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Will your pool fence pass?

Answer the questions below against the Building Act and clause F9 of the Building Code. Each one shows the clause it comes from, and the result tells you what an inspector would look at.

In New Zealand a residential pool barrier must be at least 1.2 m high with no gaps over 100 mm (acceptable solution F9/AS1, as published by Auckland Council and Tauranga City Council), gates must open away from the pool and close and latch themselves (Building Code F9.3.3), and your council must ensure the barrier is inspected at least every 3 years (Building Act s 162D).

Rules last checked 16 September 2026.

This is a self-check, not an inspection.

We are not pool inspectors and we do not issue certificates. Only your council, or an independently qualified pool inspector on MBIE's register, can decide whether a barrier complies. This page is general information, not legal or building advice.

1. What sort of pool is it?

The rules apply to any pool with a maximum depth of water of 400 mm or more that is filled or partly filled with water, including an inflatable or portable one (Building Act s 162B, Building Code F9.2).

When was it built, installed or put up?

What an inspector measures

A pool barrier with its required dimensionsA 1.2 metre high pool barrier, gaps no greater than 100 millimetres, no climbable object within 1.2 metres outside the barrier, a gate that opens away from the pool and self-latches, and a latch at least 1.5 metres above the ground.Outside the pool areaPool side1.2 m minimumgaps ≤ 100 mmNothing climbablewithin 1.2 m outsidenot hereopens awayself-closes, self-latcheslatch ≥ 1.5 mif reachable from outside

Drawn from the requirements Auckland Council and Tauranga City Council both publish, and from clause F9 of the Building Code. Not to scale. Mesh and trellis aperture sizes are deliberately not shown: the two councils publish different figures, so we left them out.

Questions

Does passing this check mean my pool fence is compliant?

No, and we will never say that it does. This is a self-check against the requirements we can source. Only your council or an independently qualified pool inspector can decide whether a barrier complies (Building Act s 162D).

Why doesn't it ask about mesh or trellis hole sizes?

Because Auckland Council and Tauranga City Council publish different figures for them, and MBIE's building.govt.nz blocks us from reading acceptable solution F9/AS1 itself to settle it. On a child-safety question we would rather leave a rule out than publish the wrong number. Ask your council about aperture sizes before you buy mesh or trellis fencing.

My pool is old. Do today's rules apply?

Section 450B of the Building Act saves pools built before 1 January 2017 where the barriers met the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 schedule and continue to, or where the pool's own walls meet a 1.2 m unclimbable-wall test. The checker asks when your pool was built and tells you when that matters.

Do you send my answers to anyone?

No. The check runs in your browser. If you ask us to email it to you we store the row so we can answer a reply, and that is all. Nothing goes to a builder, an inspector or your council.

What if I answer 'not sure'?

It is listed as something to check rather than something to fix. An unsure answer is not a pass: an inspector will measure it.