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Pool fence

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Check what you need to do to ensure your pool fence is compliant. Find information for building certifiers.

What do I need to know before getting started?

You don’t need planning approval for pool fences. 

Building requirements

All pool fences and barriers must comply with the pool safety standard and be kept in good condition. Pool fencing requirements are included in the:

You can lodge an application with Council for an exemption from requirements under the Building Act 1975. 

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Note

Council conducts pool safety inspections to help ensure that pool barriers and fencing comply with the pool safety standard. You can be issued an on-the-spot fine if your pool fence doesn't meet the requirements. 

Exemptions

You can apply for a pool fencing exemption from Council.

Disability exemption

Your application should include:

  • the form and extent of the disability
  • whether the person with disability is wheelchair-bound or mobile
  • if wheelchair-bound, whether the wheelchair can move unaided
  • whether the person with disability requires a full-time carer
  • medical evidence to support the application
  • a description of the barrier regulations that prevent the person with disability from gaining entry to, and exiting from, the pool enclosure
  • a description of the replacement preventative measure that will prevent young children gaining access to the pool.

Impracticality exemption

Your application should include:

  • which part of the pool safety standard you’re seeking an exemption from
  • a description of the replacement preventative measure that will prevent young children gaining access to the pool.

To apply for an exemption, you must submit a request for assessment (building and development related matters).

Apply for an exemption
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Note

Council will consider the safety of young children before giving any exemptions. 

Looking for something else

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Heritage and character properties

What types of approval do I need?

Building approval

Details of your proposed pool fence must be included in your swimming pool building application.

Contact a licensed building certifier to arrange building approval for your pool and pool fence.

You are not allowed to fill your pool with water until the building certifier has certified that the pool barriers and fencing comply with the pool safety standard. 

Pool safety certificates

If you have an existing pool, you'll need a pool safety certificate if you intend to sell or lease the property. 

Contact a licensed pool safety inspector to arrange a pool safety certificate for your pool barriers and fencing.

Information for building certifiers

Under the Planning Act 2016, Council must hold records of building construction approvals and certification information. These documents will be kept for a specified period of time and made available for inspection. 

A detailed list of required lodgement materials is outlined in Planning Regulation 2017 and s86 of the Building Act 1975.

You can lodge building certification documents online for a fee of $72.30 (valid from 1 July 2024). 

Sign in to the Services Brisbane for Business portal to lodge your building certification documents.

Lodge documents

You can also lodge building documents at any Customer Centre. Phone Council’s Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263) to ask about the fees for lodging building documents in person.

Frequently asked questions

Your pool must have a fence around it even if you don’t have children living on your property. This is unless you’ve been granted a pool fencing exemption. 

Yes, it’s illegal to have a pool without a fence. The Queensland Development Code MP 3.4 - Swimming pool barriers states that swimming pools must have a barrier which: 

  • is continuous for the full extent of the hazard 
  • is of a strength and rigidity to withstand the foreseeable impact of people
  • restricts the access of young children to the pool and the immediate pool surrounds, including access from class 1, 2 or 3 buildings or class 4 parts of buildings located within or outside the pool area
  • has any gates fitted with latching devices not readily operated by young children, and constructed to automatically close and latch
  • except for indoor swimming pools, doesn’t incorporate any doors providing access to or from a building.

Yes, all spas need a safety barrier. A spa is included in the definition of a swimming pool in the Building Act 1975. A lockable hardcover isn’t considered a suitable barrier in Queensland.