California / San Bernardino County
Pool Permit in San Bernardino County, California
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before any construction of a swimming pool, spa or hot tub on a property in the unincorporated county.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
A Pool and Spa permit is required before construction of a pool or spa in unincorporated San Bernardino County, with no size or depth threshold published for the permit itself. The county's own list of items requiring a permit includes "Pools and Spas." Because the pool permit fee rolls in the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and solar energy permit fees for all phases of the work, a homeowner does not pull separate trade permits for the pool itself. Barrier requirements are set out in the county's Information Bulletin IB-0007, which draws on CBC Chapter 31 Section 3109, CRC Appendix CI and the California Swimming Pool Safety Act at Health and Safety Code sections 115920 to 115929.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Before any construction of a swimming pool, spa or hot tub on a property in the unincorporated county.
What a pool permit costs in San Bernardino County
How San Bernardino County compares in California
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | It depends | Depth of a prefabricated pool at which the building permit exemption stops; the exemption also requires the pool to hold no more than 5,000 gallons and to be installed entirely above ground |
| Contra Costa County | It depends | depth of a prefabricated pool accessory to a one or two family dwelling that is installed entirely above ground and holds no more than 5,000 gallons |
| Fresno County | It depends | Prefabricated pools accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy are exempt from a building permit only when they are less than 24 inches deep, hold not more than 5,000 gallons, and are installed entirely above ground |
| Los Angeles | Permit required | Not specified |
| Los Angeles County | It depends | depth of a prefabricated pool or other body of water accessory to a one- or two-family (Group R-3) home; the same exemption also reaches pools that do not exceed 5,000 gallons and are installed entirely above adjacent grade |
| Orange County | Permit required | Not specified |
| San Bernardino Countythis page | Permit required | Not specified |
How to apply in San Bernardino County
A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- The site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- A barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- The electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division sets the exact checklist for San Bernardino County.
Where to apply in San Bernardino County:
San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division
- County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., First Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415
- Phone: 909-387-8311
Inspections and closing out your permit
Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- Before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- A bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- A temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- A pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- At final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the San Bernardino County permit portal or by phone at 909-387-8311.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for San Bernardino County
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before any construction of a swimming pool, spa or hot tub on a property in the unincorporated county.
- Budget the fee. County Code 16.0204(i)(1) sets flat fees effective July 1, 2026 for "Swimming pools accessory to single-family dwellings": $647.00 with a standard plan and $748.00 with other than a standard plan. Spas and/or hot tubs are $335.00 under 16.0204(i)(3). The ordinance states the pool fee "includes plan review fees as shown below and all inspection fees for all phases of the construction including permit issuance fees, electrical permit fees, mechanical permit fees, plumbing permit fees and solar energy permit fees." A $57.00 intake processing fee under 16.0204(h)(1) is applied to each swimming pool, spa or hot tub permit. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the San Bernardino County permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division. Phone: 909-387-8311. Address: County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., First Floor, San Bernardino, CA 92415.
- Plan for inspections. Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in San Bernardino County?
- A Pool and Spa permit is required before construction of a pool or spa in unincorporated San Bernardino County, with no size or depth threshold published for the permit itself. The county's own list of items requiring a permit includes "Pools and Spas." Because the pool permit fee rolls in the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and solar energy permit fees for all phases of the work, a homeowner does not pull separate trade permits for the pool itself. Barrier requirements are set out in the county's Information Bulletin IB-0007, which draws on CBC Chapter 31 Section 3109, CRC Appendix CI and the California Swimming Pool Safety Act at Health and Safety Code sections 115920 to 115929. Always confirm with the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in San Bernardino County?
- County Code 16.0204(i)(1) sets flat fees effective July 1, 2026 for "Swimming pools accessory to single-family dwellings": $647.00 with a standard plan and $748.00 with other than a standard plan. Spas and/or hot tubs are $335.00 under 16.0204(i)(3). The ordinance states the pool fee "includes plan review fees as shown below and all inspection fees for all phases of the construction including permit issuance fees, electrical permit fees, mechanical permit fees, plumbing permit fees and solar energy permit fees." A $57.00 intake processing fee under 16.0204(h)(1) is applied to each swimming pool, spa or hot tub permit. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in San Bernardino County?
- You can apply through the San Bernardino County permit portal or contact the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in San Bernardino County?
- Under California law (Business & Professions Code 7044(a)-(b); Business & Professions Code 7031.5): California exempts an owner-builder from contractor licensing when the owner personally performs the work, or uses only wage employees, on their own property and does not intend the improvements for sale. A homeowner may also directly hire licensed trade contractors for up to four single-family residences a year, or improve their own principal residence without a general contractor's license, as long as they have actually lived there for the 12 months before the work is finished. Selling a self-built structure within one year of completion creates a rebuttable presumption that it was built for sale, which defeats the exemption, and selling five or more structures within a year makes that presumption conclusive. Separately, every city or county that requires a building permit must also require the applicant to file a signed statement giving their contractor license number or the basis of their claimed exemption; a false or missing statement carries a $500 civil penalty. Confirm how San Bernardino County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in San Bernardino County
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | floor area of a detached residential accessory structure | Decks are priced off the FY 2026/27 Construction Fee Schedule adopted under County Code... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | County Code 16.0204(b)(1) sets residential electrical fees effective July 1, 2026:... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | height of a fence or block wall | San Bernardino County Code section 16.0204(g)(3) prices fencing as a flat fee: "Chain... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | County Code 16.0204(d)(1) sets residential mechanical fees effective July 1, 2026: "HVAC... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Patio covers are priced off the FY 2026/27 Construction Fee Schedule adopted under... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | County Code 16.0204(c)(1) sets residential plumbing fees effective July 1, 2026 for... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | County Code 16.0204(h)(8) sets a flat re-roof fee effective July 1, 2026: "Re-roofs: A)... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a detached residential accessory structure | Sheds are priced off the FY 2026/27 Construction Fee Schedule adopted under County Code... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | County Code 16.0204(j)(1) sets fees effective July 1, 2026 for "15KW or less... |
Pool Permit in other California localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not San Bernardino County documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Pool Permit requirements across California localities
Permit office
San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building and Safety Division
909-387-8311Permit portal