Code Corner: 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code Chapter 8: Permanent Inground Residential Pools
The Building Safety Journal’s series, Code Corner, explores sections of the I-Codes each month, focusing on key elements of these essential codes. This month, we’re spotlighting the scope of Chapter 8 of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code: Permanent Inground Residential Pools.
The International Codes® (I-Codes), developed by the International Code Council, are a family of fifteen coordinated, modern building safety codes that help ensure the design and construction of safe, sustainable and affordable structures.
The I-Codes are the most widely adopted set of model codes globally, implemented in all 50 U.S. states and many countries around the world.
The Building Safety Journal’s series, Code Corner, explores sections of the I-Codes each month, focusing on key elements of these essential codes. This month, we’re spotlighting the scope of Chapter 8 of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code® (ISPSC): Permanent Inground Residential Pools.
International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 801.1 Scope
The provisions of chapter 8 of the ISPSC govern permanent inground residential swimming pools. Permanent inground residential swimming pools include pools that are partially or entirely above grade. It covers new construction, modification and repair of these pools.
This chapter does not cover pools that are specifically manufactured for aboveground use and that are capable of being disassembled and stored.
Even though the chapter title and this section imply that permanent residential pools are always “in the ground,” there are some arrangements where permanent residential pools are partially “in the ground,” “on the ground” or even far above the ground. The latter two arrangements are rare as compared to millions of pools “site constructed in an excavation” that have been built and will continue to be built in the future. The possibilities for permanent residential pool designs are endless. This chapter offers the widest latitude for design conceptualization by the future pool owner while at the same time regulating important design aspects for safety in the residential-use environment.
Permanent inground residential pools are not necessarily completely site constructed. They can be fabricated by the manufacturer, in part or whole, brought to the site, and lowered into an excavation or placed in its permanent location. Ancillary equipment packages (filters, pumps, blowers, water features, etc.) can be fabricated by a manufacturer, shipped to the job site and connected to the pool itself.
The key point to make is that even though built in a factory and job-site assembled, permanent inground residential pools are not manufactured with the intent to be disassembled, stored or reassembled elsewhere. Once installed, permanent inground residential pools will be as permanent as any other permanent building structure, until the pool structure is demolished.
To learn more about the Code Council’s ISPSC, click here. To stay updated on the latest PMG industry news, subscribe to the Code Council’s PMG newsletter here.
About the Author
Gary has over 40 years of experience working within the Construction and Plumbing Industry. He is a seasoned Construction Project Manager as well as a Licensed Master Plumber in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
In addition, Gary holds an Unrestricted Construction Supervisor’s License (CSL) within the state of Massachusetts and completely understands the significance of code correlation. Lastly, while working with the International Code Council, he is currently an Adult Educational Master Plumbing & Fuel Gas Instructor and Continuing Education Instructor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Member of the International Code Council PMG Team responsible for developing, coordinating, directing and implementing programs to ensure the successful completion of the Government Relations goals and objectives as they apply to the International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and the International Private Sewage Disposal Code (and related services and programs of the International Code Council).
