Do you need a permit for a swimming pool in Los Angeles?
It depends on the project. Los Angeles exempts some swimming pools from a building permit and requires one for the rest1; the exemption's limit is 250 square feet, with the conditions in the city's wording below.
On this page
Depends on size or scope
Los Angeles's rule“Swimming, bathing, and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth and having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet.”1
City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing), LAMC 91.106.2 item 8
Which permits you need
| Permit | Required when | The city’s wording |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit | Pools deeper than 24 in or larger than 250 sq ft surface area | Swimming, bathing, and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth and having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet.1 |
| Building permit | Combined building-mechanical permit for a pool accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling | A pool accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling, except pools that are exempt from a building permit but may require a permit for electrical, plumbing, and heating work, a combined building-mechanical permit shall be issued, provided a fee is paid.2 |
| Pool barrier permit | Swimming pool barrier fences are excluded from the fence-height exemption (LAMC 91.106.2 item 13) | Masonry or concrete fences not over 3-1/2 feet high, and other fences, other than swimming pool barriers, not over 10 feet high.1 |
Limits and conditions in Los Angeles's rule
Each limit sits next to the sentence it comes from; the conditions in that sentence are part of the rule.
| Rule | Value | The city’s wording |
|---|---|---|
| Pools exempt below this depth | 24 inches | Swimming, bathing, and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth and having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet.1 |
| Exempt up to this area | 250 square feet | Swimming, bathing, and wading pools not exceeding 24 inches in depth and having a surface area not exceeding 250 square feet.1 |
Zoning rules: separate from the building permit
A project can be exempt from one and still need the other (zoning vs building permits).
| Zoning rule | Value | The city’s wording |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning approval needed even without a building permit? | Yes: exemption from building permit does not authorize violations of other City ordinances (e.g. zoning) | Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of the City of Los Angeles.1 |
Who can apply
Pool permit fees in Los Angeles
Fee lines as Los Angeles's schedule states them. A minimum or base fee is not the whole price when the line says the fee grows with project value.
| Fee | Type | As the schedule states it |
|---|---|---|
| Pool accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling (combined building-mechanical permit) | Percent of the permit fee | 75% of the fee determined from Table 1-A2 |
All of Los Angeles's fee lines are on the Los Angeles permit page.
Inspections
- Residential Inspection Division inspects swimming pools4
- Final5 Request one day in advance before 2 PM; weekdays 7 AM-3:30 PM3
Who to ask
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)8
Building permits
- Website
- dbs.lacity.gov6
- Apply online
- permitla.lacitydbs.org3
- Phone
- 311 (within the City); (213) 473-3231 (outside Los Angeles)6
- Address
- 201 N. Figueroa St. (Express Permit, Records, Plan Check) and 221 N. Figueroa St. (Inspection), Los Angeles, CA 900127
- Inspections
- Request online (LADBS Online Services, service=rfi) or via 311; one day in advance before 2 PM; inspections weekdays 7 AM-3:30 PM3
Pool permit rules in other cities
Rules differ from city to city. Compare Los Angeles with 19 other cities on the national swimming pool permit guide, or go straight to one:
- New York City, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Houston, TX
- Phoenix, AZ
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- Dallas, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
- Fort Worth, TX
- San Jose, CA
- Charlotte, NC
- Columbus, OH
- Indianapolis, IN
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Philadelphia, PA
- Austin, TX
Sources
- SEC. 91.106. PERMITS. (LAMC Ch. IX, Art. 1, Div. 1)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 7, 2026
- SEC. 91.107. FEES. (LAMC Ch. IX, Art. 1, Div. 1)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 6, 2026
- Homeowner Step-By-Step | LADBSCity of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Checked November 7, 2026
- Residential Inspection | LADBSCity of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Checked November 7, 2026
- SEC. 91.109. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY (page also renders SEC. 91.108 INSPECTION)City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Municipal Code, hosted by American Legal Publishing)Checked November 7, 2026
- Building & Safety | City Directory | lacity.govCity of Los Angeles (lacity.gov City Directory)Checked November 7, 2026
- Metro (Downtown) | LADBSCity of Los Angeles, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Checked November 6, 2026
- Ordinance No. 188797 (Council File 25-1217): amending LAMC Chapter IX to incorporate the 2025 California Building…City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk (Council File 25-1217)Adopted December 24, 2025Checked November 7, 2026