Short answer: the city's own worked example for a residential in-ground pool runs from $223 in Milwaukee to $3,100 in San Francisco across the 30 largest U.S. cities we cover, and the median is $725. Seven are under $500: Baltimore, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Louisville, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia. Eleven are $500 to $1,000: Albuquerque, Chicago, Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, St. Louis, Tucson. Eight are $1,000 to $2,000: Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland, San Jose, Seattle. Four are over $2,000: Long Beach, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco. Nine cities charge a flat pool fee, 16 price the permit on the pool's value, Dallas and Jacksonville price it by square foot or gallon, and Fort Worth and San Jose build it from per-trade or hourly pieces, and Houston has no pool line. An above-ground pool is exempt from the building permit in 26 cities if it is small or shallow (most often under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons), and 27 pages add an electrical permit for the pump and bonding. We read each city's fee schedule, exemption list and licensing rule and recorded the city's own reading.
Every row links to the city page that quotes the rule, so you can read the source language yourself. The table sorts by any column.
All 30 cities
| City | In-ground pool permit | The city's own in-ground example | How the fee is priced | Above-ground pool | Schedule the city cites, and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | $500 to $1,000 | About $662 for a $40,000 pool: building permit $448.19 ($271.63 + $176.56 plan review) + electrical $107 + plumbing $107. About $803 at $60,000. | UAC Table 112-A on the stated value, times 0.50, plus 65% plan review. Each trade permit is a $47 administrative charge + a $60 pool item. | No building permit if prefabricated, under 54 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above ground. A hard-wired pump needs an electrical permit ($47 + $60). | 2024 Uniform Administrative Code (UAC) Table 112-A; Integrated Development Ordinance; city pool handout Gunite needs engineered drawings and fiberglass an ICC-ES report. The owner-occupant may pull the building permit; trades need a licensed contractor or a 75% exam score. Plan review takes about two and a half weeks. The page says zoning and hydrology fees are collected with plan review but prices neither, so the $662 and $803 examples leave them out. |
| Baltimore, MD | Under $500 | $228 for an in-ground pool with a water and sewer connection and 3 new circuits: $50 + $30 + $18 = $98, + $5 tax + $125 application. An above-ground pool over 24 in deep is $178. | Flat $50 pool fee for a 1-2 family home, a $125 plan-review application fee, $30 for a water and sewer connection, $6 per new circuit and a 5% permit tax. | Prefabricated or inflatable pools under 24 in deep need no building permit (check zoning). Deeper above-ground pools: $50 + $3 tax + $125 = $178. | Building, Fire, and Related Codes of Baltimore City 109.5.7, 109.6.1(o), 109.6.2(b), 109.6.3(j), 109.7; DHCD exempt-work list Electrical goes only to a licensed electrician and plumbing only to a licensed master plumber. Pools go through ePlans review and belong in the rear yard only. A CHAP-district house needs historic review of the excavation first. |
| Charlotte, NC | $1,000 to $2,000 ⚠ | About $1,040 for a $60,000 in-ground pool: County building $687.47 + electrical $84.08 + plumbing $59.70 + $9 + $10, plus Health $75 and City LDIRL $115. A $4,000 above-ground pool is about $338. | County LUESA valuation table priced per trade permit: $59.70 to $3,000, then $12.19 per $1,000. Plus a $75 Health fee and a $115 City LDIRL. | Permit if more than 24 in deep, seasonal pools included: about $337.59 for a $4,000 pool with a pump circuit. The Health ordinance and the County brochure differ on storable pools. | LUESA Fee Ordinance; Mecklenburg County Public Health FY2027 fee schedule; City LDIRL fee; UDO; 2018 NC Residential Code Three offices: County Public Health approves first ($75), the City reviews zoning (LDIRL $115, about 15 days), and the County issues building, electrical and plumbing permits. A $10 Homeowner Recovery Fund charge applies when a contractor pulls the building permit. |
| Chicago, IL | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | $550 to $750 for a permitted in-ground pool: $400 pool fee + $150 electrical, with a $600 non-refundable deposit collected at submission. The zoning review fee is not published. | Flat Table 14A-12-1204.2 line: install private swimming pool, $400. Electrical is a separate express permit, $150 for up to 10 circuits. | No permit at a 1-3 unit lot if no deeper than 48 in and 5,000 gallons at 90% full, at ground level without excavation over 5 ft. A hardwired pump is a $150 express electrical permit. | Table 14A-12-1204.2 as amended 2026; DOB list of work not requiring a permit; DOB pool guidance Pools deeper than 48 in need plans sealed by an Illinois architect or structural engineer. A permanent water connection is a separate express plumbing permit. Outdoor use is limited to June 1 through September 15. |
