Can I remove my pool fence?
As a pool fence installer, we know that city codes most often require a fence for any new pool construction.
Municipalities started pushing for barriers between the house and the basin in the early 80s. If yours was built with a mandate to have a fence and you pull yours down, you are now not only out of code, you’re in a liability situation.
Video Transcript
Hi, I am Jeff O’Neill with Affordable Fence and Gates, pool fence installer in Tucson, Arizona. The question is: can I remove my pool fence? The reality is, there’s not a single answer for that.
Most of the times, city codes require a barrier around any new basin being constructed. Many municipalities started really pushing for barriers between the house and the pool in the early ’80s. So if yours was mandated to have one and you pull it down, you are now not only out of code, you’ve set yourself into a legally liable situation.
If someone happened to get hurt or to drown, anything of that nature, if you are required to have a pool barrier when yours was built, you’ve now put yourself in a liable situation not to mention the moral implications you incur.
This is when your basin is constructed, that it’s the best time to think about the design of this barrier. And you can do a lot of things.
Like this one below, which has a nice curve. We can radius it around your deck, slope it up or down hills, around planters, whatever it takes to make sure you have a nice, aesthetically pleasing, safe barrier.

So again, the question was — can I take it down? Usually the answer is NO, not legally. But again, if your fence is properly designed and installed, it shouldn’t be detrimental to your view.
There are different types of barriers. This one above is an ornamental iron pool fence. You probably also heard about removable mesh pool fences. In our area, Southern Arizona, the law does not allow installing these removable mesh fences for new construction. The reason: they are removable.
So again, in Southern Arizona, a removable mesh fence is not allowed for new construction. If code requires a permanent barrier, what is required is an ornamental iron pool fence.
Thank you.
==== A video by Jeff O’Neill, Affordable Fence & Gates (https://affordablefenceandgates.com). You can reach us for technical questions and pricing at (520)-884-5838.
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