Swimming pool rules in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Yes. Private swimming pools are an allowed use in Rancho Palos Verdes single-family zones, and they can go in an interior side or rear setback as long as no part is closer than 3 feet to the property line. Pools and spas 18 inches or deeper need a fence or wall at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and a building permit is required. No new pool permits are issued in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
| Allowed in single-family zones | Yes, as a private recreational use incidental to the home [1] |
| Setback from property line | 3 feet (pool may sit within interior side or rear setback) [2] |
| Pool/spa equipment | Not within 3 ft of the property line; 65 dBA max at the nearest line [3] |
| Barrier height | At least 5 feet [4] |
| Gate latch height | Self-closing, self-latching, at least 4 feet above ground [5] |
| Pool houses, jacuzzi and pool enclosures | Accessory structures, 12-foot height limit [6] |
| Portuguese Bend landslide area | No new building or grading permits, with limited exceptions [8] |
| Rebuilding under a landslide exception | Existing pools or spas can't be replaced, repaired or restored [9] |
Where a pool can go
Private outdoor recreational uses such as swimming pools and tennis courts are allowed in single-family (RS) districts when they're incidental to the home [1]. Pools, spas and ornamental pools 18 inches or deeper may be placed in an interior side or rear setback, but no part of the pool can be closer than 3 feet to the property line [2]. Pools aren't listed among the structures allowed in the front setback. Pool and spa equipment over 6 inches tall in a side or rear setback needs a site plan review, must stay at least 3 feet from the property line, and can't exceed 65 dBA at the nearest property line [3]. Pool houses, saunas, jacuzzi and pool enclosures are accessory structures limited to 12 feet in height [6]. Decks and paving count toward lot coverage.
Safety barrier
All pools, spas and standing water 18 inches or more deep must be enclosed by a structure, fence or wall at least 5 feet high, measured from outside ground level 12 inches from the base [4]. Gates or doors to the outside need self-closing and self-latching devices at least 4 feet above the ground, built to the building official's satisfaction [5]. State law also requires at least two drowning-prevention features for a new or remodeled pool, and when an enclosure is used as one of them, its gate latches must be at least 60 inches up, so state law may override the 4-foot latch height in that case. If a pool fence in a side or rear setback would block a neighbor's view, the director can still approve the fence/wall permit when there's no other way to meet the pool fencing rule [7].
Landslide area
In the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, the city won't file, process or issue building, grading or other permits except for limited exceptions [8]. Even when a damaged home is rebuilt under a landslide exception permit, existing pools or spas can't be replaced, repaired or restored [9].
Hot tubs
Spas and hot tubs 18 inches or deeper follow the same setback and barrier rules as pools.
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Next steps
- Confirm your lot isn't in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex or another geologic hazard area with the Planning Division, (310) 544-5228.
- Get Planning approval for the pool's location (3 ft from property lines) and a site plan review for pool equipment in a setback.
- Submit pool plans, including the barrier and drowning-prevention features, to the Building & Safety Division, (310) 265-7800, for a building permit.
- If the pool fence is in a side or rear setback next to a neighbor, apply for a fence/wall permit.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a pool in Rancho Palos Verdes, California?
- Yes. Private pools are allowed in single-family zones but need a building permit from the Building & Safety Division, plus Planning approval of the location. No new pool permits are issued in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
- How close to the property line can a pool be in Rancho Palos Verdes, California?
- A pool can go in an interior side or rear setback as long as no part is closer than 3 feet to the property line. Pool equipment must also stay 3 feet from the line and can't exceed 65 dBA at the nearest property line.
- How high does a pool fence need to be in Rancho Palos Verdes, California?
- Pools and spas 18 inches or deeper need a fence or wall at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates at least 4 feet above the ground. State law may require 60-inch latches when the enclosure counts as a drowning-prevention feature.
- Does a hot tub need a fence in Rancho Palos Verdes, California?
- Yes. Spas and hot tubs 18 inches or deeper follow the same setback and barrier rules as pools. Jacuzzi and pool enclosures are accessory structures limited to 12 feet in height.
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. 17.02.020(D), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.02 Single-Family Residential (RS) Districts (17.02.020 uses; 17.02.026 short-term rentals prohibited; 17.02.030 development standards), p. 1
Private outdoor recreational uses, such as tennis courts, swimming pools and basketball courts, which are incidental to the residential use of the property;
- Sec. 17.49.030(E)(7), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.49 Lots, Setbacks, Open Space Area and Building Height (Article VI chunk), p. 1
Swimming pools, spas, ornamental pools and any other body of water measuring 18 inches or more deep, may be located within an interior or rear yard setback, provided that no portion of said pool is located closer than three feet from the property line.
- Sec. 17.49.030(E)(5)(b)(iv), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.49 Lots, Setbacks, Open Space Area and Building Height (Article VI chunk), p. 1
No part of any mechanical equipment, including, but not limited to, pool/spa equipment and air conditioning/heating equipment, extends within three feet of the property line; and
- Sec. 17.76.030(F)(3), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.76 Miscellaneous Permits and Standards (17.76.030 fences, walls and hedges; 17.76.110 exotic animal permit; 17.76.115 large domestic animal permits), p. 1
All pools, spas and standing bodies of water 18 inches or more in depth shall be enclosed by a structure and/or a fence or wall not less than five feet in height measured from the outside ground level at a point 12 inches horizontal from the base of the fence or wall.
- Sec. 17.76.030(F)(3), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.76 Miscellaneous Permits and Standards (17.76.030 fences, walls and hedges; 17.76.110 exotic animal permit; 17.76.115 large domestic animal permits), p. 1
Any gate or door to the outside shall be equipped with a self-closing device and a self-latching device located not less than four feet above the ground.
- Sec. 17.49.050(D), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.49 Lots, Setbacks, Open Space Area and Building Height (Article VI chunk), p. 1
Accessory structures. Decks, playhouses, treehouses, detached garages, pools or bathhouses, dressing rooms, saunas, jacuzzi and pool enclosures, gazebos, flagpoles, stand-alone chimneys or any structures or buildings which are physically detached and incidental to the use of the main building are considered accessory structures.
- Sec. 17.76.030(B)(3)(d)(ii), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.76 Miscellaneous Permits and Standards (17.76.030 fences, walls and hedges; 17.76.110 exotic animal permit; 17.76.115 large domestic animal permits), p. 1
Denial would prevent compliance with the swimming pool fencing requirements contained in subsection (F)(3) of this section and there is no reasonable method to comply with subsection (F)(3) of this section that would not significantly impair a view from a viewing area of another property or from a city-designated viewing station.
- Sec. 15.20.020, Municipal Code Title 15 Buildings (15.04 building code amendments incl. pools; 15.20 Portuguese Bend landslide regs; 15.42 floodplain management), p. 1
Notwithstanding any other ordinance or code of the city, the city hereby prohibits the filing, processing, approval or issuance of building, grading or other permits, environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, conditional use permits, tentative maps or parcel maps in the area of the city identified as the "Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex"
- Sec. 15.20.040(B)(1)(a), Municipal Code Title 15 Buildings (15.04 building code amendments incl. pools; 15.20 Portuguese Bend landslide regs; 15.42 floodplain management), p. 1
Existing swimming pools or spas are not allowed to be replaced, repaired or restored.