New Jersey Pool Fence Requirements

Creating a safer swimming pool starts with following the New Jersey pool fence requirements that are designed to provide a road map for builders and pool owners to prevent unsupervised access to the swimming pool when you aren’t around. Thousands of lives are lost every year to accidental drownings, and a lack of adequate safety barriers is cited as a contributing factor in many of them. Part of responsibly maintaining your swimming pool is taking the steps necessary to protect your friends, family, and pets.

New Jersey Pool Fence Code

New Jersey Pool Fence Requirements generally follow the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), a set of suggested standards put together by an international team of pool builders, designers, and operators to help set a universal standard for pool safety. While this document had broad implications for not just fencing but overall safety and construction, its pool fence recommendations have been amended and codified as Section 3901 of Building Code 2018 of New Jersey 305 and further adopted by many New Jersey communities as well as other jurisdictions across the country.  Along with the New Jersey Pool Fence Code, the ISPSC has influenced insurance carriers, HOAs, and other organizations that have a say in how pools are built and maintained. 

It’s important to understand that, while the ISPSC offers suggested guidelines, it is the regulatory entities themselves who enact them, and some choose to amend the guidelines to better serve the citizens of their communities. Before starting on your New Jersey pool fence, contact your local building and planning department as well as your insurance carrier and HOA to verify you know the full breadth of your obligations. While this seems like a lot, your local All-Safe Pool safety equipment installer can help you meet these New Jersey pool fence requirements while keeping your backyard oasis looking beautiful.

New Jersey Pool Fence Standards

Removable mesh pool fences give you an ASTM-compliant fencing solution that meets or exceeds ISPSC and New Jersey pool fence requirements when properly installed:

• Pool Safety Barriers Should Be At Least 48” High – Measured from the ground on the outside of the pool enclosure to the top of the fence. This height helps keep climbing children and jumping pets out of the pool when supervision isn’t around. Please note that some jurisdictions may require 54” or 60” pool fence heights in New Jersey, making it important to verify the standards you must meet with your regulatory authorities.
• Free Of Large Gaps And Handholds – Any gaps around gates, anchor points, and poles should be small enough to prevent a 4” sphere from passing through them. This helps keep small bodies from being able to push through the fence or find easy handholds for climbing. Fencing material should be smooth and not offer gaps large enough for hands and feet.
• Ground Clearance – The pool fence can be installed with no more than 2” from the grade to the bottom of the fence. Additionally, New Jersey pool fence requirements also stipulate that the material can’t allow for enough of a lift to allow a 4” sphere to pass underneath the fence.
• Secure Gates – All gates and entry points must be both self-closing and self-latching. This helps prevent gates from being left ajar or unsecured. Professional pool fence installation ensures your gate swings freely closed, preventing mishaps due to misalignment or improper hanging.

Finding A Pool Safety Professional In New Jersey

Your local New Jersey pool fence installation professionals are the crew at Pool Safety Systems. As your local All-Safe Pool partner, they have the experience, tools, and technology to create a safe, modern pool area that protects your loved ones while preserving your swimming pool’s beauty. 

• Removable Mesh Pool Fencing – Using strong, flexible poles anchored in deck and ground sleeves, mesh pool fencing is the most flexible pool safety barrier on the market. The rip-resistant mesh material doesn’t block your view but deters climbing and is easy to maintain. When more space is needed around your pool, it takes minutes to remove, and it can be reinstalled almost as fast for complete protection when it’s time to close the pool down again.
• Swimming Pool Safety Covers – Anchored to your pool’s deck, this tear-resistant pool safety barrier is a great second layer of protection once you’ve met New Jersey pool fence requirements. It helps prevent access to the surface of the pool, keeps out debris, and can hold the weight of a full-grown adult, making it a powerful safety feature.
• Swimming Pool Safety Nets – Similar to pool safety covers, safety nets are anchored to your deck and tensioned with springs to prevent access to your pool. The knotted cord is hard for kids or pets to walk on, keeping them from getting far from the pool edge and holding them up and out of the water.

Pool Safety Systems has helped protect thousands of families in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. They have a passion for safety that’s built their reputation one pool at a time. We’re proud to have them in the All-Safe Pool family of local installers, delivering safety to the communities they live and work in.

Creating A Pool That’s Safer

The first step toward protecting your family and fulfilling your responsibilities as a pool owner is to contact your local installer and schedule a free estimate. They’ll set a time to take a look at your pool area, get the measurements they need, and offer you options tailored to your pool’s needs. Your written estimate gives you actionable information that helps you protect your pool by meeting New Jersey pool fence requirements. Contact Pool Safety Systems, your local All-Safe Pool installer, for a no-obligation quote today.