What's Required in Fort Worth
- A building permit is required for in-ground pools and for above-ground pools over 5,000 gallons.
- Outdoor pools, spas and hot tubs need a barrier at least 48 inches high, with no more than a 2-inch gap at grade.
- Barrier openings must not allow passage of a 4-inch sphere.
- The pool must sit behind the rear wall of the house or at least 75 feet from the front property line.
- Plans must be stamped and signed off by Oncor Electric before submittal.
- Call 811 (Texas811) for a utility locate before plans are submitted.
- Site-built residential pools, spas and hot tubs need a suction entrapment form.
- Submit the recorded plat and a site plan showing setbacks and easements.
- Electrical and plumbing work need separate trade permits from Texas-licensed contractors or a homestead owner.
Do you need a permit for a pool in Fort Worth?
Yes, for any in-ground pool and for most large above-ground pools. Fort Worth's residential permitting page lists swimming pools among the accessory structures that need a building permit. The exemption is narrow. Section 105.2 of the Administrative Code exempts prefabricated pools at a single house that hold no more than 5,000 gallons and sit entirely above ground. The Nuts & Bolts brochure says it the other way around: prefabricated above-ground pools over 5,000 gallons need a permit.
How much does a pool permit cost in Fort Worth?
A pool has no floor area, and Texas Local Government Code 214.907 bars value-based residential fees. So the city charges by trade. Its Accela tutorial says fees for pools, fences and retaining walls are based on the trade work involved. Fee Ordinance 26-28781, effective October 1, 2026, sets the residential per-trade schedule at $119.00 for one trade, $238.00 for two and $357.00 for three. A typical in-ground pool with a pump and lights involves building, electrical and plumbing work:
- Building permit: 3 trades, $357.00, plus the $33.08 application fee and $16.87 technology fee = $406.95.
- Trade permits: these are pulled separately. Each adds a $33.08 application fee plus item fees: $56.48 for the swimming pool line in the electrical schedule, and $10.34 for the first plumbing fixture or appliance.
Those add $133.00 ($66.16 in application fees + $56.48 + $10.34), for a total of about $539.93. A gas heater or other equipment adds small item fees. Exactly how many trades the city counts for your pool appears on the Accela invoice.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Prefab above-ground pool, 5,000 gallons or less | No building permit | Exempt at a single house if entirely above ground |
| Above-ground pool over 5,000 gallons | Building permit | Brochure: prefab above-ground pools over 5,000 gallons need one |
| In-ground pool with pump, lights and fill line | Building permit, about $406.95, plus trade permits | 3 trades at the residential per-trade schedule |
| Pool barrier fence | Part of the pool permit | At least 48 inches high, bottom gap of no more than 2 inches |
| Pool with a powered safety cover (ASTM F1346) | Building permit | Barrier sections 305.2 to 305.7 do not apply at one- and two-family homes |
| Pool closer to the street than the back of the house | Board of Adjustment variance, $591 | Pools must be behind the rear wall or 75 feet from the front line |
What are Fort Worth's pool barrier rules?
Fort Worth's amended Residential Code, Ordinance 25383-03-2022, requires an outdoor pool, spa or hot tub to be surrounded by a barrier. The top must be at least 48 inches above grade, measured on the outside. The gap between grade and the bottom of the barrier can be no more than 2 inches, and openings must not pass a 4-inch sphere. The city also adopted the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with local amendments. One amendment lets a one- or two-family home skip the barrier sections when the pool has a powered safety cover complying with ASTM F1346.
Where can a pool go on the lot?
Zoning treats a pool as a non-habitable accessory structure. It must sit behind the rear wall of the house, or at least 75 feet from the front property line, whichever is less restrictive. It cannot go in a front yard. Board of Adjustment agendas show regular variance requests for pools that break these rules. For an owner-occupied home, a variance costs $591.
What to submit
The pool packet requires the recorded plat and a site plan with setbacks and easements. Plans must be stamped and signed by Oncor Electric before you submit. Call 811 (Texas811) for a utility locate before you file. Site-built pools also need a suction entrapment form.
How to Get a Pool Permit in Fort Worth
Site the pool
Place the pool behind the rear wall of the house, or at least 75 feet from the front line, and out of easements and required setbacks.
Get the Oncor stamp and a utility locate
Have Oncor Electric stamp and sign the plans, and call 811 for a locate before submitting.
Apply in Accela Citizen Access
Submit the residential pool packet with the plat, site plan, construction plans and entrapment form. The electrician and plumber pull their own trade permits.
Pay the fees
Pay the per-trade building fee plus the $33.08 application fee and $16.87 technology fee, then the trade permit fees.
Pass inspections, including the barrier
Schedule steel, electrical, plumbing and final inspections. The piping and outlet spacing is checked at the steel inspection, and the barrier must be in place before final.