Permits
Pool permits and engineering in Scottsdale
Your builder normally pulls the permit, but it helps to know what the city wants so you can spot a shortcut.
This is an independent referral guide. It connects homeowners with independent providers and may receive compensation. It is not a licensed contractor and it does not do the work.
What the city lists
The City of Scottsdale says a pool permit is required to install a pool, and that the permit covers the pool itself plus related electrical and plumbing work. Its pool page lists two complete sets of pool structural plans, two sets of structural calculations, and a completed pool and spa permit application. Its plan submittal page adds that no pool permit will be issued without an existing permitted residence. Sources: swimming pools page and plan submittal requirements.
The site plan checklist
- Dimensioned setbacks from property lines, easements, and the house
- The access route to the pool area
- A staging area for materials
- NAOS, if the lot has any
- Native plants, if any
- Pool fence location and height
A fence permit is required for new fences, and the city says pool plan approval will not happen until the accompanying fence or wall plan is approved.
NAOS and the ESL overlay
If a property is zoned Environmentally Sensitive Lands and its Natural Area Open Space has not been dedicated, the city says it may be necessary to dedicate NAOS before a permit is issued. That can affect where a pool fits, so ask early if your lot is in north Scottsdale or near the preserve.
Barrier notice and construction fencing
Scottsdale's amendments to the pool code require construction fencing at least 60 inches high around an inground pool site from excavation until the permanent barrier is finished. They also require the pool contractor to give the owner written notice of the barrier rules before construction. Source: Scottsdale amendments to the 2021 pool and spa code.
Keep reading
Questions on this service
Do barrier rules apply if no children live here?
Yes. The city says there are no exemptions for households without children.
Who checks the license?
You can. Look up any builder on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website before you sign.
Tell us about the yard
Say which part of Scottsdale you are in, how big the backyard is, and whether you have an HOA or a NAOS easement.