Pool compliance checklist for NSW

Published 16 October 2026

How to use this pool compliance checklist

The NSW Swimming Pool Register published self-assessment checklists for owners, one for each age and type of pool: newer pools, older pools, spas, waterfront properties and so on. Councils still host copies of them. The items below follow the checklist for pools built after 1 May 2013, together with the NSW Government's guide for pool owners.

Older pools may be measured against an older Australian Standard and may have been assessed differently, so a few items can differ for them. Treat this as a list of what a certifier will look at, not as the law in full. The certifier's assessment on the day is what decides whether you get a certificate.

Take a tape measure, a 10 cm block or offcut of timber to use as a gap gauge, and your phone for photos. Walk the barrier from the outside first, then from inside the pool area.

Prefer to go one question at a time? The free pool barrier checker walks you through the same items and gives you a list to fix.

Pool fence: height and gaps

• The fence is at least 1.2 m high all the way around, measured from finished ground level on the outside.
• The gap between the bottom of the fence and the ground is no more than 10 cm anywhere along it.
• Gaps between vertical bars or glass panels are no more than 10 cm.
• Horizontal rails a child could climb are at least 90 cm apart.
• Mesh or perforated panels have holes no larger than 13 mm.
• Any boundary fence that forms part of the barrier is at least 1.8 m high, measured from inside the pool area.
• Panels, posts and spigots are firm, with no loose glass, broken welds or rusted-through posts.

Check the height on the outside at several points on every run. Built-up garden beds, mulch and new paving all reduce the height. The pool fence height guide explains how to measure each one.

Pool gates and latches

• Every gate opens outward, away from the pool.
• Every gate closes by itself and latches by itself from any open position. Test it from fully open, half open and just ajar.
• The latch release is 1500 mm above ground level. That is the register checklist's figure for pools built after 1 May 2013. The Australian Standard allows some other arrangements, so a certifier decides.
• The gate isn't propped, tied or wedged open, and there's nothing that stops it swinging shut.
• The gap under the gate is no more than 10 cm, the same as the fence.

Self-closing hinges can lose tension and gates can drop on their hinges, so a latch that once caught can start to miss. A fencing contractor can adjust or replace hinges and latches. See pool gate repairs.

Non-climbable zone and the area around the fence

• There are no hand holds or foot holds within 900 mm of the top of the fence in any direction on the outside.
• Pot plants, chairs, barbecues, eskies, bins and toys are well clear of the fence.
• Trees and shrubs haven't grown over or along the fence.
• Retaining walls, steps, taps and garden edging near the fence don't give a foothold within the zone.
• The 30 cm strip inside the pool area along the fence is clear.

These are the cheapest fixes on the list, but they have to stay fixed. A barrier has to remain compliant after the certificate is issued.

Doors, windows, the CPR sign and paperwork

• Check whether any door from the house opens straight into the pool area. The NSW Government's guide says doors and windows forming part of the barrier are no longer allowed.
• Note any window that opens into the pool area and point it out to the certifier.
• There is a CPR sign with resuscitation techniques, in good condition and easily readable from 3 m. See the pool CPR sign guide.
• The pool is registered on the NSW Swimming Pool Register. A certificate of compliance can only be issued for a registered pool. See the register guide.
• You have any earlier inspection report, certificate or council notice to hand.
• A spa relying on a lid has a securely fastened, child-resistant lid, grille or mesh.

What happens at and after the inspection

Your council or a registered certifier inspects the barrier. If it passes, they issue a certificate of compliance, which is valid for 3 years. If it doesn't, you get a list of what has to be fixed.

You choose who does the repairs. Repairs over $5,000, including GST, need a tradesperson with a contractor licence. Check it on Service NSW.

Councils publish their own fees. Waverley Council's form, updated 30 June 2026, lists $150 for the first inspection and $100 for each re-inspection. Private certifiers set their own prices. The pool inspection cost guide compares them.

• Selling and the barrier fails: a certificate of non-compliance can go with the contract. The buyer then has 90 days from settlement to fix the listed defects, unless the certificate says the pool is a significant risk to public safety.
• Leasing and the barrier fails: a certificate of non-compliance can't be used to rent a property, so the defects have to be fixed and the pool re-inspected first.

Common questions