Swimming Pool / Spa Permit in Avondale, Arizona

Avondale requires a swimming pool / spa permit for: Site plan required showing pool and equipment placement, water depths, and distances to property lines/buildings from all sides of the pool; provide engineering plans or pool standards if not already on file; Waterline to rear/side property line minimum 3 feet; waterline to pool equipment minimum 5 feet; pool walls/bond beam may not be located within a recorded easement without written, recorded approval of the easement holder; Front-yard pools are not allowed; side-yard pools are allowed; decking and equipment are allowed within easements; Grounding required for any metal within 5 feet of the waterline; Gas pool heaters must be at least 5 feet from any window (0 feet from the property line is permitted); Pool walls must be engineered to resist all imposed loads, including adjacent foundations; Barrier (fence) minimum height 5 feet (60 inches, per the City's ISPSC Section 305.2.1 amendment); single gates must be self-closing/self-latching and swing outward from the yard/pool area; double gates must be padlocked; additional requirements per A.R.S. § 36-1681; Prefabricated above-ground pools under 18 inches deep and 5,000 gallons or less are exempt from a permit (IRC/IBC 105.2 amendment); all other pools require a permit. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Avondale Development Services Department — Building Services Division at 623-333-4000 before starting work.

$110.00 for an above-ground pool, $653.00 for a standard (pre-approved plan) in-ground pool, or $785.00 for a non-standard (custom) in-ground pool, per the City of Avondale FY2026 Rates and Fees Schedule.

Avondale's published plan-review target for a swimming pool / spa permit is 16–24 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Site Plan / Engineering Plans or Pool Standards. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Avondale requires 3 inspection(s) for a swimming pool / spa permit, in order: Underground/Soils, Fence (Barrier), Final Building. Schedule each through City of Avondale Development Services Department — Building Services Division (623-333-4000).

Apply through City of Avondale Development Services Department — Building Services Division at 11465 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale, AZ 85323. Phone: 623-333-4000, email: buildingservices@avondaleaz.gov. Office hours: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Building Services Division, per the City's Building Services Division page); City Hall / Development Services counter hours are Monday–Thursday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM per the City's Contact Us footer (City Hall operates a compressed 4-day, 10-hour workweek). Applications are submitted electronically via the Avondale Citizen Portal (Accela Citizen Access). Building Official: Benjamin Carr (bcarr@avondaleaz.gov), per the 2025 Arizona Building Officials (AZBO) Directory.. Official information: https://avondaleaz.gov/government/departments/development-services/building-division/.

Avondale, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The City of Avondale independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Development Services Department / Building Services Division; it does not defer permitting to Maricopa County. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page (avondaleaz.gov/government/departments/development-services/building-division/).; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments. Effective January 1, 2026 (per the City's 'Current Adopted Building Codes (effective January 1, 2026)' list). Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page; City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document ('Building-Code-Adoption-Final.pdf').; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page; City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document.; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted with City of Avondale amendments (note: electrical code cycle is one edition behind the 2024 ICC set), effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page; City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document (Avondale Amendments to the 2023 National Electrical Code).; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026, including a burial-depth amendment to G2415.12/IFGC 404.12 and added stub-out/push-to-connect-valve provisions (P2605.1.1, P2605.1.2). Source: City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments, effective January 1, 2026 (Manual J design criteria: elevation 1,101 ft, latitude 34°, outdoor summer design dry-bulb 108°F, outdoor winter design dry-bulb 33°F). Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page; City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document.; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted by reference, effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page.; 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted by reference with City of Avondale amendments (including an amended barrier-height provision requiring a minimum 60-inch/5-foot barrier height, up from the model code's 48 inches), effective January 1, 2026. Source: City of Avondale Building Services Division page; City of Avondale Building Code Adoption ordinance document (Avondale Amendments to the 2024 ISPSC, Section 305.2.1); City of Avondale Swimming Pool Requirements handout (rev. 10.26.2023).; All work must be performed by a contractor licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC), unless the property owner qualifies as an owner-builder under A.R.S. § 32-1121 (Building Permit Application, Standard Conditions and Applicant Certification, rev. 05.06.2026). Source: City of Avondale Building Permit Application.. Local amendments apply — see the Avondale overview page for the full list.

A minimum of 60 inches (5 feet) above grade for the entire perimeter, per the City's amendment to ISPSC Section 305.2.1 — higher than the 48-inch model-code baseline.