| Cincinnati, OH | $1,000 to $2,000 | About $1,002 for a $30,000 in-ground pool: building permit about $872 ($737 + $49 processing + surcharges) + IBI electrical $130. A $50,000 pool with plumbing is about $1,475. | Valuation table rounded up to the next $1,000: $173 to $4,000, $1,065 at $50,000, then $11.59 per $1,000; $49 processing; five surcharges of about $11 per $100. | Permit for any pool holding 24 in of water or more, above ground included (about $376 for a $3,000 pool with IBI electrical). Inflatable or kiddie pools under 24 in need none. | Cincinnati B&I FY2027 fee schedule; Inspection Bureau, Inc. pool permit; swimming pool handout; zoning 1421-33 Electrical bonding and wiring is issued by Inspection Bureau, Inc. (IBI): $60 processing + $70. A plumbing permit for new drains or fill lines is $97 before surcharges. Pools get Tier 2 review, a 5 workday target. The page says a plan review fee is paid at application but prices only the $49 processing fee, so the $1,002 example may leave plan review out. |
| Dallas, TX | $1,000 to $2,000 ⚠ | About $1,395 for a 400 sq ft in-ground pool: $428 permit + $577 plan review minimum + $375 for building, electrical and plumbing inspections + $15 technology fee. | No pool fee line, so the page applies the single-family new-work table, $1.07 per sq ft up to 700 sq ft, plus plan review and $125 per trade inspection. | Exempt only if prefabricated, with the wall completely above grade, under 24 in deep and up to 5,000 gallons. Any above-ground pool 24 in or deeper needs a Residential Pool/Spa Permit. | Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2.1 and Table A-I; Planning and Development fee schedule eff. 2025-07-01; Chapter 62 (ISPSC) Electrical (registered Master Electrician) and plumbing (Master Plumber) permits are separate, and the barrier is its own accessory structure permit. A homeowner permit does not cover a pool, so a registered contractor files. Add 10% in PD, SUP or deed-restricted areas. |
| Fort Worth, TX | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | About $540 for a typical in-ground pool: building permit $406.95 (3 trades at $119 + $33.08 application + $16.87 technology) + $133 for the separate electrical and plumbing permits. | Per-trade residential schedule: $119 for one trade, $238 for two, $357 for three. Trade permits add a $33.08 application fee and item fees. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool at a single house up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above ground; larger above-ground pools need one. New wiring still needs an electrical permit. | Fee Ordinance 26-28781 eff. 2026-10-01; Administrative Code 105.2; residential pool packet; Local Government Code 214.907 Plans need an Oncor Electric stamp before submittal, and site-built pools need a suction entrapment form. Electrical and plumbing go to Texas-licensed trades or a homestead owner. A pool closer to the street than the rear wall needs a $591 variance. |
| Houston, TX | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | About $500 for a typical in-ground pool: Health Department plan review $127.56 + Swimming Pool Permit of at least $124.62 + electrical and gas permits. The two filings alone are at least about $252. | Flat $94.00 Health plan review + $33.56 admin. The pool permit fee comes from the city schedule, which has no pool line, so the page uses the $91.06 structural minimum + $33.56 admin. | No clear rule: the Health review does not apply to above-ground pools or spas, and the page says to ask Structural Inspections whether the building permit applies. The pump circuit always needs an electrical permit. | 2026 Building Code Enforcement fee schedule; HPWCODE 1141; HHD 1011; City Code Chapter 43 A Health Department plan review (10 business days) and Structural review (15 business days) both run first, with a separate health inspection. Electrical permit $91.06 minimum + $33.56; gas heater $45.53. Plan review is 25% of the estimated permit fee. |
| Indianapolis, IN | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | $799 for an in-ground pool without a heater: $140 ILP + $490 structural + $169 electrical. With a gas or heat-pump heater ($153) it is $952. | Flat DBNS schedule of 2026-01-05: ILP $32 + $108; structural $290 to $490 by subtype; electrical $169 up to 1,000 sq ft of house; heating $153. | No structural permit if 30 in or less deep and 15 ft or less wide; no ILP at 200 sq ft of water or less or 18 in or less deep. Deeper or wider pools run $599 to $799. | Sec. 536-201(b)(14) as amended; Zoning Ord. 740-801.A.3.c and 743-306.JJ; DBNS fee schedule of 2026-01-05 The ILP and the structural permit are separate applications. Electrical and heating permits go to licensed contractors unless an owner-occupant has board approval. No drainage permit unless an acre or more is disturbed. |
| Jacksonville, FL | Under $500 | $272.50 for a 15,000-gallon in-ground pool: $152.50 building permit at the minimums + $120 electrical. A 40,000-gallon pool is $305. | Per 1,000 gallons: $1.50 BID + $0.50 resource + $0.50 Development Services, plus a $25 debris fee; minimums of $45 BID, $15 and $60 plan review. | Permit required. The flat above-ground line is $100 ($75 + $25) plus $60 electrical, $160 in all. The pool wall may serve as the barrier at 48 in. | Ordinance Code 320.409 fee schedule; Building Inspection Division FAQ; FS 515.27 and 515.29 A gas heater is a separate mechanical permit ($60 minimum). A Notice of Commencement is required above $5,000. Owner-builders sign a notarized disclosure; repairs of an existing pool need a certified or registered pool contractor. The page's totals leave out Florida's 1% and 1.5% surcharges and a 12% landscape fee line that it says single-family accessory structures are exempt from. |
