Virginia county swimming pool laws
This summer, thousands of children and adults will flock to Virginia swimming pools seeking fun in the sun and relief from the heat. Unfortunately for some in our area, they may drown or be the victim of a serious near-drowning injury because they were able to enter a swimming pool due to defective or poorly maintain fences and gates. State, city, and county ordinances across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have laws which residential and recreational swimming pools owners must follow to prevent injuries and deaths.
Virginia swimming pool laws set the minimum requirements for the dimensions which fences and gates must be constructed to. Additionally, Virginia state law allows local ordinances to govern the construction of swimming pool fences and gates. County and city governments have the power to regulate residential and recreational pool construction in order to protect local residents.
Children may be especially vulnerable to drowning or a near-drowning injury if they gain unauthorized and unsupervised access to a swimming pool. Below is a compilation of ordinances for local counties and cities in the northern Virginia area which govern swimming pool fences and gates.
Arlington County public pool regulations
Fences
- At least 6 feet tall
- May not have openings greater than 4 inches
- May not be climbable from the outside
- Must completely enclose pool
- Materials approved by county manager
- Fences using vertical and horizontal members may not have openings greater than 1.75 inches
- No objects within a 6 feet arch of the top of the fence
- No objects within 3 feet of any other point of the fence
- Wading pools have separate fencing at least 3 feet tall with a self closing and self latching gate
Gates
- Latches and locks at least 48 inches from the ground
- Must have emergency gates at least 8 feet wide
Fairfax County residential pool regulations
Fences
- At least 48 inches in height
- 2 inches maximum distance between bottom of fence and ground
- Maximum 1.75 inch mesh size for chain link fences
- Pickett fences may not have openings greater than 4 inches wide
- Horizontal openings may not be greater than 1.75 inches
- May not be climbable
- Horizontal elements must be greater than 45 inches apart
Gates
- Must meet fencing requirements
- Self-closing and self-latching
- Swing open away from pool area
- Latches must be at least 54 inches from the bottom of the fence and 3 inches from the top
- No openings greater than .5 inch within 18 inches of the latch
Fairfax County public pool regulations
Fences
- Must be at least 6 feet tall
- Materials approved by county director
- Fences with horizontal and vertical elements where horizontal elements are less than 45 inches apart must be on pool side of fence with openings no larger than 1.75 inches
- Fences with horizontal and vertical elements where horizontal elements are at least 45 inches apart may not have openings in vertical elements greater than 4 inches wide
- Decorative openings in vertical elements may not be greater than 1.75 inches
- Fence or barrier may not be climbable from outside
- No objects within a 6 foot arch from the top of the fence
- No objects within 3 feet of any other point of the fence
- Wading pools must have separate fencing at least 3 feet tall with gates that are self-closing and self-latching
Gates
- Latches must be at least 48 inches from the ground
- Must have an emergency gate at least 8 feet wide
Loudoun County public pool regulations
Fences
- Must be at least 6 feet tall
- Materials approved by county director
- Shall not be climbable from the outside
- No objects within a 6 foot arch of the top of the fence
- No objects within 3 feet of any other point of the fence
- Horizontal elements less than 45 inches must be located on swimming pool side of fence
- No openings greater in vertical elements greater than 1.75 inches in fences with horizontal elements
- Fences without horizontal elements may not have openings greater than 4 inches
- Wading pools must have separate gates at least 3 feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates
Gates
- Self-closing and self latching
- Locks and latches at least 48 inches from the ground
- Must have an emergency gate at least 8 feet wide
Prince William County residential pool regulations
Fences
- At least 48 inches tall
- 2 inches maximum distance between bottom of fence and ground
- Openings in solid barriers may not be larger than 4 inches
- Solid barriers may not have any indentations or protrusions
- Fences must be located to prevent permanent structures from being used to climb them
- Fences with vertical and horizontal elements may not have openings greater than 1.75 inches
- Horizontal elements less than 45 inches must be located on swimming pool side of fence and openings in vertical elements may not be greater than 1.75 inches
- Fences with horizontal elements greater than 45 inches apart may not openings in vertical elements greater than 4 inches
- Fences with diagonal elements may not have openings greater than 1.75 inches
- Decorative cutouts may not be larger than 1.75 inches
- Maximum 2.25 mesh size for chain link fences
Gates
- Must comply with fencing requirements
- Must be self-latching and self-closing and open away from the pool area
- Must have a locking device
- Latches less than 54 inches from the ground must be at least 3 inches from the top of the gate
- No openings greater than .5 inch within 18 inches of the latch
City of Alexandria public pool regulations
Fences
- Must be at least 6 feet tall
- Construction materials approved by city director
- Horizontal elements must be 45 inches apart and may not have openings greater than 1.75 inches
- Fences without horizontal elements may not have openings in vertical elements greater than 4 inches wide
- May not be climbable from the outside
- No objects within a 6 foot arch from the top of the fence
- No other objects within 3 feet of the fence
- Wading pools must have separate fencing at least 3 feet tall with self-closing and self-latching gates
Gates
- Latches and locks must be located at least 48 inches above ground
- Must have an emergency access gate at least 4 feet wide
City of Alexandria residential pool regulations
Fences
- Must be at least 6 feet tall
- No external handholds or footholds
- Materials must be approved by city director
- Space between vertical elements may not be wider than 4 inches
- Space between ground and bottom of fence may not be greater than 4 inches
Gates
- Must be 4 feet wide
- Must be self-closing and self-latching
- Latches must be 48 inches above ground
- Must have emergency access gate at least 8 feet wide
Virginia drowning accident lawyers
If your child or loved one drowned or suffered a serious near-drowning injury because of a faulty or defective swimming pool fence or gate you may have important questions you need help answering. They may be questions like how to pay for hospital bills, funeral costs, loss of income, other damages, and who is responsible for my loved one’s injuries or death.
Coping with the of the loss of a family member or their severe injuries can be strenuous enough, dealing with emotional and legal burdens may only compound this. Experienced and compassionate attorneys like those at The Cochran Firm, D.C. can help you deal with these difficult emotional times.
The Cochran Firm, D.C. can help you get the financial compensation you deserve and hold wrongdoers responsible for their negligence. We offer free, prompt, and confidential legal consultations and there are no obligations. Because we work on a contingency basis, there are no legal fees unless we recover for you.
Call us at 202-682-5800 or fill out a contact form online. Strict time deadlines when filing a swimming pool drowning claim so please contact us at your earliest convenience in order to preserve your rights.
