Florida / Alachua County

Pool Permit in Alachua County, Florida

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before installing an in-ground or above-ground residential swimming pool, hot tub, or spa. Site-specific plans must show how Florida Building Code pool barrier requirements (screen enclosure and openings, alarms, or a fence with height, openings, and gate details) will be met, and the electrical and gas contractors must pull their own permits once the pool permit is issued.

Confirmed on official page Verified Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Alachua County requires a building permit for both in-ground and above-ground residential pools, billed at flat fees of $380.00 and $205.00 respectively. The county's Swimming Pool Minimum Plan Requirements and Checklist requires site plans, engineering details, and proof of compliance with Florida Building Code Section 454.2.17 pool barrier requirements before the permit is issued, and requires a separate Swimming Pool Compliance Form and Florida Building Pool Safety Act compliance documentation.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Alachua County permit portal

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 installing an in-ground or above-ground residential swimming pool, hot tub, or spa. Site-specific plans must show how Florida Building Code pool barrier requirements (screen enclosure and openings, alarms, or a fence with height, openings, and gate details) will be met, and the electrical and gas contractors must pull their own permits once the pool permit is issued.

What your pool permit must meet in Florida

Florida residential pools are built under the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), which the Legislature requires to incorporate the safety-feature and barrier standards of the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Florida Statutes Chapter 515).

  • State law requires the Florida Building Code to uniformly implement the pool-safety statutes by including standards for residential swimming pool barriers, pool covers, latching devices, and door and window exit alarms (F.S. 553.73).
  • A new residential pool must be built with at least one of five listed safety features, not necessarily a fence: a compliant barrier, an approved safety pool cover, exit alarms on doors and windows with access to the pool, self-closing self-latching doors, or a certified pool alarm (F.S. 515.27).
  • If a barrier is used, it must be at least 4 feet high on the outside and may not have gaps, openings, indentations, or structural components that could let a young child crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over it, placed far enough from the water's edge that a child who gets past it does not immediately fall in (F.S. 515.29).
  • Pool gates must open outward away from the pool, be self-closing, and have a self-latching device with its release mechanism on the pool side, positioned out of a young child's reach (F.S. 515.29).
  • Where a removable mesh safety barrier is used, it must comply with ASTM F2286 and may not be installed on top of an above-ground or on-ground pool (FBC-R, 8th Edition change).

Based on Florida Statutes Chapter 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, ss. 515.27, 515.29) as implemented by the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 45. Read the code. Local amendments can be stricter; confirm the current requirement with your office before you build.

What a pool permit costs in Alachua County

Line item
pool permitBy formulaFlat fees: swimming pool (in-ground) $380.00, swimming pool (above-ground) $205.00, per the Building Fee Schedule effective 11/01/2025.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How Alachua County compares in Florida

JurisdictionPermit needed?Threshold
Alachua Countythis pagePermit requiredNot specified
Brevard CountyIt dependsPermits are issued for in-ground pools and spas, and for above-ground pools with a depth of 24 inches or greater.
Broward CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Charlotte CountyPermit requiredThis residential pool/spa permit type includes spas, swim spas, and above-ground pools that are 24 inches or greater in depth.
Clay CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Collier CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Hernando CountyIt dependsManufactured pools less than 24 inches deep are exempt from a building permit

How to apply in Alachua 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. Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division sets the exact checklist for Alachua County.

Where to apply in Alachua County:

Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division

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.

  1. 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).
  2. 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).
  3. 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).
  4. 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).
  5. 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 Alachua County permit portal or by phone at 352-374-5243.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a pool permit in Alachua County?
Alachua County requires a building permit for both in-ground and above-ground residential pools, billed at flat fees of $380.00 and $205.00 respectively. The county's Swimming Pool Minimum Plan Requirements and Checklist requires site plans, engineering details, and proof of compliance with Florida Building Code Section 454.2.17 pool barrier requirements before the permit is issued, and requires a separate Swimming Pool Compliance Form and Florida Building Pool Safety Act compliance documentation. Always confirm with the Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division before starting.
How much does a pool permit cost in Alachua County?
Flat fees: swimming pool (in-ground) $380.00, swimming pool (above-ground) $205.00, per the Building Fee Schedule effective 11/01/2025. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a pool permit in Alachua County?
You can apply through the Alachua County permit portal or contact the Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Alachua County?
Under Florida law (F.S. 489.103(7)(a)-(c)): Florida lets you pull your own permit as an owner-builder under section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, which exempts property owners from the contractor licensing law when they act as their own contractor and provide direct, onsite supervision of all work not performed by licensed contractors. The exemption covers building or improving a one-family or two-family residence or a farm outbuilding for your own occupancy or use, and commercial buildings only up to a $75,000 cost, and the property may not be built or improved for sale or lease. If you sell or lease the property within 1 year after completing the work, the law presumes it was built for sale or lease, which violates the exemption. To qualify, you must personally appear and sign the building permit application and sign a state-prescribed disclosure statement acknowledging that you are the party legally and financially responsible for the construction, that you must provide direct, onsite supervision, and that unlicensed people you use must be your own employees, bringing federal tax withholding and workers' compensation obligations. You may not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor and may not delegate supervision to anyone who is not licensed for the work being done; if these requirements are violated, the local permitting agency shall withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue unlicensed-activity remedies. A separate narrow branch of the exemption also lets an owner take over and complete a permit on a one-family or two-family residence when the original contractor substantially completed the project. Confirm how Alachua County applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Alachua County

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo deck-specific flat fee is published.
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo electrical-specific flat fee is published
Fence PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo fence-specific flat fee is published.
HVAC PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedFlat fee: Res Mechanical Alt/Repair $110.00, per the Building Fee Schedule effective...
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo plumbing-specific flat fee is published
Roof Replacement PermitIt dependsarea of roof repair or replacementFlat fee: Roof: New Residential $220.00, Roof: Repair Residential $220.00, per the...
Shed PermitIt dependsarea of a single storage shed, exemption available once per propertyNo shed-specific flat fee is published for sheds that don't qualify for the exemption
Solar PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo solar-specific flat fee is published

Pool Permit in other Florida localities

Everything above, sourced

growth-management.alachuacounty.us: Buildingread
growth-management.alachuacounty.us: BLD Pool Req Checklistread

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Alachua County documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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