| Kansas City, MO | Under $500 | About $442 for a $60,000 in-ground pool: building $309.14 + electrical $70.99 + plumbing $62.33. A $4,000 above-ground pool is about $119. | One valuation table applied to each permit: $52 up to $1,000, $58 for the first $2,000, then $4.33 per additional $1,000. The building value leaves out the electrical and plumbing work. | No permit for a prefabricated pool at a 1-2 family home with fill under 24 in, walls entirely above grade and 5,000 gallons or less, or a temporary inflatable. Larger ones need building and electrical permits. | KC Code Sec. 18-20(b)(2) and 18-16(b)(1)j; Information Bulletins 100, 119 and 152; Zoning 88-305-07 No plan review for residential pools, only a scaled site plan in CompassKC. A business license is the only city contractor license needed. An owner-occupant of a single-family home may pull electrical and plumbing permits personally. |
| Long Beach, CA | Over $2,000 ⚠ | About $2,794 for a $60,000 pool: combination permit $1,329 + plan check $753 + zoning plan check $310 + NPDES $120 + $90, with processing, state and records fees. A $100,000 pool and spa is about $4,047. | 150% of the valuation building fee ($786 to $50,000, then $10 per $1,000) + 85% plan check + 0.5% zoning plan check ($310 minimum) + NPDES + $115 processing. | No permit for a prefab pool under 18 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and with no plumbing, electrical or mechanical installation. Deeper above-ground pools need the combination permit. | LBMC 18.04.020; IB-022, IB-058 and IB-029; fee schedule in force before 2026-10-01 The combination permit covers shell, electrical bonding, gas and plumbing. Long Beach Energy Resources must approve gas pipe sizing for a heater before issuance. Stamped plans, or a recognized standard plan; void if work does not start within 90 days. |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 to $2,000 | About $1,472 for a $60,000 pool: combined permit $812.46 + plan check $659.70 per the city fee calculator, which includes a $65 noise inspection and surcharges. A $100,000 pool is about $2,053. | Combined permit at 75% of the Table 1-A building fee, plan check at 90% of the permit fee, with surcharges on both. | No permit for a pool up to 24 in deep and 250 sq ft. A deeper or larger above-ground pool needs the combined permit, even a prefab up to 5,000 gallons that skips structural design. | LAMC 91.106.2; LADBS bulletin P/BC 2026-014; LADBS Permit Fee Calculator (Swimming-Pool/Spa) The combined permit covers building, electrical, plumbing and gas. Two sets of plans stamped by a California engineer or architect, or a city Standard Plan. A grading permit is added on hillside lots. Cards add 2.7%. |
| Louisville, KY | Under $500 ⚠ | $350 for an $80,000 in-ground pool: $250 building ($50 + $2.50 per $1,000) + $100 electrical. The building permit alone is $150 on a $40,000 pool. | $50 plus $2.50 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $75 minimum. Electrical is $75 or $100. | Kentucky's code excludes pools constructed completely above grade, so the page points to no building permit; new pump wiring needs an electrical permit. | LMCO 150.096 fee schedule (revised 2024-02-06); Kentucky Residential Code R101.2 and R326 Electrical work goes to a licensed contractor unless a homeowner files a notarized certification. Pools sit 6 ft from side and rear lines and 10 ft from a street line. Reactivating an expired permit within 180 days is $35. |
| Miami, FL | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | $787.50 (about $790) for a $60,000 in-ground pool with $5,000 of electrical and $6,000 of plumbing: building permit $479.50 + two trade permits at $154 each. A $120,000 pool is about $1,227. | 0.50 of the estimated cost of each permit's scope, $110 minimum, + $40 application fee each; state surcharges of 1% and 1.5%; solid waste $0.22 per $100 on the master permit. | Permit if the pool holds more than 24 in of water; the City Code exempts no pool from permitting. The pool wall may serve as the barrier if it meets FS 515.29. | City Code 10-5 and 10-18 (Ord. 14439); Florida Building Code, Residential; FS 515.27 and 515.29 An in-ground pool is a master building permit with subsidiary electrical and plumbing trade permits. A separate fence permit adds at least $180. Pool equipment other than a heater is exempt from a plumbing permit when a licensed plumbing contractor does it. |
| Milwaukee, WI | Under $500 | $222.96 for a new pool with a pump circuit: $86.20 pool permit + $110 electrical line + $1.76 + $25 processing. With a $60.40 fence permit it is $283.36. The page's worked example is an above-ground pool; the same permit covers in-ground. | Flat $86.20 for a new pool ($158.40 for an existing one), 1.6% surcharge included. Electrical is a $110 line item under MCO 200-33-11. | Permit only if at least 15 x 3 ft or 3,965 gallons; smaller pools need none. | DNS Environmental Section pool packet; MCO 200-33-11 and 295-505-3-k Pool permits come from the DNS Environmental Section, not the Permit Center, and need the electrical permit first, pulled by a licensed electrical contractor. A deck and a new fence are separate permits. Building first can cost up to 4 times the fee. |
