Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
CHAPTER 45 SWIMMING POOLS:
A.
Section R4501.1 General. The
provisions of this chapter shall control the design and construction of
swimming pools, spas and hot tubs installed in or on the lot of a one- or
two-family dwellings.
B.
Section R4501.2 Pools in flood hazard areas. Pools that are
located in flood hazard areas established by Table R301.2(1) of the IRC,
including above-ground pools, on-ground pools and in-ground pools that involve
placement of fill, shall comply with Sections R4201.2.1 or R4201.2.2. of the
IRC. Exception: Pools located in riverine flood hazard areas which
are outside of designated floodways.
C.
Section R4501.2.1 Pools located in
designated floodways. Where pools are located in designated floodways,
documentation shall be submitted to the building official, which demonstrates
that the construction of the pool will not increase the design flood elevation
at any point within the jurisdiction.
D.
Section R4501.2.2 Pools located
where floodways have not been designated. Where pools are located where
design flood elevations are specified but floodways have not been designated,
the applicant shall provide a floodway analysis that demonstrates that the
proposed pool will not increase the design flood elevation more than one foot
(305 mm) at any point within the jurisdiction.
E.
Section R4502.1 Definitions.
For the purposes of these requirements, the terms used shall be defined as
follows.
(1)
Above ground/on-ground
pool. See "Swimming pool.".
(2)
Barrier. A fence, wall,
building wall or combination thereof, which completely surrounds the swimming
pool and obstructs access to the swimming pool.
(3)
Hot tub. See "Swimming
pool.".
(4)
In-ground
pool. See "Swimming pool.".
(5)
Residential. That which is
situated on the premises of a detached one- or two-family dwelling or a
one-family townhouse not more than three stories in height.
(6)
Spa, non-potable. See
"Swimming pool.".
(7)
Spa,
portable. A non-permanent structure intended for recreational bathing,
in which all controls, water-heating and water-circulating equipment are an
integral part of the product.
(8)
Swimming pool. Any structure intended for swimming or recreational
bathing that contains water over 24 inches (610 mm) deep. This includes
in-ground, above-ground and on-ground swimming pools, hot tubs, and
spas.
(9)
Swimming pool,
indoor. A swimming pool which is totally contained within a structure
and surrounded on all four sides by the walls of the enclosing
structure.
(10)
Swimming
pool, outdoor. Any swimming pool which is not an indoor
pool.
F.
Section
R4503.1 In-ground pools. In-ground pools shall be designed and
constructed in conformance with ANSI/NSPI-4 as listed in section R4208 of the
IRC.
G.
Section R4503.2
Above-ground and on-ground pools. Aboveground and on-ground pools shall
be designed and constructed in conformance with ANSI/NSPI-4 as listed in
Section R4208 of the IRC.
H.
Section R4503.3 Pools in flood hazard areas. In flood hazard areas
established by Table R301.2 (1) of the IRC, pools in coastal high hazard areas
shall be designed and constructed in conformance with ASCE 24.
I.
Section R4504.1 Permanently
installed spas and hot tubs. Permanently installed spas and hot tubs
shall be designed and constructed in conformance with ANSI/NSPI-3.
J.
Section R4504.2 Portable spas and
hot tubs. Portable spas and hot tubs shall be designed and constructed
in conformance with ANSI/NSPI-6.
K.
Section R4505.1 Barrier Requirements. The provisions of this
chapter shall control the design of barriers for residential swimming pools,
spas, and hot tubs. These design controls are intended to provide protection
against potential drownings and near-drownings by restricting access to
swimming pools, spas and hot tubs.
L.
Section R4505.2 Outdoor swimming
pool. An outdoor swimming pool, including an in-ground, above-ground or
on-ground pool, hot tub or spa shall be surrounded by a barrier which shall
comply with the following:
(1) The top of the
barrier shall be at least 48 inches (1219 mm) above grade measured on the side
of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. The maximum vertical
clearance between grade and the bottom of the barrier shall be two inches (51
mm) measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming
pool. Where the top of the pool structure is above grade, such as an
above-ground pool, the barrier may be at ground level, such as the pool
structure, or mounted on top of the pool structure. Where the barrier is
mounted on top of the pool structure, the maximum vertical clearance between
the top of the pool structure and the bottom of the barrier shall be four
inches (102 mm).
(2) Openings in
the barrier shall not allow passage of a four-inch-diameter (102 mm)
sphere.
(3) Solid barriers which do
not have openings, such as a masonry or stone wall, shall not contain
indentations or protrusions except for normal construction tolerances and
tooled masonry joints.
(4) Where
the barrier is composed of horizontal and vertical members and the distance
between the tops of the horizontal members is less than 45 inches (1143 mm),
the horizontal members shall be located on the swimming pool side of the fence.
Spacing between vertical members shall not exceed thirteen-fourth inches (44
mm) in width. Where there are decorative cutouts within vertical members,
spacing within the cutouts shall not exceed thirteen-fourth inches (44 mm) in
width.
