Your home swimming pool can be a gathering place for fun and relaxation with your family and friends. But it can also present a danger to small children if it’s not properly secured. Here’s what to do to keep your pool safe and in compliance with Texas residential pool laws.

Barrier Enclosures

As a Texas homeowner with a private residential swimming pool you must build a barrier around your pool with a minimum height of 4 feet. The barrier cannot be constructed of chain-link fencing, however, or have gaps or openings larger than 4 inches wide. The gate to your pool must be self-closing and self-latching. It must also be securable via padlock, combination lock, built-in keypad, or key card. To keep children from easily opening the barrier, and to prevent unsupervised access to the pool, latches must be located on the inside of the gate in the upper one-quarter.

Alarms and Other Safety Measures

According to Texas law, the portion of your home that creates a boundary to the pool should be outfitted with alarms on the doors and windows that open onto the pool area. Whenever anyone enters the pool area the alarm should sound. The alarm bypass feature should be installed high enough so that it cannot be reached by children.

For above-ground pools, steps or ladders to the pool must be able to be locked, secured, or removed when the pool isn’t being used.

Local Codes

Be aware that each Texas county and city has the ability to establish swimming pool codes that are more restrictive than state laws. Some homeowners associations (HOAs) also impose swimming pool safety regulations. So if your development has an HOA, make sure that you check its rules for swimming pools and stay current should changes occur.