| Minneapolis, MN | $1,000 to $2,000 | $1,593.33 for a $50,000 in-ground pool: building permit $950.50 + 65% plan review $617.83 + state surcharge $25. A $5,000 above-ground pool is $276.40. The state electrical permit is extra. | Chapter 91 valuation schedule ($104.20 for the first $2,000, $20.60 per $1,000 to $25,000, then $578.00 + $14.90 per $1,000) + 65% plan review + 0.0005 x value. | Exempt only if prefabricated, entirely above ground and not exceeding both 5,000 gallons and 24 in deep. Anything bigger needs a building permit with plans. | MCO 89.110, 89.140 and Chapter 91; Minn. R. 1300.0120 subp. 4 Wiring and bonding go to the state Department of Labor and Industry: a $25 permit + $35 per separate bonding inspection. A barrier fence of any height needs its own building permit. Plans go through ProjectDox. |
| New York, NY | Under $500 | About $273 for a $60,000 in-ground pool that must file: $130 for the first $5,000 + $2.60 per additional $1,000. An exempt pool pays $0 to DOB. The electrical permit and the PE or RA are extra. | DOB alteration filing under Table 28-112.2 at a 1-3 family home: $130 minimum for the first $5,000, then $2.60 per $1,000. | No DOB permit at a 1-2 family home up to 400 sq ft, with an in-ground pool's edge farther from buildings and lot lines than its depth and a slop sink present. A pump or lights still need an electrical permit. | Admin. Code Table 28-112.2 (L.L. 128 of 2024); 1 RCNY 101-14 Table 1 item 3; 1 RCNY 101-03; BC 3109.5 Permits issue only to a Licensed General Contractor, plus a DCWP Home Improvement license for 1-4 family homes. The electrical permit is a $40 application plus per-unit fees. Co-ops, condos and HOAs also need a Health Department permit. |
| Philadelphia, PA | Under $500 | $284 for an in-ground pool with $8,000 of electrical work: building permit $76.50 + electrical $207.50. An above-ground pool with the $63 minimum electrical permit is about $147. | Flat $69 swimming pool line for a 1-2 family property ($253 elsewhere) + $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges. Electrical is $25 per $1,000, $63 minimum. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool under 24 in deep and under 5,000 gallons. Deeper above-ground pools get an EZ building permit with no plans. | L&I fee summary PG_012 (Rev 7.2026); EZ Pools and Spas standard PB_010; building permit page No zoning permit is needed at a 1-2 family home. A licensed electrical contractor is required, and the owner pays a licensed inspection agency separately. The EZ filing fee is $25, applied to the balance; a decision takes about 5 business days. Plumbing for a permanent fill or drain line is a third permit that the page does not price, so the $284 example leaves it out. |
| Phoenix, AZ | $500 to $1,000 | About $541 for an in-ground pool on a standard plan: Table A permit $413 on the $21,000 minimum valuation + $30 aquatics surcharge + $98 plot plan review. A $40,000 custom pool is about $1,236. | Table A on valuation ($303 on the first $10,000 + $10 per $1,000), $21,000 residential minimum, $234 minimum permit fee, $30 surcharge; custom pools add 100% plan review. | Exempt only if prefabricated, under 18 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above ground. A soft-sided pool holding 2 ft of water needs a permit. | 2026 Development Fee Schedule Appendix A.2 (eff. 2026-01-20) Table A; 2024 PBCC 105.2; TRT 00913, 00914, 00916 A heater on a standard plan needs a separate gas line permit. A pool edge within 5 ft of a lot line needs a survey waiver. An owner-occupant may build under ARS 32-1121.A.5. Pre-gunite and pre-plaster inspections. |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | $576 for a $60,000 in-ground pool: building $374.50 + zoning $60 + electrical bonding $141.50. A $4,000 above-ground pool is $333. | PLI 2026 residential base fee of $6.00 per $1,000 ($130 minimum) + $4.50 + $5.00 + a technology fee, repeated for the electrical permit; zoning review $1.00 per $1,000, $50 minimum. | No application for a prefabricated pool under 24 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above grade. Deeper ones need a BDA and an electrical permit, about $333. | PLI 2026 fee schedule; PLI residential pool form; Work Not Requiring a Permit page All pools and spas need an electrical permit for grounding and bonding, and PLI's rules require a city electrical trade license. Custom pools and in-ground pools deeper than 4 ft need architect or engineer drawings. 40% of each base fee is due at application. |
| Portland, OR | $1,000 to $2,000 ⚠ | About $1,776 for a $40,000 in-ground pool: building permit $694.68 + plan review $451.54 + Development Services fee $163.91 + surcharge $83.36, plus trade permits. A $60,000 pool is about $2,125. | Valuation: $797.28 for the first $50,000 plus $6.81 per $1,000 above, + 65% plan review + a Development Services fee + the 12% state surcharge. Trade permits are per item. | A prefabricated pool with walls entirely above grade needs no building permit, only a $194.88 electrical permit for one pump circuit. A kiddie pool or spa 24 in deep or less needs no permit. | PP&D 2026 fee schedules; PP&D swimming pool permit page An in-ground pool needs building, electrical and mechanical permits, and every pool barrier needs its own building permit, even under 7 ft. Trade permits bought on DevHub issue within 24 hours. Homeowner electrical work only in an owner-occupied home. |
