Merced, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Safety Rules (2026)

Pool safety in the City of Merced is governed by state law adopted into the local code. MMC Section 17.05.010 adopts the 2025 California Residential Code, including Appendix CI, the "Swimming Pool Safety Act," and MMC Section 20.28.020.D.2 requires pool fences, barriers, and equipment areas to be provided as required by the building code and state law. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 115922, when a building permit is issued for a new pool or spa, or for the remodel of an existing pool or spa, at a single-family home, the pool must be equipped with at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention safety features. These include an isolation enclosure meeting Section 115923, removable mesh fencing meeting ASTM F2286 with a self-closing/self-latching lockable gate, an approved safety pool cover meeting ASTM F1346, exit alarms on doors leading to the pool, self-closing/self-latching devices on those doors, or a pool alarm meeting ASTM F2208. In addition, HSC Section 115928 requires anti-entrapment protection: every new or remodeled pool must have at least two hydraulically balanced, anti-entrapment suction outlets per pump, separated by at least three feet, to prevent suction entrapment. Because Merced does not add stricter local pool-safety amendments, these state standards are the operative safety rules enforced through the City's building-permit and inspection process.