Swimming pool rules in Del Mar, California
Yes. Pools and spas are an allowed accessory use in Del Mar's residential zones and may sit in the rear or interior side yard setbacks. Any pool or body of water over 12 inches deep needs a fence or barrier at least 5 feet high, with self-closing, self-latching gates. You can't fill the pool until final inspection confirms compliance.
| Allowed in R1 zones | Yes, as an accessory recreational facility [1] |
| Barrier required for water deeper than | 12 inches [8] |
| Min barrier height | 5 feet, no ladder-like footholds [2] |
| Gates | Self-closing, self-latching; release at least 4 ft up [3] |
| Location in yards | May project into rear or interior side yard (not front) [4] |
| Pool/spa equipment | 5 ft from property line; Design Review if in setback [5] |
| Final approval | No water until inspection passes [6] |
| Coastal bluff lots | Pools 40 ft back from bluff edge [7] |
Where a pool can go
Swimming pools, spas and similar recreation facilities for residents are allowed accessory uses in the R1-10 zone [1], and the other single-family zones have parallel sections. Pools and spas may extend into the required rear or interior side yard setbacks. They may not go in the front yard or a street-side yard [4]. Decorative ponds may go in any yard as long as people don't use them for swimming. Pool decks at or below grade, or no more than 30 inches above it, don't count toward lot coverage.
Barrier rules
- Any pool or outdoor body of water deeper than 12 inches must be enclosed by a fence, wall or other barrier [8] at least 5 ft high, with no ladder-like or step-like access [2].
- Gates must be self-closing and self-latching, with the release at least 4 ft above the ground. A house wall can form part of the enclosure [3].
- The rule applies to existing pools too, and the fence must also meet the city's fence height limits.
Equipment
Pool and spa pumps and filters can go in a side or rear setback only with Design Review approval and sound attenuation. They must stay at least 5 ft from the property line or any fence on it [5].
Permits and inspection
Pool plans must show compliance with the zoning code. No water may be put in the pool, and final approval is withheld, until all requirements are met [6]. The whole city is in the Coastal Zone. A pool at a single-family home is generally exempt from a Coastal Development Permit, except on a beach, within 50 ft of a coastal bluff edge, near wetlands in the Lagoon Overlay, near steep slopes, or where an earlier CDP requires one.
Bluff and hillside lots
In the Coastal Bluff Overlay Zone, accessory structures including pools and spas must be at least 40 ft from the bluff top edge [7]. Digging for any pool or spa there needs both a Conditional Use Permit and a CDP from the Planning Commission. The Bluff, Slope and Canyon Overlay has the same requirement.
State law also requires two of seven drowning-prevention features for new home pools. The city's barrier section still refers to the old Uniform Building Code.
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Next steps
- Confirm your lot's zone and overlays; on a coastal bluff or steep-slope lot, plan for a Conditional Use Permit and Coastal Development Permit from the Planning Commission.
- Site the pool in the rear or interior side yard and plan equipment at least 5 ft from property lines (Design Review if it's in a setback).
- Submit pool plans for a building permit showing the 5-ft barrier and self-closing, self-latching gates with releases at least 4 ft high.
- Install the barrier and pass final inspection before filling the pool.
Common questions
- Can I build a pool in Del Mar, California?
- Yes. Pools and spas are an allowed accessory use in Del Mar's residential zones and may sit in the rear or interior side yard setbacks.
- What fence is required around a pool in Del Mar, California?
- Any pool or body of water over 12 inches deep needs a fence or barrier at least 5 feet high, with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- How close to a coastal bluff can a pool be in Del Mar, California?
- On coastal bluff lots, pools must be 40 ft back from the bluff edge.
California state rules for swimming pools
Pools need a city or county building permit, and local zoning sets setbacks. The state's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §115920 et seq.) adds safety rules:
- Drowning prevention features: when a building permit is issued for a new pool or spa, or to remodel one, at a private single-family home, it must have at least two of seven safety features (§115922):
- an enclosure that isolates the pool from the house
- removable mesh fencing (ASTM F2286) with a self-closing, self-latching gate
- a safety pool cover (ASTM F1346-23)
- exit alarms on doors and windows that open directly to the pool
- self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors, released at least 54 inches up
- a pool alarm (ASTM F2208; child-worn alarms don't count)
- other equally protective, independently verified means
- Some pairs don't count, such as a safety cover plus a pool alarm. The building official inspects before final approval.
- Enclosure standards (§115923): at least 60 inches high, no more than 2 inches of clearance at the bottom, gaps that won't pass a 4-inch sphere, no handholds or footholds, and gates that open away from the pool with self-latches at least 60 inches up.
- What counts as a pool: any structure with water over 18 inches deep, including above-ground pools, hot tubs and spas (§115921). Spas with a locking ASTM F1346 cover, apartment complexes and public pools are exempt (§115925).
- Small pools: the 2025 Residential Code exempts prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep from a building permit.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 30.12.040(D), Municipal Code Chapter 30.12 - Low Density Residential (R1-10), p. 1
Recreational facilities intended for the use of on-site residents, including swimming pools, saunas, tennis courts, and exercise rooms.
- Sec. 30.86.170(A), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
The height of said fence(s), wall(s), enclosure(s) or other effective barrier shall be not less than five feet as measured on the exterior facade above the finished grate at any point, with no opening therein provided, however, that no such fence or wall shall be erected that affords ladder-like or step-like access.
- Sec. 30.86.170(B), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
Unlatching devices shall be located not less than four feet above the ground. Gates shall be kept securely closed and latched or attended at all times.
- Sec. 30.86.200(M)(4)(b), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
Swimming pools and spas may project into any required rear or interior side yard.
- Sec. 30.86.200(M)(6), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
All mechanical equipment and associated screening/sound attenuation improvements shall provide a minimum five-foot setback from the adjacent property line or from any walls/fencing located on or near the adjacent property line.
- Sec. 30.86.170(E), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
No water shall be placed in said pool, and final inspection and approval shall be withheld until all requirements are in compliance with this Title.
- Sec. 30.55.080(A), Municipal Code Chapter 30.55 - Coastal Bluff Overlay Zone, p. 1
Unless otherwise specified herein, all new or redeveloped principal or accessory structures, including new supporting foundations or supports for existing structures, shall be set back a minimum of 40 feet from the top edge of the coastal bluff as defined in this Chapter.
- Sec. 30.86.170(A), Municipal Code Chapter 30.86 - Supplemental Regulations (animals, fences/retaining walls, swimming pools, temporary structures, yards), p. 1
Every person, firm or corporation in possession of land within the City of Del Mar, California, either as an owner, purchaser under contract, lessee, tenant, or licensee, upon which is situated a swimming pool or outside body of water having a depth of over 12 inches, shall maintain a protective fence, wall, enclosure or other effective barrier as required by the Uniform Building Code around said pool or outside body of water.