| Sacramento, CA | Over $2,000 | About $2,280 for a $60,000 contractor-built in-ground pool: $1,418.40 in building fees and surcharges + $132 Planning form + $730 Fire Department fees. A $5,000 above-ground pool is about $1,236. | Valuation (contract price or ICC value, whichever is higher) on the 2026 residential schedule: permit, plan review, technology, General Plan, green building and strong motion fees; Fire fees of $294 minimum + $260 + $176. | Exempt only if prefabricated and less than 18 in deep. A pool over 18 in deep, above-ground included, needs a permit: about $1,236 for a $5,000 owner-built pool. | CDD-0257 (rev. March 2026); 2026 residential fee schedule; CDD-0054; City Code 15.64.070 Fire Department plan review ($260), inspection ($294 minimum) and administrative ($176) fees are listed on every pool permit. First-cycle plan review runs 10 working days. Lots outside the city go to the County. |
| San Antonio, TX | $500 to $1,000 | $543.09 before surcharges for an in-ground pool with no heater: $414.00 building + electrical $63.54 + plumbing $65.55. With a gas heater $621.29, about $671 after two 4% surcharges. | Flat $414.00 Residential Swimming Pool Fee; each trade permit is a $57.50 base plus per-item charges. | No permit for a prefabricated pool under 24 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above ground. A deeper or larger above-ground pool pays the $414.00 building permit. | DSD FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (rev. Sept 2026); City Code 10-6(e)(1)i Licensed contractors pull the electrical, plumbing and gas permits; a homeowner can pull the building permit if they will own the home 12 months after. Staff processing adds $11.50 per paper application and cards add 3%. Decision in three business days online. |
| San Diego, CA | Over $2,000 ⚠ | About $2,251 for a pool built to a City master plan: $971.73 plan check + $529.71 inspection + $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee + $12.16 mapping fee. A custom pool is about $3,928. | Flat items on IB 501 Table 501C: master-plan pool $971.73 plan check, custom pool $2,649.60, each + $529.71 inspection. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool on grade with walls entirely above grade and up to 5,000 gallons. New wiring or a gas line still needs trade permits. | IB 501 Table 501C; IB 712; SDMC 129.0203(a)(11) and (b); IB 100 For a 1-2 family home the pool's electrical, plumbing and gas work is reviewed under the same combination permit. Every pool needs plans stamped by a California engineer or architect. Master-plan pools are limited to 6 ft of retained soil. |
| San Francisco, CA | Over $2,000 ⚠ | Between $3,100 and $3,950 in DBI fees for a typical in-ground pool. Plan review plus issuance alone is $2,498 at $60,000, plus a $305 electrical permit and plumbing at $320 or $519 an hour. | Table 1A-A (eff. 2026-07-12): plan review $310 + $28.35 per $1,000 over $2,000 and issuance $266 + $8.56 per $1,000 up to $50,000, higher tiers above. Trade permits are flat. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool at a 1-2 family home with walls entirely above grade and up to 5,000 gallons. A new pump circuit still needs the $305 electrical permit. | DBI fee table 1A-A eff. 2026-07-12; Building Code 106A.2; Electrical Code 89.121(B); Health and Safety Code 115922 Pools are not on DBI's over-the-counter lists, so plan on in-house review; Planning's application fee applies if it reviews the location. State fees are extra. Homeowner trade permits only for a stand-alone single-family house. |
| San Jose, CA | $1,000 to $2,000 ⚠ | About $1,220 for a modest pool in Tier 2 with one electrical permit: $211 processing + $367.50 inspection + $325 plan check + $315. A Tier 4 pool with electrical and plumbing is about $2,480. | No single pool price: $211 processing, a building permit at $315 per hour of inspection in 40, 70, 130 or 250-minute tiers, plan check at $325 per hour, each trade the greater of $315 or an itemized amount. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool under 24 in deep, up to 5,000 gallons and entirely above ground. A hard-wired pump still needs an electrical permit. | Schedule of Fees and Charges eff. 2026-07-01; SJMC 24.02.120 and Chapter 17.28; Health and Safety Code 115922 Any pool 18 in or deeper must be enclosed under Chapter 17.28, exempt or not. Digging before the permit costs two times the plan review and inspection fees. An owner-builder may file and hire licensed trades. |
| Seattle, WA | $1,000 to $2,000 | About $1,560 for an in-ground pool: SDCI permit $1,232.90 (4 x $292 + 5% + $6.50) + electrical about $138 + King County plumbing about $191. | Flat Fee Subtitle Table D-2 line: 4 times the $292 base fee, $1,168, plus a 5% technology fee and a $6.50 state surcharge, whatever the pool costs. | No building permit for a prefabricated pool or spa with walls entirely above grade and 5,000 gallons or less. A new circuit or hard-wired pump still needs an SDCI electrical permit. | 2026 Fee Subtitle Table D-2 item 17a; SRC R105.2 item 9 and R327.1; Public Health Seattle and King County 2026 fees Plumbing and gas permits come from Public Health Seattle and King County ($137 + $27 per fixture or outlet), not SDCI. A pool built from a standard plan pays 1.5 times the base fee. Reinspections cost half the base fee. Owner-occupants may take the electrical permit. |
