Do You Need a Licensed Builder to Install a Pool Fence?

If you are building a swimming pool in Melbourne, you may assume that installing the pool fence is simply a matter of choosing the style you like and finding someone to install it.

It isn’t.

In Victoria, swimming pool safety barriers are regulated building work and there are specific requirements about who can carry out the work. This is particularly important when you are installing a glass pool fence, where the positioning, height, gates, fixings and surrounding area all need to be considered to ensure the finished barrier is compliant.

Pool Fencing Regulations Victoria

Under the Victorian Building Regulations 2018, swimming pools, spas and their safety barriers are subject to strict pool fence laws and requirements.

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) states that swimming pools, spas and safety barriers must be constructed by a builder registered in an appropriate category or class, or by an owner-builder who holds an owner-builder certificate of consent.

This means installing a pool safety barrier is not simply the same as installing an ordinary garden fence.

There are specific registration classes for domestic building work that cover pool safety barriers, including Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of gates and fences). This registration class specifically includes safety barriers for swimming pools and spas.

The Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of swimming pools and spas) class also includes the construction of appropriate safety barriers.

Why Does This Matter When Installing a Pool Fence?

A pool fence has one very important job: restricting unsupervised access to the swimming pool.

That is why Victorian regulations cover much more than simply how the fence looks.

The barrier needs to comply with the requirements that apply to the pool, including requirements relating to its height, gates, latching mechanisms, non-climbable zones and the surrounding area.

For a frameless glass pool fence, the installation itself is particularly important.

The position of the glass panels and spigots, the finished ground levels, paving, garden beds, retaining walls and other structures around the pool can all affect whether the completed barrier complies.

A glass pool fence may look relatively simple once it is finished, but there is considerably more involved in getting the installation right.

Who Can Legally Install a Swimming Pool Fence in Victoria?

The important distinction is between an ordinary fence and a swimming pool safety barrier.

The BPC recognises Domestic Builder (limited to the construction of gates and fences) as a registration class covering the planning, setting out and installation of fences and gates, including swimming pool and spa safety barriers.

There is also a separate registration class for builders limited to the construction of swimming pools and spas, which includes appropriate safety barriers.

So, if you are arranging a pool fence installation, you should make sure the person or business carrying out the work holds the appropriate registration for the work being undertaken.

Simply having experience installing fences does not make someone appropriately registered to carry out regulated pool safety barrier work.

What About DIY Pool Fencing?

There is an important exception.

Victorian regulations allow an eligible owner-builder to carry out certain building work where they have obtained an owner-builder certificate of consent.

For most homeowners, however, installing a glass pool fence is not a job worth taking on themselves.

Glass panels are heavy, expensive and unforgiving to install incorrectly. More importantly, the finished installation needs to function as a compliant pool safety barrier.

Getting the fence wrong can mean having to remove and reinstall sections of the fence, alter gates or make other costly changes before the barrier can pass inspection.

For a new pool project, having the fence professionally measured and installed from the outset is the sensible approach.

Read more: Professional Glass Pool Fencing Installation vs DIY Glass Pool Fencing

Your Pool Fence Needs to Comply With More Than Just Height Requirements

One of the common misconceptions about pool fencing is that a fence is compliant simply because it is high enough.

There is much more to it than that.

Depending on the applicable barrier standard, requirements can cover:

• Barrier height
• Gaps beneath and within the barrier
• Non-climbable zones
• Gate operation
• Self-closing gates
• Self-latching gates
• Latch positioning
• The strength and rigidity of the barrier
• Objects and landscaping within the required clear zones

The applicable requirements can also depend on when the pool or spa was constructed. Victorian authorities maintain different requirements for pools and spas constructed at different times.

This is why a professional pool fence installation should be planned around the entire pool area rather than treated as simply putting a fence around the edge of the water.

Planning Your Pool Fence Early Can Save Problems Later

If you are working with a pool builder, landscaper or builder on a new project, it is worth involving your pool fencing installer early.

This is particularly important with frameless glass pool fencing.

The finished levels around the pool can have a significant impact on the position of the barrier. Paving, retaining walls, garden beds, steps and other landscaping elements can also affect the available space around the fence.

Getting the pool fence installer involved before everything is finished gives everyone an opportunity to work together and avoid unnecessary alterations later.

It is much easier to get the installation right before the landscaping is completed than to start cutting into finished paving because the required barrier position was not considered.

What Happens After the Pool Fence Is Installed?

The responsibility for pool safety does not end when the fence is installed.

In Victoria, pool and spa owners must register their pool or spa with their local council and arrange for the safety barrier to be inspected by an appropriately qualified inspector.

This can include a registered building surveyor, registered building inspector, registered pool inspector or municipal building surveyor.

Once the barrier has been inspected, the required compliance documentation must be lodged with council.

Pool and spa barriers must also be inspected every four years, with owners responsible for ensuring the barrier remains compliant and properly maintained.

Choosing a Pool Fence Installer in Victoria

When choosing a company to install your pool fence, don’t base your decision solely on the price.

Ask who will actually be carrying out the work and whether they hold the appropriate registration for pool safety barrier work.

A professionally installed glass pool fence should be measured, planned and installed with the relevant Victorian requirements in mind.

At Totally Frameless, we specialise in the supply and installation of frameless glass pool fencing throughout Victoria.

We work with homeowners, builders, pool builders and landscapers to install glass pool fencing as part of new pool and landscaping projects.

From the initial onsite measure through to installation, our focus is on getting the job done properly and leaving you with a finished pool barrier that looks right and performs as it should.

Looking for Glass Pool Fencing?

If you’re building a new pool and need professionally installed frameless glass pool fencing in Melbourne, contact Totally Frameless for a free onsite measure and quote.

Important: The information in this article is general information only and should not be relied upon as legal or building advice. Victorian pool and spa requirements can vary depending on the pool, property and date of construction. Always confirm the requirements applying to your project with the Building and Plumbing Commission, your building surveyor or local council.