An outdoor pool should be the jewel in your backyard! Its sapphire waters draw everyone who sees it! Jump in and enjoy its refreshing waters! Like any precious jewel, it really needs a protective barrier to keep others from taking advantage of it while you are not looking. A fence is essentially the first defense from keeping your pets, children, or uninvited guests from entering your oasis! Most states require a swimming pool barrier such as a fence and Connecticut has very clear requirements for your pool’s barriers.

Here is a break down of these requirements…

1. Your fence must be four feet tall from the grade. This is the minimum height required. The opening at the bottom measured from the ground should not exceed two inches.

2. If your fence has any openings, this includes slats, it should be narrow enough not to allow a four-inch sphere in diameter to pass through.

3. It must be a solid barrier! Your fence should be smooth not having any indentations or protrusions. So, building your fence with stone is a no-no!

4. If you are building a fence that has “the horizontal and vertical members” that are 45 inches or less apart…the horizontal members should be on the pool side of the fence and no more than 1 ¾” apart. (By doing so you prevent someone using them as an aid to climb over the fence.) If the fence has any decorative cutouts they should be no bigger than 1 ¾”.

(There is just one subtle difference between #4 and #5-the difference is the measurement between the horizontal members. #4 covers 45 inches and less and #5 covers 45 inches and more.)

5. If you are building a fence that has “the horizontal and vertical members” that are 45 inches or more apart…the horizontal members should be on the pool side of the fence and no more than 1 ¾” apart. (By doing so you prevent someone using them as an aid to climb over the fence.) If the fence has any decorative cutouts they should be no bigger than 1 ¾”.

6. When using a chain linked fence to enclose your pool, the mesh size should not exceed 2-¼”. The slats that fasten at the top and bottom should reduce to 1 ¾”.

7. Fences made of a criss-cross or lattice nature should have openings no larger than 1 ¾”.

8. Access gates should lock and have self-latching devices. When the latch is located less than 54” inches above the bottom of the gate, you must put the closing mechanism on the pool side of the fence. At least 3 inches from the top of the gate.

9. ”Dwelling wall part of barrier meeting one of the following:

9.1 Powered safety cover per ASTM F1346

9.2 Doors accessing pool: Audible alarm for door & screen, 30 sec auto reset. Manual deactivation for single opening. Deactivation switch min. 54″ high

9.3 Other means of protection acceptable of protection not less than 9.1 or 9.2”

The Breakdown

There are two options for building your pool fence…

1. Build it yourself…build a fence that is forty-eight inches tall and meets all the other requirements depending on what type of materials you use to create the said fence. Your enclosure needs to have a self-locking mechanism and secure!

2. Ask a pro to do it…If all of the above seems daunting to you, you may want to ask a professional! They will know the laws and can save you a lot of headache in the end!

To see Connecticut’s swimming pool requirements for yourself click on the link below:

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DAS/OEDM/Design-and-Trades/swimming_pools-handout.pdf?la=en

For more information about professional pool fence construction in Connecticut, in addition to pool construction, pool service, pool cleaning, and more, contact Brothers Pool in Wallingford.