| St. Louis, MO | $500 to $1,000 ⚠ | $510 for a $40,000 in-ground pool: building permit $425 ($25 + $400) + electrical $85. An $80,000 pool is $910. | $25 application fee plus $10 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost above $3,000; electrical is a $25 application + $60. | No building permit for an above-ground pool, hot tub or spa set on a slab, or an in-ground pool under 24 in deep and 250 sq ft. The pump circuit needs an $85 electrical permit. | Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 item 29; Building Code 3109 (Ord. 70794); Building Division fee table; pool handout Plumbing is a separate permit if a water line or backflow device is added ($30 + $25 per tap + $10 per fixture). In-ground construction documents must be sealed by a Missouri design professional. Only the $25 application fee is due at filing. |
| Tucson, AZ | $500 to $1,000 | About $849 for a typical pool with one hour of review: $730.28 + $100 + $18.54 digital filing fee. With a heater and two hours of review it is about $1,099. | Flat $730.28 private pool fee + plan review at $100 an hour (one-hour minimum) + a 1% digital filing fee ($18.54 minimum). Trade items are $150 first, $50 each additional. | A permit is needed for any above-ground pool holding more than 5,000 gallons or deeper than 18 in; a small shallow one needs none. Tucson lowered the model code's 24 in to 18 in. | PDSD FY27 fee schedule (eff. 2026-07-01); 2024 building code as amended; A.R.S. 36-1681 Every new or remodeled outdoor pool must have a cover that limits evaporation before final. Pools are in the 15-day Fast Lane. A spa alone is $337.05 plus review. Owner-builders file an affidavit; rentals need a licensed contractor. |
The status is the band of the city's own worked example for an in-ground pool: every city fee the page includes in that example (the building permit, plan review, the trade permits it bundles and surcharges), using the lowest worked total on the page where it gives more than one in-ground example. The cell says the pool value or size the example assumes and what it leaves out; a pool value of $30,000 and one of $120,000 are not the same job, so compare the cell, not only the band. The fee-basis column sorts a flat pool line first, then a valuation table, then a rate per square foot or gallon, then per-trade or hourly pieces, then not stated. The above-ground column sorts cities that state an exemption for a small or prefabricated pool first (the cell gives the depth, gallon or area cap), then cities that permit every pool they define, then a page that gives no clear rule. A flag marks a row where the city has no published pool fee line, its documents disagree, or its example leaves out a charge the page names. Download the table as CSV.
What the comparison shows
The city's own in-ground example is under $500 in 7 cities and over $2,000 in 4
Under $500: Milwaukee $223, Baltimore $228, Jacksonville $273, New York $273, Philadelphia $284, Louisville $350 and Kansas City $442. $500 to $1,000: Houston $500, St. Louis $510, Fort Worth $540, Phoenix $541, San Antonio $543, Chicago $550, Pittsburgh $576, Albuquerque $662, Miami $788, Indianapolis $799 and Tucson $849. $1,000 to $2,000: Cincinnati $1,002, Charlotte $1,040, San Jose $1,220, Dallas $1,395, Los Angeles $1,472, Seattle $1,560, Minneapolis $1,593 and Portland $1,776. Over $2,000: San Diego $2,251, Sacramento $2,280, Long Beach $2,794 and San Francisco $3,100. The median is $725. The examples are not the same pool: Cincinnati's is a $30,000 pool, Albuquerque's, Portland's and St. Louis's $40,000, Minneapolis's $50,000, most other valuation-priced examples $60,000, Louisville's $80,000, Dallas's a 400 sq ft pool and Jacksonville's a 15,000-gallon one. Houston's $500 is the page's own estimate, because the 2026 schedule has no pool line. What the example includes also varies: Louisville, Philadelphia and St. Louis include building and electrical permits only, Kansas City adds plumbing, Minneapolis leaves out the state electrical permit, and San Francisco's $3,100 to $3,950 is the page's range for a typical in-ground pool with trades. All four cities over $2,000 are in California: Long Beach, Sacramento and San Francisco stack valuation fees, plan check and add-ons, and San Diego charges flat plan check and inspection plus a $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee.
9 cities charge a flat pool fee, 16 price it on the pool's value
A flat pool line is used in Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, San Diego, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Milwaukee and Tucson. Examples: Baltimore $50 plus a $125 plan-review application fee, Philadelphia $69, Seattle 4 times the $292 base fee ($1,168 before surcharges), San Antonio $414.00, Tucson $730.28 plus $100 an hour of review, Chicago $400, Milwaukee $86.20 and San Diego $971.73 or $2,649.60 of plan check plus $529.71 of inspection. A valuation table sets the fee in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, Portland, Charlotte, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Louisville, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Albuquerque and Long Beach. Albuquerque halves its Table 112-A fee (a 0.50 modifier) and adds 65% plan review; Long Beach charges 150% of the building fee for a combination permit; Los Angeles charges 75% of its Table 1-A fee. Dallas has no pool line and applies its single-family new-work table at $1.07 per square foot, and Jacksonville charges per 1,000 gallons ($1.50 for the BID fee). Fort Worth prices by trade ($119 for one, $357 for three) and San Jose bills hours: $211 processing, $315 an hour of inspection time and $325 an hour of plan check. Houston gives a flat Health Department review ($94.00 + $33.56) and no pool line for the building permit.
