Florida is an ideal place to leave and install a backyard swimming pool due to the year-round warm weather.
Although not all homeowners can afford an inground pool, most people go for the cheaper aboveground facilities.
Sadly, many fail to find out about Florida’s pool fence laws and end up breaking the water bodies regulations.
We took time to research various aspects of pool laws in Florida and compiled the following article.
What are the Florida Pool Fence Requirements?
Florida State has some residential swimming pool fence requirements that can keep you out of trouble and add safety to your facility.
You can find them in chapter 515 of Florida’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (RSPSA):
- A residential pool enclosure should have the following features or characteristics:
- It should be 4-foot or higher from the outside.
- The fence should have no protrusions, indentations, gaps, openings, or structural elements that can allow kids to climb over, crawl under, or squeeze via the barrier.
- This barricade should go round the pool and be independent of other walls, fences, or enclosures in the yard unless these barriers are part of the pool’s wall or meet the requirements.
- It should be far away from the pool’s edge to prevent any person who manages to sneak inside from falling immediately they penetrate the wall.
2. An above ground pool structure can be used as a wall of the pool, or the barrier can be installed on top of the structure.
- Such a structure or the mounted one should meet the requirements in part 1 above.
- Additionally, any steps or ladder for accessing the pool must be removable, lockable, and secure.
3. The pool’s gates should be openable outward and have the self-closing ability and feature a self-locking device.
- A self-locking release system should be placed on the gate’s poolside and far away from children’s reach.
4. A house wall can be a barrier if it contains no window or door leading to the pool.
5. The fence should be so away from that no equipment, object, or permanent structure offers climbing access to the pool.
What is Florida Above Ground Pool Laws?
Many Floridians do not recognize that the pop-up pool or above ground pools might be illegal in this state.
The RSPSA states that all pools of 24-inch deep or above should have a fence, wall, or barrier independent of property fence.
Florida above ground pool laws were enacted to keep small kids safe by preventing them from accessing the facility without parents’ supervision.
Studies show that a child of less than 5-year dies in these pop-up pools every 5-day during the summer, and about 43% of the deaths are from an unsupervised kid.
Sadly, many pool owners assume that because their yard has a fence shielding outside access, they comply with the Florida pool law and code.
What you fail to realize is your kid is at risk of accessing the pool and drowning.
Leaving steps or ladders in an unattended facility is also against the law.
The few seconds it takes to pull that ladder out of the water and place it in a safe place can save your kid’s life.
Most manufacturers put a warning on their product package and the provided brochure.
You need to adhere to these warnings to guarantee the safety of your kids.
Another thing is to follow the local building codes since your pool might require the fence or not.
Why are Pools Covered in Florida?
There are benefits of covering your swimming pool, which we have looked at below:
Protection from Harmful UV Light: The cover can help to protect your pool from the sun.
UV light can damage your skin and even your pool’s furniture and patio.
Reduces Pool Maintenance: It is hard to keep a swimming pool clean if it is located at sites with dirt and falling leaves.
Having a pool cover or enclosure can keep this debris out, saving you time maintaining your facility.
Privacy and Security: This is from unwanted bugs, pests, and people.
You can find lots of bugs, flies, and mosquitoes around and in your pool during the summer season.
Florida’s pools even see frogs and gators invasion.
A pool cover can help to keep these nuisances away.
Increases Residence Value: Having a pool enclosure increases your home value because it becomes part of the compound.
The enclosure creates an additional “living site” in your home, which means having different relaxing places.
Minimizes Water and Chemical Evaporation: Having a covered swimming pool can save on operation costs by saving water and chemicals.
Evaporation of water and chemicals from the pool is a significant cost incurred by pool owners.
You can minimize the evaporation by having an enclosed pool.
Prevent Algae Development: Algae might look attractive in natural settings like the sea, but not in a swimming pool.
Having a cover can help to minimize its development and lead to minimal maintenance cost.
Minimized Power Bill: One massive cost of having a swimming pool is keeping the water warm.
Most pools hold between 24k to 30k gallons of water, which can be expensive to keep at a swimmable temperature.
That is even more complicated if your pool does not have a cover to prevent the heat from running into the environment.
Prevent Wind: Some Florida counties can experience strong winds that can be a nuisance to the swimmers.
A pool enclosure guarantees you swim in a perfect location with minimal wind and dust.
Modern Touch: Enclosure makes a swimming pool look modern and welcoming to the swimmer.
You can add a modern aesthetic touch to your pool when you add the pool cover.
Final Words
Most USA states have pool laws that should be followed to guarantee safety for the user and small kids.
Our article has given you the vital regulations and laws you need to keep in mind when installing a Florida pool.
Ensure that you contact your local authorities to get more information on having an inground or above ground pool in your backyard.