Michigan requires a barrier around a backyard pool. The state’s residential code sends pools and spas to the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which wants a barrier at least 48 inches high around the pool, with gates that open away from the pool, close on their own and latch on their own. Any pool 24 inches deep or more, any pool over 5,000 gallons and any pool set into the ground needs a building permit. Many cities, townships and villages add rules of their own, and the City of Ypsilanti asks for a 5 foot fence.
What the state code asks of the fence
The barrier rules are in Section 305 of the pool code.
- Height. The top of the barrier is at least 48 inches above the ground, measured on the outside.
- Bottom gap. The gap under the barrier is no more than 2 inches over grass or gravel and no more than 4 inches over concrete.
- Openings. Nothing in the fence may let a 4 inch ball through.
- Rails and pickets. If the rails are less than 45 inches apart, measured top to top, they go on the pool side and the pickets sit no more than 1 3/4 inches apart. With rails 45 inches or more apart, pickets may be 4 inches apart.
- Chain link. Openings can be no larger than 1 3/4 inches, so the common 2 inch mesh is too big.
- Climbing. Pool equipment outside the fence, such as the pump, filter or heater, sits at least 36 inches away from it.
- The house wall. If the house forms part of the barrier, doors and low windows that open onto the pool need an alarm, a listed safety cover on the pool, or another protection the building official accepts.
Gates and latches
Walk gates open outward, away from the pool, close by themselves, latch by themselves and can take a lock. Any other gate stays locked. A latch you can open from outside the fence sits at least 54 inches above the ground, and a key or keypad lock no higher than 54 inches. If the only release is on the pool side, it sits at least 3 inches below the top of the gate, and no opening within 18 inches of it may be wider than half an inch.
Above-ground pools and hot tubs
An above-ground pool’s own wall can be the barrier if it sits on the ground, stands at least 48 inches high all the way around, and the maker allows it. The ladder or steps must lock, lift out or have a barrier of their own. Towns vary here. Bedford Township’s zoning accepts a 44 inch wall with a ladder that locks up, while its handout says 48 inches. Erie Township wants a separate barrier around inflatable and soft-sided pools.
A spa or hot tub with a lockable safety cover that meets the ASTM F1346 standard needs no barrier, and neither does a pool with a powered safety cover that meets it.
Who issues the permit
The building permit comes from whoever enforces the state code where you live, and the state keeps a list. Every town on our Monroe County and Lenawee County pages runs its own building department. In Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Milan, Chelsea and the Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships handle their own permits. The county building department serves the City of Dexter and townships such as Scio and Saline. Where neither the town nor the county has taken it on, the state’s Bureau of Construction Codes issues the permit.
Some towns also want a zoning permit for the pool or the fence. Tecumseh wants the fence permit on file before it issues the pool permit, and Pittsfield will not sign off a pool until the barrier passes inspection.
Town by town
“State rule” means the code above: 48 inches, and a gate that opens out, closes and latches itself.
| Town | Permit for the pool | Barrier height | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Monroe | Pool permit over 24 in, 734-384-9186 | 48 to 78 in | Self-closing, self-latching, takes a lock |
| Bedford Township (Temperance, Lambertville) | Township building permit, 734-224-7330 | 4 ft | Self-closing, latch inside, lockable |
| Frenchtown Township | Building permit, 734-242-5900 | State rule | State rule |
| Erie Township | Zoning, then building permit, 734-848-5915 ext. 5 | 4 ft | Self-closing, self-latching, latch at least 4 ft up |
| Dundee | Building permit, 734-529-3430 | State rule | State rule; hot tub needs a locked lid or a barrier |
| Adrian | Building and zoning permits, 517-264-4814 | 48 in | Self-closing, self-latching, lock at 54 in |
| Tecumseh | Fence permit first, then pool permit, 517-423-2107 option 4 | 48 in | State rule |
| Blissfield | Building permit, 517-486-4347 | 4 ft, set 4 ft from the pool | Tamper-proof lock |
| Ann Arbor | Building permit, 734-794-6263 | State rule; the city’s older sheet says 4 ft | Self-latching |
| Ann Arbor Township | Township building permit, (734) 663-3418 | State rule; township rules not confirmed, call | Not confirmed, call |
| Pittsfield Township | Building permit, barrier inspected, 734-822-3125 | State rule | State rule |
| City of Ypsilanti | Building permit, (734) 482-1025 | 5 ft | Self-closing, latch inside, locked when not in use |
| Ypsilanti Township | Building permit, 734-544-4000 ext. 1 | 4 ft | Self-closing, latch inside, lockable |
| Saline | Building permit, (734) 429-8296 | 4 ft | Opens out, self-closing, self-latching, locking device |
| Milan | Building permit, 734-439-7089 | 48 in | State rule |
| Dexter | County building permit, city zoning permit, (734) 580-2233 | State rule | State rule |
| Chelsea | City zoning permit, then building permit, (734) 475-1771 option 5 | State rule | State rule |
Confirm before you order the fence
Pool rules change, and the pool inspection is where they are enforced, so call your office with the number above before you sign for a fence. Ask how tall the barrier must be, what the gate and latch need, and whether the fence needs its own permit. If you are replacing the fence around a pool you already have, ask whether the new fence has to meet the pool rules; the International Code Council’s own permit guidance says the office may require it. Our permits by town page and the Michigan rules page cover the ordinary fence rules.
Aluminum is the usual pool fence
Aluminum is the usual choice around a pool. In Monroe County and along the Ohio line, a 4 foot aluminum fence runs $40 to $55 a foot installed, a 5 foot fence about 12 percent more, and an aluminum walk gate $500 to $1,000. The aluminum fence cost page has the detail, and the fence cost page and Ann Arbor cost page cover the other styles.
See your price range
Draw the pool fence in the estimator, pick aluminum, and see the installed range for your yard. When you request a quote, say it is a pool barrier and name your township, so the installers price the right height, the self-closing gate and the permit.
Questions people ask
Do you need a fence around a pool in Michigan?
Yes, or another barrier the code accepts. Michigan’s residential code sends home pools to the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, which wants a barrier at least 48 inches high with gates that close and latch on their own. A hot tub with a lockable safety cover, or a pool with a powered safety cover, meeting ASTM F1346 is the exception.
How tall does a pool fence have to be in Michigan?
At least 48 inches, measured on the outside, with no more than 2 inches between the bottom and the grass. Some towns ask for more or set a range. The City of Ypsilanti wants 5 feet, and the City of Monroe allows 48 to 78 inches.
Do I need a permit for an above-ground pool in Michigan?
Yes, unless it is a prefabricated pool under 24 inches deep that holds no more than 5,000 gallons and sits entirely above ground. Anything bigger needs a building permit from your city, township or village, or from the county or the state where they enforce the code.
How high does a pool gate latch have to be in Michigan?
A latch you can work from outside the gate sits at least 54 inches above the ground under the current pool code. A latch that opens only from the pool side sits at least 3 inches below the top of the gate, with no opening wider than half an inch within 18 inches of it. Erie Township’s own ordinance asks for at least 4 feet.
Does a hot tub need a fence in Michigan?
Not if it has a lockable safety cover that meets ASTM F1346. Without one, it needs the same 48 inch barrier as a pool. Dundee’s ordinance says a hot tub must have a locked lid or meet the barrier rule.
Can I use chain link for a pool fence in Michigan?
Yes, if the openings are no larger than 1 3/4 inches, which rules out the common 2 inch mesh. Adrian prints the same 1.75 inch limit on its pool permit application. Slats can bring a larger mesh down to size.