How to build your Backyard Oasis with a New Pool Fence!

Whether you are getting a new pool or upgrading your fence for an existing pool, it is an exciting time.  Paramount Fencing Inc wants to make sure you know and understand all of your options   Most people believe there are only two styles of fence to meet pool code regulations. I am a subcontractor for a pool company and they offer their customers 3 fence styles. Two of the fence styles are aluminum fencing and one is split rail fencing with wire.

We believe that when you are building your backyard oasis, you should have all of your options.  

We can start with some of the typical offerings such as the two styles of aluminum that are offered by my pool company affiliate. (I hope he never reads this. LOL!)  The aluminum options offered most frequently are the 4’ tall Ovation style and the 54” tall Style 202 fences.

The 54” tall style 202 to the left is a beautiful fence for a pool surround and the most popular seller all around for aluminum fencing in my area. I love the look of the aluminum fencing. It reminds me of when I was kid and every fence was either chain link or wrought iron.  The wrought iron fences were beautiful, right up until the day your Dad made you start painting them every year. Probably, single handedly the best feature of the aluminum fence is that it will never rust or rot.

The Ovation style and EO54202 both meet code because the distance from the bottom rail to the next rail above it is equal to 48”.  This pool safety code exists to protect small children who could possibly use the rails on a fence as a ladder to climb over and potentially fall in the pool.  Did you know that if you have a door leading from the house with direct access to the pool, you need an alarm system on that door? A loud ringing alarm that sounds anytime the door is opened. I cannot imagine how many lives this has saved.  Being the father of two girls (20 months apart) I can say it is not always easy to keep your eye on everything at once.  

So, if you have a pool and are thinking of following tradition by installing an old school fence, maybe constructed of aluminum, but mimicking the old wrought iron from the neighborhood. You are going to have to go pretty tall in order to be compliant.  The fence to the left, style EO4101 is a 4’ fence.  The spacing between the horizontal rails is only 30”. That means in order to meet code we would have to go all the way to a 6’ tall fence before we achieved the 48” spacing required by the building code.  Oh and by the way, this is actually a Ameristar Steel fence. The latest and greatest with the strength of wrought iron and the warranty of aluminum. Check it out

I mentioned being the father of two girls. I can tell you right now. Number one, there is no stopping them from wearing bikinis or anything else that you always feared they would wear. That said, you can limit their exposure at the pool by installing privacy fencing. Some people want their total privacy from day one. Give me the 6’ wall all the way around the yard. Total seclusion. Many others never considered it because it was not mentioned by the pool company. A little privacy fence combined with other styles could really provide a nice backyard oasis. The entire yard is not on display to the neighborhood and yet it is still open, welcoming, and friendly.  

If you can see in the photo to the right, this customer went as far as choosing three different style fences for his yard. The black aluminum ovation style fence surrounds the pool and keeps the yard worry free for when the grandkids are visiting. Pool safety first! The white vinyl three rail ranch style fencing in the far view encloses the entire yard. Keeping the kids safe and his small pets from escaping.  The privacy fence along the rear is multipurpose. It provides privacy from the road and at the same time serves as a noise barrier. 

More common than the above is a dual style fence providing all of the same features. Privacy, where privacy is required and either a nice view out the rear or a nice welcoming fence in the front for your guests. Every one of the photos presented here are pool fence compliant options. The spaced picket below has a modified picket spacing to make it pool code compliant. Any fence with vertical spacing 1-3/4” or smaller, and at least 4’ tall meets pool code.  

When you’re looking for your next pool fence remember the options are “almost” unlimited to the imagination!

There are options that can be explored.  The aluminum fence below is 48” tall and pool code compliant.  HOW if it has 3 rails?  Well the spacing between the pickets is less than 1-3/4”.  Therefore a small child could not fit their foot between the pickets to use the rail as a ladder to climb the fence. 

Some Commonly asked questions concerning pool fence code: 

Do I have to have a pool fence in Pennsylvania?

• Yes! All sides must be fenced

The code says that my fence must be 48” but I presented a 48” tall option and was denied. Why?

• Remember the minimum distance between the lowest rail and the rail above it must be 48”.  The only style aluminum fence that meets this requirement is the two rail ovation style fence. In the example above, style EO4101 is a 4’ tall fence but not pool code compliant. 

If my pool runs along the side of my house, do I still need a fence on that side?

• No. The side of your house can substitute for a fence line, but any door that accesses the pool will need to have an alarm system attached.

If you are having trouble deciding, please call Paramount Fencing Inc. at 484-975-3180 and have one of our experts come out and provide some guidance.   You can also book an appointment online at http://www.paramount-fencing.com/book-online/