What's Required in Los Angeles
- Pools over 24 in deep or over 250 sq ft need an LADBS combined building-mechanical permit; smaller pools need only mechanical permits for new gas or electrical outlets
- Combined permit fee is 75% of the Table 1-A building fee; plan check is 90% of the permit fee; a $65 noise inspection is added for equipment within 10 ft of a property line
- Two sets of plans and one set of calculations signed and stamped by a California engineer or architect, or one set with an approved city Standard Plan
- Every pool, pond or body of water 18 in or deeper must be enclosed; new enclosures at least 5 ft high with self-closing, self-latching gates latching at 60 in or higher
- At least two of the seven drowning-prevention features in Health and Safety Code 115922, shown on the plans and inspected before final
- Permanently installed in-ground pools and spas at one- and two-family homes need a manual or power-operated cover reel (LAMC 99.04.304.5)
- Electrical inspection must approve grounding of steel, plumbing and conduit before concrete or gunite is placed; shotcrete pools need continuous inspection
- Grading permit required for excavation on hillside lots; setbacks H/4 and H/6 from slopes
- Pool equipment within 10 ft of a property line may not exceed ambient noise by more than 5 decibels
Do You Need a Permit for a Pool in Los Angeles?
Yes for almost any real pool. LAMC 91.106.2 exempts only swimming, bathing and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth and having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet. Everything deeper or larger, in-ground or above-ground, needs a combined building-mechanical permit from the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), which covers the building, electrical, plumbing and gas work in one permit. Even an exempt pool needs a mechanical permit for any new gas or electrical outlet. And the enclosure rule kicks in earlier than the permit rule: LADBS bulletin P/BC 2026-014 requires every pool, pond or body of water 18 inches or more in depth to be enclosed. Plans must be signed and stamped by a California-licensed engineer or architect unless you use a city-approved standard pool plan, and a grading permit is added on hillside lots.
Los Angeles Pool Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Wading or inflatable pool up to 24 in deep and 250 sq ft | None (mechanical permit only for new gas or electrical outlets) | LAMC 91.106.2 item 8; pool IB III.1.c |
| Above-ground pool deeper than 24 in | Combined building-mechanical permit | Prefab pools with walls above grade and up to 5,000 gallons skip structural design but not the permit or enclosure |
| In-ground gunite or shotcrete pool | Combined permit with engineered or prescriptive plans; continuous inspection | Pool IB P/BC 2026-014; two sets of plans and calculations |
| Pool on a hillside lot | Combined permit plus grading permit | Pool IB III.1.c; setbacks H/4 and H/6 from slopes |
| New pool fence or enclosure | Combined with the pool permit; separate permit if no pool work | Express permit for free-standing non-masonry barriers |
| Replastering an existing pool | Express building permit, no plan check | Express Permits IB item 19; separate express permits for new skimmers or lights |
| Pool equipment within 10 ft of a property line | Noise inspection added to the permit | $65 line item on the fee calculator; noise limit 5 dB over ambient |
How Much Does a Pool Permit Cost in Los Angeles?
The code sets the combined building-mechanical fee for a pool accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling at 75 percent of the Table 1-A building fee, and plan check at 90 percent of the permit fee, with surcharges on both. The city's Permit Fee Calculator, run as Swimming-Pool/Spa for a one- or two-family lot, returns a permit total of $812.46 and plan check of $659.70 for a $60,000 pool, about $1,472 together; $1,121.24 plus $931.94, about $2,053, for $100,000; and $1,368.06 plus $1,148.50, about $2,517, for $150,000. Each permit total includes the $65 noise inspection and the green building, earthquake and planning surcharges. The LADBS valuation table lists concrete pools at $43 per square foot and detached spas at $18,840 each, but the department values the job from your contract. Card payments add 2.7 percent.
Barrier and Drowning-Prevention Rules
New pool enclosures must be at least 5 feet high, with no more than 2 inches of clearance at the bottom, openings that reject a 4-inch sphere, and gates that open away from the pool and self-latch at least 60 inches above the ground. Because California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health and Safety Code 115922) applies, a new or remodeled pool at a single-family home must also have at least two of seven drowning-prevention features, such as an isolating enclosure, a compliant safety cover, exit alarms on doors, or self-latching door devices no lower than 54 inches; the plans must say which two, and an exit alarm plus a latch on the same door does not count as two. The inspector checks these before final approval. Los Angeles also requires a manual or power-operated cover reel on permanently installed in-ground pools and spas at one- and two-family homes.
Who Pulls the Permit
A pool contractor with a CSLB license normally files; LADBS matches building permits to a B license and electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits to C-10, C-20 and C-36. A homeowner can sign as owner-builder for the combined permit, but electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits in the owner's own name require 12 months of residence. Inspections are called a day ahead before 2 PM; electrical grounding of the steel must be approved before gunite is shot.
How to Get a Pool Permit in Los Angeles
Confirm the permit trigger
Anything over 24 in deep or 250 sq ft needs a combined building-mechanical permit; check ZIMAS for hillside status, which adds a grading permit.
Get stamped plans
Two sets of plans and calculations from a California engineer or architect, or a city Standard Plan. Plans must name the two drowning-prevention features and show the enclosure.
Submit for plan check
File through ePlanLA or at an LADBS Development Services Center. Plan check is 90 percent of the permit fee; $659.70 for a $60,000 pool per the calculator.
Pay and pull the combined permit
The permit total is about $812 for $60,000 and $1,368 for $150,000, including the $65 noise inspection. Owner-builders sign the declaration; contractors show their CSLB license.
Inspect in sequence
Electrical grounding before gunite, continuous inspection during shotcrete, plumbing pressure, barrier and safety-feature check, then final. Request each a day ahead before 2 PM.