When building a new swimming pool many cities require installing a ‘primary barrier’ around the swimming pool area. This can be met by several types of fencing and in some cases an automatic pool cover or a manual pool cover from Poolsafe. Many yards have existing fencing along the property line which may already meet all of the proper height and gate opening requirements. In some cases, where a property line fence does not meet the primary barrier minimum requirements, a Poolsafe mesh safety fence surrounding the pool area can be used to satisfy your city’s fence and gate inspection. Poolsafe has obtained written approval for the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles building departments. The way we obtained this approval was adding a small ‘L’ bracket to the base of each of our fence poles where it enters the ground. This simple modification transforms a removable fence into a non-removable fence. Many other building inspectors have approved the use of our fence as a primary barrier as well as long as it is 60″ tall and has a minimum latch height of 54″. Some city inspectors have asked us to epoxy the fence into the deck sleeves so that it can’t be removed. Wherever possible, it is recommended to install the swimming pool fence at least 5 feet away from the water. If it is closer than 5 feet, it may require a continuous bonding wire attached to the base of each fence pole.
Poolsafe fences meet the ASTM Standard F-2286 for removable pool fencing. This standard is used by many cities and counties as a reference or benchmark when approving it’s use around a swimming pool. When you build a new pool in California, you will also be required to have one or more ‘secondary barriers’ between the house and the pool area. This can be achieved with a swimming pool door alarm, a water surface alarm, and a few different types of pool covers or pool fencing. Poolsafe removable mesh safety fencing meets the secondary barrier requirement at the 48″ fence height without needing to add the ‘L’ bracket to the base of each fence pole.
Whether you need to meet the code requirements, or just need your pool to be safe, a removable mesh safety fence from Poolsafe may be exactly what you’re looking for. Give us a call today!
Happy Swimming!
-Dan Newbold
