Burlington pool enclosure permits · Reformity Inc.Pool Fence Permit in Burlington
Yes. Burlington requires a permit before you install a swimming pool, swim spa or hot tub; pools go through one combined zoning, tree and pool enclosure application, and no water can go in until the fence and gates are inspected and approved.
We prepare and submit your permit drawings to the City of Burlington, then build to the approved plan.
Do you need a permit?
Pool fence permit rules in Burlington.
Burlington folds three approvals into one pool application: a zoning clearance, a tree permit and the pool enclosure permit. Every urban application needs a tree protection plan and inventory covering each tree on the lot and within 6 m of its lines, a long list on mature Roseland, Shoreacres and Aldershot lots, plus an arborist report if access, storage or over-dig reaches a regulated tree's protection zone. Lots under 12 m wide take a pool in the rear yard only, septic lots keep it 5 m from the system, and lakeshore or creek lots may need Conservation Halton approval first. No water goes in until the enclosure passes inspection.
Checked against the City of Burlington's own by-laws and pages in November 2026. Rules change, so we confirm them for your address before we draw.
Permit before you dig
You need a pool permit before installing a swimming pool, swim spa or hot tub; the City requires one for any body of water 600 mm deep. Hot tubs under 8 m² use a separate hot tub application; larger ones need the full pool application.
City of Burlington: pool permitsEnclosure height by type
Detached and semi-detached homes: board, picket or solid-panel fencing, and chain link with links up to 38 mm, at least 1.2 m; chain link up to 50 mm, 1.8 m; wrought iron or metal, 1.5 m. Maximum 2.0 m.
City of Burlington: Swimming Pool By-law 74-2005, s.5.1 (PDF)Self-closing, self-latching gates
Gates need substantial hinges and City-approved self-closing, self-latching hardware, with the latch at the top on the inside. Thumb latches don't qualify. On double gates, one leaf self-latches and the other gets a ground pin and lock. Keep gates locked when unsupervised.
City of Burlington: Swimming Pool By-law 74-2005, s.7 (PDF)Gaps, clearance and distance
Rails under 1.2 m apart: boards outside, gaps up to 38 mm; rails more than 1.2 m apart: up to 100 mm. Max 100 mm under fences and gates. Fence at least 1.2 m from the pool's inside edge. No barbed wire.
City of Burlington: Swimming Pool By-law 74-2005, ss.5, 8 and 11 (PDF)Where the pool can go
Both zoning by-laws: rear yard only on lots under 12 m wide, and 1.5 m from lot lines to the pool's inside wall. By-law 09-2026: not in a front yard or required exterior side yard, and 3 m if the pool is over 1.5 m high. By-law 2020: above- and on-ground pools add their height. Septic system and bed: 5 m from the pool.
City of Burlington: Combined Residential Swimming Pool Application guide, Nov 2026 (PDF)
What the city asks for
The Burlington application.
Issued by: City of Burlington: one Residential Swimming Pool Approval covering the zoning clearance, tree permit and pool enclosure permit (By-law 74-2005), reviewed by Zoning, Building and Forestry staff and coordinated by Community Planning; By-law Compliance inspects the enclosure. We put the package together, submit it and keep you posted.
Documents
- Combined Residential Swimming Pool Application e-form, with owner's authorization if an agent applies
- Legal survey signed by an Ontario Land Surveyor
- Metric site plan to scale: pool size and shape, setbacks, height above grade, equipment, easements, overhead wires
- Fence and gate details: materials, heights, marked self-closing/self-latching
- Tree protection plan and tree inventory; an arborist report where work affects a regulated tree, or a Tree Declaration with a site photo where none is affected
- Site Alteration Permit screening information (part of the e-form)
- Outside approvals if needed: Conservation Halton, NEC, Burlington Hydro, pipeline, MTO
- Developer authorization letter in an unassumed subdivision
How it goes
- 1We measure the yard, confirm which zoning by-law applies, and check setbacks, easements, septic, pipeline and Conservation Halton limits. The City also offers a free pre-application pool fencing consultation (905-335-7731).
- 2We draw the metric site plan on your OLS survey: pool, equipment, enclosure, gates and tree protection. Where a regulated tree is affected, a qualified tree professional writes the arborist report.
- 3We submit the Combined Residential Swimming Pool e-form; staff check it for completeness, then send the file number and the fees.
- 4Zoning, Building and Forestry review the file, and the City issues one approval once all three sign off. A deck, shed or other structure around the pool needs its own separate approval.
- 5We build the enclosure, with approved temporary fencing until the pool's basic construction is done, then request the fence inspection from the by-law officer named on your permit sticker.
- Processing time
- Up to 4–6 weeks for approval at current volumes, per the City; the completeness check alone may take several days. The pool permit stays valid only if work starts within six months of issue and carries on at a reasonable rate; it can be renewed once, for six months, by written request before the first six months run out.
- Inspections
- A City by-law enforcement officer inspects the pool fence and gates; request it from the officer named on the green sticker on your pool permit. No water until the fence and gates, or a hot tub's lockable lid, are inspected and approved; placing water before final inspection may result in a fine. Tree protection stays up for the whole project, and Forestry staff inspect it before it can come down early.
Pool enclosure fence — sheet 1 — Elevation, board-on-board section and post-footing detail. From a real Reformity permit drawing set, client details removed. Click to enlarge.
Pool enclosure fence — sheet 2
Pool enclosure fence — sheet 3
Permit drawings included
We prepare and submit your permit drawings.
Fence elevation, board and post-footing details, gate hardware and a key plan of the enclosure, drawn to the City of Burlington's rules and submitted with your pool enclosure permit application.
- Dimensions to your lot lines
- Materials, sizes and spacing
- Footing and base sections
- Code notes for the inspector
Fencing · real projects
Recent fencing jobs in and around Burlington.
Real Reformity jobs from our project files. Customer addresses are never published.
Burlington pool fence permit FAQ
Quick answers.
Yes. The City requires a permit before you install a hot tub or swim spa. A unit under 8 m² uses the separate Hot Tub Application, with a site plan showing either a lockable lid or compliant fencing and self-closing, self-latching gates; larger units go through the full combined pool application. Under the Pool By-law, a hot tub installed entirely above ground with a substantial cover, permanently fixed and locked when not in use, may count as the enclosure. No water until the lid or fence is inspected and approved.
Yes, if it meets By-law 74-2005. A house wall must be at least 1.2 m high with no ledge or step closer than 1.2 m to the ground, and any opening giving direct access to the pool area stays locked when the pool isn't supervised. A boundary fence used as the enclosure must meet the height and gap rules for its type, and if it's the only pool fence, the pool owner builds and maintains it. Fencing built to a registered subdivision agreement's specifications is deemed to comply.
In the urban area, every Burlington pool application needs a tree protection plan with a tree inventory table. An arborist report from a qualified tree professional is also required if any construction activity, including access, material storage or over-dig, enters the minimum tree protection zone of a regulated tree (such as a tree of 20 cm DBH or more on private land, or any public tree) on your lot, on public land or within 6 m of the property, or if a regulated tree will be removed. Removed trees are replaced 2:1 to 4:1 by size, or paid for as cash-in-lieu. A rural pool-only project needs no arborist report.
Send the form on this page or call 437-241-6287. We reply within one business day, visit to measure, prepare the drawings for the City of Burlington, submit the application and give you a fixed written price for the work.
Let us handle the Burlington permit.
We measure, draw it to the City of Burlington's rules, submit the application and build to the approved plan. One business-day reply.
More in Burlington
Guide: Pool Fence Bylaws in the GTA: Height, Gates & Self-Latching Rules (2026)