Tarrant County, TX Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Swimming pool permitting in Tarrant County is handled by each city building department. Fort Worth requires a building permit for any in-ground pool plus separate electrical and plumbing permits, with combined fees typically 300 to 600 dollars based on valuation. Arlington requires a pool permit through Community Development, with fees 250 to 500 dollars plus inspections for excavation, plumbing rough-in, electrical bonding, and final. Grapevine, Keller, Southlake, and Mansfield each require permits with similar fees and inspections. All Tarrant County cities enforce Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 757, which requires pool barriers at least 48 inches tall, self-closing and self-latching gates with latches 54 inches above the ground, and no openings allowing a 4-inch sphere to pass through. The federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act requires anti-entrapment drain covers on all new pools. Above-ground pools over 24 inches deep also require permits in most cities. Unincorporated Tarrant County does not require a county pool permit but state barrier law still applies.