Pool Permit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing any in-ground pool, and before installing an above ground pool 24 inches or deeper or holding 5,000 gallons or more.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
The city-parish permit and inspection division requires a permit for pools both in ground and above ground, and exempts only prefabricated above ground swimming pools that are less than 24 inches deep and hold less than 5,000 gallons. Both limits have to be met for the exemption, so a shallow but large-volume pool still needs a permit. The division publishes separate barrier, gate, door and alarm requirements and a Pool Fence Barrier Affidavit that has to be filed.
Typical threshold: prefabricated above ground pools that also hold less than 5,000 gallons.
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 installing any in-ground pool, and before installing an above ground pool 24 inches or deeper or holding 5,000 gallons or more.
What a pool permit costs in Baton Rouge
How Baton Rouge compares in Louisiana
Closest pool permit thresholds outside Louisiana
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Baton Rouge's 24 inches in depth.
- Aurora, Colorado, pool depth at which a building permit is required
- Charleston, South Carolina, prefabricated swimming pools
- Cincinnati, Ohio, depth of a constructed pool serving a one-, two- or three-family dwelling
- DeKalb County, Georgia, prefabricated pools installed entirely above ground
How to apply in Baton Rouge
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. City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division sets the exact checklist for Baton Rouge.
Where to apply in Baton Rouge:
City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division
- 300 N Tenth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
- Phone: 225-389-3205
- Email: Inspections@brla.gov
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 Baton Rouge permit portal or by phone at 225-389-3205.
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 Baton Rouge
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: prefabricated above ground pools that also hold less than 5,000 gallons. Usually needed: Before installing any in-ground pool, and before installing an above ground pool 24 inches or deeper or holding 5,000 gallons or more.
- Budget the fee. Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Swimming Pool Permit $500.00", plus "Technology Fee $25.00" charged on all permits. 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 Baton Rouge permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division. Phone: 225-389-3205. Address: 300 N Tenth Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.
- 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 Baton Rouge?
- The city-parish permit and inspection division requires a permit for pools both in ground and above ground, and exempts only prefabricated above ground swimming pools that are less than 24 inches deep and hold less than 5,000 gallons. Both limits have to be met for the exemption, so a shallow but large-volume pool still needs a permit. The division publishes separate barrier, gate, door and alarm requirements and a Pool Fence Barrier Affidavit that has to be filed. Prefabricated above ground pools that also hold less than 5,000 gallons. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Baton Rouge?
- Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Swimming Pool Permit $500.00", plus "Technology Fee $25.00" charged on all permits. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- How long does a pool permit take in Baton Rouge?
- Residential plan review completed within 7 business days of receipt of all required information. Times can vary by workload and project scope, so confirm with the office.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Baton Rouge?
- You can apply through the Baton Rouge permit portal or contact the City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Baton Rouge?
- Under Louisiana law (La. R.S. 37:2157(A)(2), (A)(13), (A)(15)(a), (B); La. R.S. 37:2160(B) and (C)): Yes. R.S. 37:2157(A)(13) exempts an owner who supervises or takes charge of construction, alteration or repair of his own personal residence from the contractor licensing law, but caps the exemption at one residence per year, with the year running from the date the certificate of occupancy issues; the cap lifts only where a change in the owner's legal marital status, or a change in employment forcing a move more than 50 miles from his residence, requires a second home. A separate exemption at R.S. 37:2157(A)(2) covers an owner who takes charge of work on his own property for his own use, where the result will not be for sale or rent and the owner controls access. A residential property owner who physically performs home improvement work on his own residence is also exempt from home improvement licensure under R.S. 37:2157(A)(15)(a). The exemption is not self-executing at the permit counter: R.S. 37:2157(A)(13) requires an affidavit of exemption on a board form in order to obtain the building permit, and R.S. 37:2160(C) obliges the local permit official to collect that affidavit before the permit issues. R.S. 37:2157(B) adds that none of these exemptions waives local or state health and life safety code requirements, so an exempt homeowner still owes the permit and the inspections. Confirm how Baton Rouge applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Baton Rouge
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 | deck floor area; the exemption also requires the deck to be less than 30 inches off the ground and located in a buildable area of the lot | The Permit & Inspection Fees page publishes no deck line item. |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing, Gas... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Fence $250.00", plus "Technology Fee $25.00"... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Not specified | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing, Gas... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Not specified | The Permit & Inspection Fees page publishes no patio line item. |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Not specified | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing, Gas... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | The Permit & Inspection Fees page publishes no reroof line item. |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a detached accessory structure | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Accessory $0.80/ square foot +125 ( EMP's... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Permit & Inspection Fees page: "Residential Solar $375.00", plus "Technology Fee $25.00"... |
Pool Permit in other Louisiana localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Baton Rouge documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Pool Permit requirements across Louisiana localities
Permit office
City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge, Department of Development, Permits and Inspections Division
225-389-3205Permit portalCompare
Pool Permit across Louisiana