Pool inspections
All residential swimming pool barriers (except small heated pools with safety covers) must be inspected every three years.
Under the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2017, Council is required to make sure pool barriers continue to comply.
When you’ll need an inspection
You’ll need to book a pool inspection if you have a new pool, or a pool Council weren’t previously aware of. You may choose to request a pool inspection at another time (for example, if you’re a vendor or new owner and want to check a barrier complies during the sale or purchase of a property).
Council will then notify you approximately every three years of your upcoming inspection, so we can make sure your pool continues to comply with the Building code F9, restricting access to residential pools.
Booking a pool inspection
You can choose book your pool inspection with either:
- an Independently Qualified Pool Inspector (IQPI) in your area
- Council.
IQPI inspection
See the list of IQPIs and contact details on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) website to book an inspection directly with an IQPI.
Council inspection
Contact Council to book a pool inspect. See Building consent fees for costs.
What happens
Council staff or your chosen IQPI will visit your property and inspect all aspects of the pool barrier, including:
- the barrier (making sure the barrier is clear of any climbable material)
- any gates
- any doors or windows opening into the pool area.
Timeframes
If the pool is fully compliant and ready to inspect and certify, then a standard inspection usually takes about 1.5 hours (including travel and administration). This varies depending on the:
- complexity of the situation
- type of barrier (whether it is a single compliant fence, or includes building walls with windows and doors).
To help this process run as smoothly as possible, we encourage you to make sure your pool’s compliant before your three-yearly inspection.
Inspection fees
Inspection fees meet the resourcing, record keeping and administration costs of making sure all pool barriers comply with the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016. Charges will include time for the Council staff to travel to the property, time on site, and any research or administration directly related to the inspection.
You will be charged for the time spent during the audit at the current hourly rate for inspections. See Building consent fees for the current rates.
The fees for an independently qualified pool inspector (IQPI) vary. If an IQPI carries out the inspection, Council may charge for the actual time spent on updating the pool register.
Bringing your barrier up to standard
If your pool barrier doesn’t comply, we’ll talk to you about what needs to be done to bring it up to standard and how long you’ll be given to carry out repairs or maintenance. We’ll also give you this information in writing.
Once the repairs or maintenance have been done, you’ll need to contact us to arrange a follow-up visit.
Non-compliant pools
Failing to comply with the agreed actions may result in further enforcement actions, including Council issuing a notice to fix which may result in a fine of up to $5000 if non-compliance is ongoing or serious in nature.
Note: Your pool must be emptied and remain empty until Council is satisfied it meets the requirements of the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2017. Before emptying water from your pool, you may need to take precautionary measures for in-ground pools where the groundwater table is high or may be of concern, or if there is a risk of someone falling into the empty pool.