Quebec pool fences: How to make sure you comply with the regulations

A pool is seen near a fence. (Pixabay/pexels.com)

As the Sept. 30 deadline approaches, Quebec’s regulations on pool fences are continuing to cause confusion among homeowners.

Some say that despite having installed fences, they have already been informed that their efforts do not comply with the rules.

• READ MORE: Pierrefonds residents frustrated as pool fences considered not up to code

In simple terms, according to the Quebec government, “every swimming pool must be surrounded by an enclosure to protect access to it.”

After many questions raised, Quebec’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing elucidated its guidelines in May in an attempt to provide some clarity.

So, what are the standards for a fence to be considered compliant?

In-ground and semi-inground pools

According to the Quebec government, all in-ground or semi-inground swimming pools must:

• Have a ladder or steps to facilitate entering and exiting the water;
• Have a fence that is at least 1.2 m (48 inches) tall;
• Have automatic hinges that close the gate;
• Have a latch on the pool side that locks the gate. A latch may be installed on the other side if it is 1.5 m above ground;
• Have a one-metre distance between the fence and the pool.

Additionally, the fence must not be climbable, and spherical objects measuring 10 cm in diameter must not be able to pass under the fence.

Hedges and shrubs do not count as providing safe enclosure.

• READ MORE: Pool fence installers slammed as deadline for Quebec safety changes approaches

However, a spokesperson with Quebec’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing clarified to CTV News that “a house door is permitted in part of the wall that forms the enclosure.”

This is the case if it meets one of the following characteristics:

• The door closes and locks automatically, and the latch on the inside of the home is at least 1.5 m high;
• The door is surrounded by an enclosure that prevents direct access to the pool (such as the walls of a home and a fence surrounding a property).

Additionally, a house window can be part of an enclosure as long as it is:

• located 3 m or more from the ground on the outside of the home;
• located 1.2 m or more from the ground on the inside of the home, and not attached or less than 1 m from a fixed structure (e.g., counter);
• the maximum opening should not allow a spherical object more than 10 cm in diameter to pass;
• should be equipped with a screen.

A door in a fence surrounding a property is permitted if it closes and locks automatically and if the latch is at least 1.5 m from the ground.

Above-ground pools

Above-ground swimming pools with a wall height of at least 1.2 m at all points or a removable swimming pool with a wall height of 1.4 m or more do not need to be surrounded by an enclosure when access to the pool is via:

• a ladder equipped with a safety gate that closes and locks automatically;
• a ladder or platform whose access is protected by a complying enclosure;
• a deck attached to a home where the opening to the pool is protected by a complying enclosure.

Any device related to a pool’s operations (such as a filter or pump) must be installed more than one metre from the pool wall or enclosure, unless in a shed or under a structure that prevents access to the pool.

The pipes connecting the device to the pool must be flexible and not be installed in a way that could facilitate climbing the pool wall or enclosure.