Why Building a Fence Around Your Pool (Even If It’s Not Required by Law) Is Smart

A white seneca pool fence around a private inground pool in the back yard
Turning your back yard into a waterpark getaway is the perfect way to bring a sense of tropical relaxation to your property. However, your summertime oasis can quickly turn into a headache if you’re not properly prepared before the pool is installed.

First, you should consider building a fence around your pool. This isn’t just a public service announcement — it’s the law almost everywhere across the United States.

It’s (Usually) Required by Law

Laws for private inground pools vary across each state, and sometimes cities have their own rules — so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the regulations set in place by your local government before you get started.

Common Inground Pool Regulations

There are specific barrier specifications for private residential pools that local government can choose to adopt and enforce. These regulations often include the following rules:

Fences must be 4 feet high above grade measured on the side where the pool lays
The bottom of the fence can be a maximum 2 inches off the grade
Openings in the fence cannot be wider than 4 inches
The gate should self-lock or latch

There are often many more specifications you will need to meet, but if you’re deciding whether you should build a fence around your pool or not, these are the 4 you should pay the most attention to.

Even if your city doesn’t have a law regarding a barrier, you should still strongly consider building a fence around your pool. Vinyl pool fence installation can be cheap and easy. It can also provide you and your family with more privacy.
A SimTex EcoStone Simulated Stone fence installed around a private pool

You’ll Gain More Privacy

The average inground swimming pool costs about $20,000. And that’s not including the extra cost for add-ons like pool deck chairs or a free-standing pergola. You didn’t invest that much money in a backyard oasis to not be able to unwind in privacy.

A fence is a great way to enhance your privacy near your pool. Along with the privacy of a fence, you’ll also gain a feeling of safety knowing you’re keeping out unwanted guests. Damage caused by unwanted guests could see you digging back into your bank account to fix your pool.

Fences can also keep pets and animals from wandering into your pool area without your knowledge.

Preventing damage and enhancing privacy is just the beginning when it comes to the benefits of having a fence around your pool. There are also safety implications that make adding a fence an easy decision.

You’ll Make the Back Yard a Safer Place

While fun and incredibly relaxing, private pools can be dangerous. The responsibility of owning a swimming pool requires owners to take the extra step to ensure the safety of those who may come to enjoy your inground oasis.

According to Edgar Snyder & Associates, 75 percent of drowning deaths of children younger than 15 occur in private pools. In addition, nearly 5,000 children under 14 will go to the hospital this year because of an accidental drowning-related incident.

You can prevent contributing to these statistics by building a fence around your pool and installing a gate that locks so kids can’t break in.

You’ll Better Eliminate Risk & Liability

Did you know you can still get in trouble with the law if someone injures themselves in your pool, even if they’re intruding? A simple vinyl pool fence installation can help protect you against these types of charges:

Attractive nuisance doctrine
Negligence
Inadequate supervision
Willful or wanton misconduct

Pool Fence Safety Tips and Other Risk-Averse Tactics

A barrier protecting unwanted guests from your pool is a great way to keep it safe. The next step in vinyl pool fence installation safety is to make sure it has a strong lock on the gate and is hard to scale.

For additional security, you can also add a pool alarm to alert you and your neighbors if an unsupervised child (or pet) has jumped into the water.

In addition to these pool fence safety tips, there are other features you can install to keep everyone around your pool safe.

Pool covers will prevent debris, people and animals from entering your pool uninvited. Security lights will keep the area lit so a trespasser can’t hide in the shadows of darkness around your pool.

Owners can also equip themselves with skills and knowledge if someone finds themselves in trouble after invading the pool area. Take a CPR class so you know what to do in case of an emergency, and install a phone near the pool so you can be contacted quickly if there’s an accident.

Building a fence around your pool is a no-brainer — whether it’s required by law or not. Vinyl Fence Wholesaler helps make it an easy decision with a variety of designs for pool owners looking for a stylish fence to surround their pool.