Building permit for a swimming pool or spa.
A swimming pool or spa that can hold more than 300 mm of water needs a building permit in Victoria, and so does its safety barrier. Only a relocatable pool or spa with a relocatable barrier is exempt.
What needs a permit
- An in-ground pool or spa that can hold more than 300 mm of water.
- A fixed above-ground pool or spa that can hold more than 300 mm of water, including one set into a deck.
- A fixed safety barrier, including gates and any walls, fences or retaining walls that form part of it.
A relocatable pool or spa, with a barrier that can also be relocated, does not need a building permit (Schedule 3, items 20 and 21). If it can hold more than 300 mm of water, it still needs a compliant barrier and has to be registered with the council. A pool or spa that cannot hold more than 300 mm of water needs no building permit at all (item 8).
Registration and barrier certificates
Part 9A of the Building Regulations 2018 covers a pool or spa that can hold more than 300 mm of water and belongs to a house or another Class 1, 2, 3 or 10 building, or to the Class 4 part of a building. It must be registered with the council. A relocatable or inflatable one that stays up for 3 or more days in a row must be registered by the 4th day after it is put up.
A certificate of barrier compliance must then be lodged with the council every 4 years, dated no more than 30 days before it is lodged.
Inspections during the build
Regulation 169 sets the mandatory inspection stages for a pool or spa:
- When the excavation is complete.
- Before any footing or reinforced concrete the permit specifies is poured.
- When any required precautions for public safety are in place.
- Final, when the pool or spa and its safety barrier are complete.
Fixing a barrier after an inspection
Work to fix a barrier that failed a pool and spa inspection does not need a building permit, unless it involves any of these:
- Replacing or changing more than 50% of the barrier's length.
- Replacing or changing its posts or footings.
- Materials not commonly used for the same purpose as the ones being replaced.
- Making the barrier longer or shorter, or changing the area it encloses.
- Replacing or changing a retaining wall that forms part of the barrier.
Request a quote
Request a quote online, or email what you have to info@cortekgroup.com.au, and we will quote a fixed fee for your building permit. For the permit itself we will need:
- The certificate of title and plan of subdivision, with any covenants or section 173 agreements
- Drawings issued for construction
- The engineer's drawings, computations and design certificate
- The planning permit and endorsed plans, if the project needs one
- If a builder is doing the work, the contract extract and, where it applies, the domestic building insurance certificate
- If you are an owner-builder, your certificate of consent from the BPC, where one is required
- A bushfire assessment, if the site is in a bushfire prone area
- The barrier design, showing heights, gates and non-climbable zones
- The pool or spa engineering, or the manufacturer's details
The full list is in our checklist for verandahs, carports, decks, sheds and garages.