Miami Pool Fence Code
We are proud to meet or exceed all Florida and Miami-Dade requirements for a pool safety barrier.
Protect-A-Child’s removable pool fence has been independently tested and certified to meet or exceed requirements for the Florida Residential Building Code (FBC), American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) F2286-05 standard, Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) code, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) IAF-8 Model Barrier Code and the International Code Council (ICC) code.
Basic Pool Safety Barrier Requirements for Miami-Dade:
- POSTS: Individual support posts for mesh pool fences must be able to withstand at least 52-pounds of force at a 36″ height before breaking. Protect-A-Child’s fiberglass pool fence posts have been tested to stand up to forces of 95-pounds of force or more, which is unheard of in the market. The posts must also extent into the patio or ground surface at least 3-inches or more.
- MESH: The fence’s mesh material must meet the ASTM ball burst strength of 150 lbf. Protect-A-Child’s pool fence mesh goes beyond that with a burst strength over 400 lbf! In addition to burst strength, the mesh weave must also be tight and strong enough to prevent a 1/4-inch object from penetrating it.
- SLEEVES: The sleeves used to hold the pool fence posts into the patio must be made of non-conductive material such as plastic.
- GATES: Any gate used for accessing the pool fence must be self-closing / self-latching and include a lockable mechanism to secure when swimming pool is not being used. The release mechanism for the latch must be at least 54″ above grade.
- HEIGHT: A pool fence height must be at least 48-inches from the top to the ground surface with the measurement taken using the side facing away from the swimming pool.
- GAPS: When the fence is installed for new construction or a remodeling project, the pool fence cannot have any gaps or openings that would allow a small child to climb through, over or under to access the swimming pool. The gap between the bottom of the pool fence and the ground surface can be no more than 1-inch.
- PERMIT: A pool fence must be secured in place before swimming pool is inspected for approval. The pool is not to be filled with water until the inspection has been completed and approved.
Florida and Miami-Dade Code Links:
- MiamiDade.gov Swimming Pool Barrier Code
- FloridaBuilding.org Residential Swimming Pool Code
- Miami-Dade Code Sec. 33-12. – Fences & Safety Barriers for Swimming Pools
- Florida Residential Swimming Pool Barrier Requirements