Swimming pool permit rules in Whittier, CA — also covering above-ground pools, in-ground pools, and spa installations — set fencing, barrier, alarm, and inspection requirements.
A swimming pool in the City of Whittier requires a building permit. The City's Building & Safety guidance directs applicants to first submit four copies of the site/plot plan and two copies of the engineer-stamped pool plans to the Planning Division for location and equipment approval, then obtain the permit at the Building & Safety counter.
Whittier is an incorporated city, so pools inside the city limits are permitted by the City of Whittier rather than Los Angeles County. According to the City's Building & Safety Frequently Asked Questions and Residential Walls & Fences guidance, a new in-ground swimming pool is a structure that needs a building permit. The published process has two stages. First, the applicant submits four (4) copies of the site/plot plan and two (2) copies of the pool engineering plans and details, stamped and signed by the engineer, to the Planning Division so it can approve the proposed pool location and the location of pool equipment relative to setbacks and the property lines. After Planning approval, the applicant is directed to the Building & Safety Division counter for issuance of the permit. The City references a 'Pool and Spa Requirements' handout that sets out the requirements for pools and spas together with the fence and gate (barrier) requirements that must be shown on the plans. Whittier has adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code by reference in Whittier Municipal Code Chapter 15.12, which governs the technical construction and barrier standards a permitted pool must meet. Questions on a specific project are directed to the Building & Safety Division at (562) 567-9320. The City has not published a flat pool-permit fee figure on these pages; fees are calculated at plan check based on valuation.
Constructing a pool without the required City building permit, or without Planning Division approval of the pool and equipment location, is a code violation that can result in stop-work orders, after-the-fact permit requirements, and code enforcement under the Whittier Municipal Code. Permitted pools must also pass the inspections tied to the adopted swimming pool and spa code.
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