SWIMMING POOL PERMITS

Do you need a building permit?

A Building Permit is required for all swimming pools, spas (both in ground and above) and
safety barriers including portable swimming pools which are deeper than 300mm. Safety
Barriers are mandatory in Victoria for swimming pools (including portable) and spas. Permits
must be issued by our office prior to any building works commencing on site.
Portable swimming pools
A portable swimming pool is a swimming pool that is:
(a)

intended for personal, domestic or household use; and

(b)

one of the following:

(i)

an inflatable swimming pool, of any depth;

(ii)

a soft-sided swimming pool, of any depth;

(iii)

a rigid-sided swimming pool that is not deeper than 300 mm.

To comply with swimming pool regulations, all pools need to:

Have a safety barrier complying with the relevant legislation,
Have a valid swimming pool permit / building permit,
Have a water re-circulation system complying with AS 1926.3.
These swimming pool regulations are designed to save lives, and failure to obtain a valid
swimming pool permit can lead to a significant fine. To ensure your pool complies with the
swimming pool regulations.
Call our office today for hassle free building permit advice for your project!
Do swimming pools and spas need to be installed by a registered building
practitioner?
Installing a swimming pool or spa involves a number of specialised trades and techniques. If
you engage a Registered Building Practitioner or use subcontractors to undertake the work
they must provide you with a major domestic building contract for work over $5,000. For
work over $12,000 they must also provide domestic building insurance.
Many contracts can be confusing, or in the case of unregistered pool builders, you may even
find there is no contract. Ensure you do your homework before engaging an industry
professional.
It is an offence for an unregistered builder to carry out building work on a swimming
pool or spa where the contract is over $5,000
Swimming Pool / Spa Safety Barrier Requirements
The Building Code of Australia requires a safety barrier to be provided between the dwelling
and its associated buildings, and the swimming pool. Cubbies, BBQs or clothes lines, etc

are not recommended with the swimming pool safety barrier. The key elements of the
relevant Australian Standard, AS 1926.1-2012 are designed to deny access by unsupervised
young children, especially those under 5 years of age, to the swimming pool area.

Fence
Essentially, a safety barrier fence can be made of any material that has a reasonable life
span when exposed to the likely conditions of weather, pool chemicals, pollution, decay,
insects, salt water spray, impacts, etc.
Fences must have an effective perpendicular minimum height of 1.2m. Existing standard
paling fences can be used provided that they are well-maintained and at least 1800mm high.
If the rails are on the outside of the pool area, a non-climbable zone of 900mm from the top
must be provided on the inside of the fence.
Ground clearance between the bottom of the fence and ground level is not to exceed
100mm, and any horizontal rails, rods, etc, which could assist climbing, should be on the
pool side of the fence. If theyre on the outside, they should be at least 900mm apart. The
space between vertical members must not exceed 100mm.
Gates
These must open outward only and have an effective perpendicular minimum height of
1.2m.
They must return to the closed position and engage the latch automatically from any position
and not re-open without using the manual release mechanism. The latch release must be at
least 1.5m above ground level unless it (i) is inside the fence (ii) can only be reached over or
through a fence higher than 1.2m or (iii) is 150mm below the fence top (no hand hole) or at
least 150mm away from the edge of any hand hole opening. Latch releases less than 1.5m
above ground level must be shielded so that no opening greater than 10mm is closer than
450mm. Any hand hole shall be at least 1.2m above ground level
Walls
External walls of a building can be used as swimming pool barriers so long as they do not
contain any doors opening into the pool enclosure and windows are treated to prevent
access to the pool enclosure.
Windows and Doors
Doors from a dwelling are prohibited from opening into a swimming pool enclosure.
The only exception is for doors opening to a swimming pool or spa within a building.
Acceptable window types are as follows:

Those totally enclosed by grills with no openings through which a 100mm

diameter sphere can pass.

Those that will not open far enough to create a gap through which a 100mm
diameter sphere can pass.

Those with a lowest opening panel not less than 1.2m above the floor.

Those that have firm fixed fly-wire installed