An above-ground pool is exempt from the building permit in 26 cities, but the cap varies
Twenty-six pages state an exemption for a small or prefabricated pool: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, San Diego, Philadelphia, San Jose, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Louisville, Tucson, Kansas City, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Albuquerque and Long Beach. Miami, Jacksonville and Charlotte permit every pool they define (Charlotte and Miami from 24 inches of water, Jacksonville with a flat $100 building permit and $60 electrical for an above-ground pool), and Houston's page gives no clear rule: the Health Department review does not apply to above-ground pools, and the page says to ask Structural Inspections. A 5,000-gallon cap appears on 16 pages. Depth caps run from under 54 inches (Albuquerque) and 48 inches (Chicago) through 30 inches (Indianapolis, for the structural permit) to under 24 inches in ten cities (Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Antonio and San Jose) and 18 inches in four (Long Beach, Phoenix, Sacramento and Tucson). Fort Worth, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Louisville key the exemption to a pool whose walls are entirely above grade rather than to a depth. St. Louis exempts any above-ground pool set on a slab, Milwaukee any pool smaller than 15 by 3 feet, and New York a pool up to 400 sq ft at a one- or two-family home. An exempt pool usually still needs an electrical permit for a hard-wired pump: $194.88 in Portland, $305 in San Francisco, $85 in St. Louis and a $47 administrative charge plus $60 in Albuquerque. A permitted above-ground pool costs $119 in Kansas City ($4,000 pool), $147 in Philadelphia, $160 in Jacksonville, $223 in Milwaukee, $276 in Minneapolis ($5,000 pool), $333 in Pittsburgh, $338 in Charlotte, about $376 in Cincinnati ($3,000 pool) and $1,236 in Sacramento ($5,000 pool, mostly Fire and Planning fees).
Other permits and agencies: 27 pages add an electrical permit and 6 add a second agency
Twenty-seven pages require or bundle an electrical permit for the pump, lights and bonding; Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego fold it into one combination permit, and the Phoenix, Sacramento and Tucson pages name only a gas line permit, an electrical load calculation or trade items for heaters and lighting. Plumbing for a fill line or drain is a separate permit in several cities (Albuquerque $107, Cincinnati $97, Miami $154, San Antonio $65.55, Fort Worth, Philadelphia and St. Louis), and a gas heater adds a permit in Houston ($45.53), Jacksonville ($60 minimum), San Antonio, Phoenix and Portland ($187.04). Six cities send an in-ground pool to a second agency that charges its own fee: Charlotte (Mecklenburg County Public Health $75, then the City's $115 zoning review), Houston (a Health Department plan review at $127.56), Sacramento (Fire Department fees of $730), Seattle (Public Health Seattle and King County for plumbing, about $191), Minneapolis (the state Department of Labor and Industry for wiring and bonding, $25 plus $35 per inspection) and Cincinnati (Inspection Bureau, Inc. for electrical, $130). Fort Worth requires an Oncor Electric stamp on the plans, and Long Beach requires Energy Resources to approve gas pipe sizing for a heater. A separate zoning or site filing is priced in Indianapolis ($140 ILP), Pittsburgh ($1 per $1,000, $50 minimum), Charlotte ($115) and Sacramento ($132). Plans sealed by an engineer or architect are required in Chicago (pools over 48 inches), Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York, San Diego, St. Louis and Pittsburgh (in-ground over 4 feet or custom). The barrier itself is a separate permit in Dallas, Portland, Minneapolis, Miami (at least $180), Milwaukee ($60.40) and Chicago (over 5 feet). For fence heights, see How Tall Does a Pool Fence Have to Be? 30 Cities Compared.
Where the money goes: plan review, surcharges and the add-ons that outweigh the permit
Plan review is a share of the permit fee in several cities: 65% in Albuquerque, Minneapolis and Portland, 85% in Long Beach (plus a zoning plan check of 0.5% of value with a $310 minimum and NPDES stormwater fees), 90% in Los Angeles, 25% in Houston and 100% for a custom pool in Phoenix, where a standard plan pays a $98 plot plan review. Others charge it by the hour (Tucson $100, San Jose $325) or as a minimum (Dallas $577, a larger line than the $428 permit itself in its 400 sq ft example). San Francisco's $60,000 pool pays $1,773 of plan review and $725.30 of issuance. Surcharges add to the base: Portland's 12% state surcharge ($103.85 on a $60,000 pool), about $11 per $100 in Cincinnati, Miami's 1% and 1.5% plus $0.22 per $100 of solid-waste charge on the master permit ($132 on $60,000), two 4% surcharges in San Antonio, 5% plus $6.50 in Seattle and 1.6% in Milwaukee. The biggest fixed add-ons are San Diego's $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee (about a third of its $2,251 example), Sacramento's $730 of Fire Department fees, Dallas's $577 plan review minimum, Charlotte's $75 Health and $115 zoning fees and Houston's $127.56 Health review. Chicago collects a $600 non-refundable deposit at submission, more than its $400 pool line.
