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Florida Pool Barrier Checker

Walk your pool fence with seven yes-or-no questions from Florida's pool safety law and the building code, and see which items meet the rule as described, which are likely a problem, and which a pro should look at. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent.

Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Chapter 515, Florida Statutes) and the Florida Building Code, Residential, section R4501.17 set the height, gap, gate and setback rules for a pool barrier. The Act applies to new residential pools and to the barriers the code requires; HOA rules and some cities are stricter.

A guide, not an inspection, and not legal advice. Your city's building department makes the final call; verify with them before you rely on it. Measuring the fence line first? Use the Fence Linear Foot Calculator.

  1. 1. Barrier height

    Is the barrier at least 4 ft (48 in) high, measured on the outside (the side facing away from the pool)?

  2. 2. Gaps and openings

    Are all gaps and openings small enough that a 4 in ball cannot pass through, and is the space between the bottom of the barrier and the ground no more than 2 in?

  3. 3. Distance from the water and nothing to climb

    Is the barrier at least 20 in from the water's edge, with no structure, equipment or climbable object next to it that a child could use to get over?

  4. 4. Gates

    Does every gate open outward away from the pool, close and latch on its own, with the latch release at least 54 in above the bottom of the gate (or on the pool side, below the top of the gate)?

  5. 5. House wall as part of the barrier

    If a wall of the house is part of the barrier: do the doors from the house to the pool have alarms or self-closing, self-latching devices, or is there an approved safety cover on the pool, or a separate fence between the house and the pool?

  6. 6. Mesh or removable safety fence

    If you have a mesh or removable safety fence: was it installed per the manufacturer's instructions, and does it meet the same 48 in height rule?

  7. 7. New pool or a home for sale

    If the pool is new, or the home is being sold: is a barrier in place before the final inspection, or does the pool have another safety feature the Act lists, such as an approved safety cover or a rated pool alarm?

0 of 7answered. Skipped questions show as “a pro should check”.

Get a pool fence estimate

Tell us what the checker flagged, the material you have in mind and the city. We measure on site, build to the barrier rules and handle the permit.

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