Got a pool in Vero Beach? What Florida's pool safety law requires, and the five ways to meet it

Cooler weather is when a lot of Vero Beach families start talking about a pool. Others are moving into homes that already have one.

Either way, Florida has a law about pool safety, and it is short enough to understand over coffee. It is Chapter 515 of the Florida Statutes, the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act. Here is what it says, and what it means for your backyard.

Why the state cares so much

The Florida Department of Health says drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 in Florida. It also says more than 500 Floridians died from unintentional drowning in 2023 alone. The pool safety law is built around one idea: put something between a small child and the water.

The law defines a young child as anyone under 6. It counts as a swimming pool anything at a home that holds water more than 24 inches deep, including in-ground, aboveground and on-ground pools, hot tubs and nonportable spas.

The five ways to meet the law

Section 515.27 says a new residential pool must have at least one of these to pass final inspection and get its certificate of completion:

1. A barrier that separates the pool from the house and meets the rules in section 515.29 (more on those below).
2. An approved safety pool cover. The law means a manual or power cover that meets a specific national standard, ASTM F1346-91, not a simple leaf cover.
3. Exit alarms on every door and window that leads straight from the house to the pool. The alarm must be at least 85 decibels at 10 feet.
4. A self-closing, self-latching device on every door that leads straight to the pool, with the release at least 54 inches above the floor.
5. A pool alarm that sounds when someone falls or gets into the water, certified to the ASTM F2208 standard. Wearable alarms on a child's wrist do not count.

Leaving a new pool without any of these is a second-degree misdemeanor under the law. The penalty is dropped if the owner adds a safety feature and attends a drowning prevention class within 45 days.

What a pool barrier has to look like

Many owners pick the barrier, such as a pool fence. Section 515.29 sets the rules:

• At least 4 feet high, measured on the outside.
• No gaps, openings or parts a young child could crawl under, squeeze through or climb over.
• It goes around the pool itself. Your yard fence only counts if it sits on the pool's perimeter and meets every rule.
• Set far enough from the water's edge that a child or a frail older person who gets through cannot fall straight in.
• Gates open outward, away from the pool. They must close and latch by themselves, with the latch release on the pool side and out of a child's reach.
• A wall of the house can be part of the barrier only if no door or window in it opens onto the pool.
• No patio furniture, AC units or other permanent objects next to it that a child could use to climb over.

Aboveground pools can use their own walls as the barrier, or have one mounted on top. Any ladder or steps must lock, be removable, or have their own barrier around them.

Who handles pool permits in Vero Beach

The City of Vero Beach shares its Building Department with Indian River County. The county's Building Division says it serves both the unincorporated county and the City of Vero Beach. It is at 1801 27th Street, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 772-226-1260.

If you live inside city limits, the city also says its Planning and Development Department signs off on things like zoning and site plans before a building permit is issued. City Hall is at 772-978-5151.

Some cities and counties have their own pool safety rules. The state law steps aside where a local ordinance is at least as strict. That is one more reason to ask the Building Division what it checks before you choose your safety feature.

What to do this week

1. If you are building a pool: decide early which safety feature you will use. A barrier changes your layout. Door alarms change your electrical plans.
2. Ask your pool contractor for the written summary of Chapter 515. State law says licensed pool contractors must give buyers one, along with a Department of Health drowning prevention guide.
3. Check the contractor's license at myfloridalicense.com before you sign.
4. If you just bought a home with a pool: walk the fence line. Look for gaps, loose pickets and gates that do not close and latch on their own.
5. Move chairs, planters and grills away from the fence so they cannot be used as a step.
6. Test any door or pool alarms, and replace weak batteries.
7. Questions about your permit or your inspection? Call the Indian River County Building Division at 772-226-1260.

The law asks for one safety feature. Nothing stops you from adding a second, like a fence plus door alarms. The water does not care how many you have, so more is better.