Who may pull it: the owner in 17 cities, a licensed contractor only in 3
Seventeen pages say an owner or owner-builder may file the building permit, often with conditions: Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, San Antonio, San Diego, Philadelphia, San Jose, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fort Worth, Tucson, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Albuquerque and Long Beach. The conditions include owning the home for 12 months after completion in San Antonio, one homeowner permit per 12 months in Albuquerque, an owner acting as contractor on a primary residence once a calendar year in Chicago, a notarized disclosure in Jacksonville and an affidavit in Tucson. Three pages say no: New York, Dallas and Baltimore. Dallas states that a homeowner permit does not allow you to build a swimming pool, even on your homestead; New York issues pool permits only to a Licensed General Contractor; Baltimore says construction on one- and two-family homes requires an MHIC-licensed contractor. The other ten pages do not say who may pull the building permit: Houston, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Louisville, Kansas City and St. Louis. Trade permits are narrower than the building permit. Electrical goes only to licensed electricians in Baltimore, Dallas, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh (a city trade license), to an owner after a test or board approval in Albuquerque, Indianapolis and St. Louis, and to an owner-occupant in Charlotte, Kansas City, Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis. Plumbing goes to a master plumber in Baltimore, Dallas and New York.
Where the city's documents disagree or leave a gap
Albuquerque: zoning and hydrology fees are collected with plan review but not priced, so its examples leave them out. Charlotte: the Health ordinance excludes storable pools while the County brochure includes seasonal pools and spas. Chicago: a $600 deposit exceeds the $400 pool row, and the Title 17 zoning fee is not published. Cincinnati: a plan review fee is paid at application but only the $49 processing fee is priced. Dallas: Chapter 52 has no pool fee line, so the page estimates from the single-family table. Fort Worth: the page counts three trades but says the Accela invoice shows the number the city actually counts. Houston: the 2026 schedule has no pool line, so the $91.06 structural minimum is a floor and the $500 total is an estimate. Indianapolis: the structural permit has no pool line, and DBNS assigns a $290 or $490 subtype at intake. Jacksonville: the totals leave out Florida's 1% and 1.5% surcharges and a 12% landscape fee line. Long Beach: the fees are those in force before 2026-10-01, with a new schedule approved on 2026-09-08. Louisville: the in-ground pool guide was unreachable, so the page says to confirm the in-ground and above-ground readings. Miami: the residential rate is printed as 0.50 with no percent sign, read as 0.5%, and a county surcharge is unstated. Philadelphia: the fill or drain line plumbing permit is not priced. Pittsburgh: attached 1-2 family dwellings may fall in the commercial category with a $605 minimum. Portland: the $1,776 row says to add $187.04 for a gas heater, but the text's arithmetic already seems to include it. San Diego: a 2.5-hour impact-fee assessment charge may apply. San Francisco: no plumbing category names pool piping, so the typical total is a range. San Jose: no single pool price exists, and the Building Official sets the inspection tier. St. Louis: the stated rate gives $30 less than the page's own $425 and $825 examples, and the 2001 handout and the Health page disagree on a Health permit. The table flags these rows rather than resolving them.
Method
The 30 cities are the ones whose BuildPermitGuide pages have been rewritten from primary sources as of October 2026: the city's adopted code and exemption list, its permit page or bulletin, its current fee schedule or ordinance and its contractor and owner-builder rules, each fetched and quoted on the city's pool permit page. The status in the table is the band of the city page's own worked example for an in-ground pool, using every city fee the page includes and the lowest worked in-ground total where it gives several; the pool value in the example differs by city and the cell says what it is. The pricing, above-ground and schedule columns are the page's fee section and scenario table, and the who-pulls-it counts come from its licensing paragraph. Contractors' own prices, engineering fees and the owner's cost of an outside inspection agency are never included. Nothing in this table is taken from a model code or another city's schedule; where a city publishes no pool fee line, its documents disagree or an example leaves out a charge the page names, the row carries a flag instead of a resolution. Each city page carries the date its sources were last verified, and the change log records when a cited document changes.
BuildPermitGuide, “How Much Does a Pool Permit Cost? 30 Cities Compared” (2026), https://buildpermitguide.com/research/pool-permit-fees/Questions, corrections or a city you want added: contact us.
Frequently asked questions
The city pages behind this table
Each page quotes the code section, exempt-work list and fee schedule it relies on and records the date they were last verified.
- Albuquerque, NM
- Baltimore, MD
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Tucson, AZ
Related: Pool Permit Guide · Pool permits in all 50 cities · Pool barrier heights compared · Which cities changed their permit fees in 2026 · Permit fee change log · Open data exports