Coweta County, Georgia Sets New Rules For Pool Fences

• By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
• Feb. 10, 2017 - 6:12 AM

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Chain-link and lattice fencing are once again acceptable materials for 
fencing pools in Coweta County, and owners of above-ground pools 
can again use the pool’s walls as part of the required fencing.

In 2014, the Coweta County Board of Commissioners voted to prohibit 
the use of chain link and lattice fencing for pools in the county, voicing 
concerns that those type of fences were too easy to climb.

The commissioners also decreed that fences must be at least three feet from 
the water. That meant that the walls of above-ground pools couldn’t be used 
to make up part of the fence, which must be at least 48 inches tall.

In 2014, the state adopted its own appendix to the building code regulating pools 
and spas, and local governments were able to enact their own rules that were more 
stringent than the state’s.

Georgia has now adopted the 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 
and local amendments such as Coweta’s are no longer enforceable.

Under the new code, the pool side of fences must be at least 20 inches from the 
water’s edge. However, for an above-ground pool, the pool wall and barrier on top 
can be used to meet the requirement for a four-foot fence. In this case, the ladder 
or steps to the pool must be secured, locked, or removed when the pool is not in 
use. This week, the commissioners voted to repeal the 2014 local amendments. 

There was no discussion on the matter.

The code changes only apply to newly constructed pools – or to pools that are 
taken down at the end of the season and put back up the next year.

Another big change made in 2014 was that pools two feet and deeper had to be 
fenced. Previously, Coweta only required fences for pools that were four feet or 
deeper.

The 2012 code goes even further – anything that is 12 inches deep or more and is 
designed to be connected to a circulation system is considered an “aquatic vessel” 
and subject to the code’s rules for fences.

The fencing requirement applies to both permanent and temporary pools, but does 
not apply to “portable vessels 12 inches or less in designed water depth which are 
drained and filled daily.”

The code doesn’t appear to address pools that are deeper than 12 inches but not 
designed to have a circulation/filtration system.

Hot tubs must be secured from entry, but can have a lockable cover instead of a 
fence, as long as the cover is strong enough to support the weight of an adult.

Under the new code, the opening in chain link or lattice fence must be no larger 
than 1.75 inches. Slats can be added to chain link with larger opening, as long as 
the openings are less than 1.75 inches once reduced by the slats.