(5) Where the barrier is
composed of horizontal and vertical members and the distance between the tops
of the horizontal members is 45 inches (1143 mm) or more, spacing between
vertical members shall not exceed four inches (102 mm). Where there are
decorative cutouts within vertical members, spacing within the cutouts shall
not exceed thirteen-fourth inches (44 mm) in width.
(6) Maximum mesh size for chain link fences
shall be a twenty-one fourth-inch (57 mm) square unless the fence has slats
fastened at the top or the bottom which reduce the openings to not more than
thirteen-fourth inches (44 mm).
(7)
Where the barrier is composed of diagonal members, such as a lattice fence, the
maximum opening formed by the diagonal members shall not be more than
thirteen-fourth inches (44 mm).
(8)
Access gates shall comply with the requirements of Section R4205.2 of the IRC,
Items 1 through 7, and shall be equipped to accommodate a locking device.
Pedestrian access gates shall open outward away from the pool and shall be
self-closing and have a self-latching device. Gates other than pedestrian
access gates shall have a self-latching device. Where the release mechanism of
the self-latching device is located less than 54 inches (1372 mm) from the
bottom of the gate, the release mechanism and openings shall comply with the
following:
(a) 8.1. The release mechanism
shall be located on the pool side of the gate at least three inches (76 mm)
below the top of the gate; and
(b)
8.2. The gate and barrier shall have no opening larger than half-inch (12.7 mm)
within 18 inches (457 mm) of the release mechanism.
(9) Where a wall of a dwelling serves as part
of the barrier, one of the following conditions shall be met:
(a) 9.1. The pool shall be equipped with a
powered safety cover in compliance with ASTM F 1346; or
(b) 9.2. Doors with direct access to the pool
through that wall shall be equipped with an alarm which produces an audible
warning when the door and/or its screen, if present, are opened. The alarm
shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2017. The deactivation
switch(es) shall be located at least 54 inches (1372 mm) above the threshold of
the door; or
(c) 9.3. Other means
of protection, such as self-closing doors with self-latching devices, which are
approved by the governing body, shall be acceptable as long as the degree of
protection afforded is not less than the protection afforded by Item 9.1 or 9.2
described above.
(10)
Where an above-ground pool structure is used as a barrier or where the barrier
is mounted on top of the pool structure, and the means of access is a ladder or
steps:
(a) 10.1. The ladder or steps shall be
capable of being secured, locked or removed to prevent access; or
(b) 10.2. The ladder or steps shall be
surrounded by a barrier which meets the requirements of Section R4205.2, Items
1 through 9. When the ladder or steps are secured, locked or removed, any
opening created shall not allow the passage of a 4-inch-diameter (102 mm)
sphere.
M.
Section R4505.3 Indoor swimming pool. Walls surrounding an indoor
swimming pool shall comply with Section R4205.2 of the IRC, Item 9.
N.
Section R4505.4 Prohibited
locations. Barriers shall be located to prohibit permanent structures,
equipment, or similar objects from being used to climb them.
O.
Section R4505.5 Barrier
exceptions. Spas or hot tubs with a safety cover which complies with
ASTM F 1346, as listed in Section R4507, shall be exempt from the provisions of
this section.
P.
Section
R4506 Entrapment Protection for Swimming Pool and Spa. General. Suction
outlets shall be designed and installed in accordance with
ANSI/APSP-7.
Q.
Section R4507
Abbreviations:
(1)
ANSI -
American national standards institute; 11 West 42nd Street; New York, NY
10036.
(2)
APSP -
Association of pool and spa professionals.
(3)
NSPI - National spa and pool
institute; 2111 Eisenhower Avenue; Alexandria, VA 22314.
(4)
ASCE - American society of
civil engineers; 1801 Alexander Bell Drive; Reston, VA 98411-0700.
(5)
ASTM - ASTM International;
100 Barr Harbor Drive; West Conshohocken, PA 19428.
(6)
UL - Underwriters
laboratories; inc. 333 Pfingsten Road; Northbrook, IL
60062-2096.
R.
Section R4508 Standards:
(1)
ANSI/NSPI-3-99 Standard for Permanently Installed Residential Spas
R4204.1.
(2)
ANSI/NSPI-4-99 Standard for Above-ground/On-ground Residential
Swimming Pools R4203.2.
(3)
ANSI/NSPI-5-2003 Standard for Residential In-ground Swimming Pools
R4203.1.
(4)
ANSI/NSPI-6-99 Standard for Residential Portable Spas
R4204.2.
(5)
ANSI/APSP-7-06 Standard for Suction Entrapment avoidance in
Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs and Catch Basins R4206.
(6)
ASCE/SEI-24-05 Flood
Resistant Design and Construction R4203.3.
(7)
ASTM F 1346-91 (2003)
Performance Specification for Safety Covers and Labeling Requirements for All
Covers for Swimming Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs R4205.2, R4205.5 of the
IRC.
(8)
UL 2017-2000
Standard for General-purpose Signaling Devices and Systems-with Revisions
through June 2004 R4205.2 of the IRC.
