When you’re looking at homes with pools, knowledge is key. As a buyer who is about to enter into a legally binding contract, you must arm yourself with the information needed to make an informed decision.
With regards to pool barriers, it’s very easy to find out if the pool at the home that you’re thinking of buying is in compliance with the City’s regulations or not.
Requirements by The Town of Gilbert
All swimming pools shall be enclosed by walls of a single-family residential building or by a solid wall or a chain link or wrought iron fence not less than five (5) feet nor more than six (6) feet in height. If the design or the material of the fence or gate is such that there are openings, such openings shall be of a size to prohibit a spherical object four inches in diameter from passing through or under the fence or gate.
All gates shall be substantially the same height as the wall or the fence and shall be self-closing and self-latching and be constructed in such a manner as to prevent uninvited access.
Exception: Double width (RV) gates which are not the sole means of ingress and egress shall not be required to be self-closing and self-latching but must be padlocked at all times when not being used.
The Arizona Association of Realtors has published a list of Cities and their contact information.
Something else to consider when looking at pool barriers – other than City compliance, is safety. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
In California, Arizona and Florida,
drowning was the leading cause of accidental
death in and around the home for
children under the age of 5 years.
The CPSC did an extensive study of swimming pool accidents and discovered that most victims of drownings were actually being supervised by an adult at the time. Be sure to read the Commission’s detailed guidelines for above ground pools, built-in swimming pools and hot tubs.
As Dave Munsey, anchorman for Fox 10 Weather is known to say “Watch Your Kids Around Water” and in this case, knows the rules and regulations before buying a new home.
Additional Information Provided by Arizona Association of REALTORS:
One response
This is a good idea for safety purposes. Putting fences around dangerous are should always be considered. Thank you for posting this.