve-out in the exemption list at Sec. 7-118(d)(1)f covers prefabricated swimming pools less than 24 inches deep that are installed entirely above ground. Anything in-ground, anything deeper than 24 inches, or any pool with a permanent enclosure must go through the standard permit application in Sec.

7-118(e), which requires a written application, a site plan identifying the pool's location relative to property lines, construction plans, and the property owner's signature. Sec. 7-119(g) further requires that construction plans for a permitted structure include a site plan drawn to an accurate boundary line survey showing distances from lot lines, which is how pool placement gets checked against setbacks. The Building Official has up to 60 calendar days under Sec. 7-118(f) to examine the application, and any pool permit lapses if work has not begun within 180 days of issuance or if 180 days pass without a required inspection, per Sec.

7-118(i). Starting pool construction before the permit issues triggers the same penalty as any other unpermitted work: 100 percent of the usual permit fee added to the fee itself, plus a Stop Work Order, under Sec. 7-118(c). Because the technical codes adopted in Sec. 7-23(a)(9) include the International Pool and Spa Code, in-ground pool work must also meet that code's construction standards once permitted.