New Pool Clearances

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Beach Snoopy

New member
Aug 29, 2023
4
Va
I’ve read/scanned through most of our (Virginia) pool code and can’t seem to find a couple clearances. Just starting research on an inground pool. First how far is a pool supposed to be from a house wall?

And we have underground power lines and I just had them marked, how far does the pool wall need to be from a power line? Looking like I need to move our pool design over about two feet to clear the line by 6”. Can’t tell if that is enough looking through the codes I found. Underground fiberglass is what we are considering.
 
Welcome to TFP!!! :shark:

Distance requirement from pool to house can be anywhere from 5-25' The most common local or state requirement is 10' Check your local building regulations and zoning laws.

The NEC covers the powerline distance...

680.10 Underground Wiring Location. Underground wiring shall not be permitted under the pool or within the area extending 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside wall of the pool unless this wiring is necessary to supply pool equipment permitted by this article. Where space limitations prevent wiring from being routed a distance 1.5 m (5 ft) or more from the pool, such wiring shall be permitted where installed in complete raceway systems of rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, or a nonmetallic race-way system. All metal conduit shall be corrosion resistant and suitable for the location. The minimum cover depth shall be as given in Table 680.10.

 
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PoolStored said:
The NEC covers the powerline distance...

680.10 Underground Wiring Location. Underground wiring shall not be permitted under the pool or within the area extending 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside wall of the pool unless this wiring is necessary to supply pool equipment permitted by this article. Where space limitations prevent wiring from being routed a distance 1.5 m (5 ft) or more from the pool, such wiring shall be permitted where installed in complete raceway systems of rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, or a nonmetallic race-way system. All metal conduit shall be corrosion resistant and suitable for the location. The minimum cover depth shall be as given in Table 680.10.

https://www.nespapool.org/Portals/0/08_nj_nec_electrical_code.pdf
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Snoopy - You should check your local codes for the electrical as well. Note that while the NEC lists the above, your local codes may be more stringent.

Also should be noted that the link posted is from the 2008 revision of the NEC. The most current is 2023. Not all places may have adopted the latest version, but I would bet nobody is still using 2008.

--Jeff
 
Turbo1Ton said:
Also should be noted that the link posted is from the 2008 revision of the NEC. The most current is 2023. Not all places may have adopted the latest version, but I would bet nobody is still using 2008.
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Great catch. Here is 2020. There are no changes to 680.11 for 2023.

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What are the underground electric lines? Underground primary, service lines going to your house meter? If it is one of the above you’ll need to check with the local electrical utility. They likely have an easement they’ll want you to stay out of.
 
Our entire pool had to be redesigned when the city changed their requirement for overhead power line clearance on the pool so if you have any overhead power or service lines make sure you check those too.

For closeness to house it’s a foundation issue - ours was to be 4’ away and we needed an engineering study that concluded it was too close and moved it to 5’. The digging crew refused to dig that close to house without sign off
 
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So first, this is not in the easement! They just threw down the lines apparently but I don’t want to spend two years fighting them.

So say I want to be closer than 5 feet, guessing this means they have to dig up and cover the line w said coverings? Can this be done over a line without splicing it also? And this is a main neighborhood power line that runs through our yards.
 
Your best best it to check directly with your city or county building department and the electric utility. They would have the current requirements for any distance from the house, perimeter or utility lines.

The easement map you have may not be correct or hasn't been updated with what is actually in the ground.
 
I’d be shocked if you had a buried power line that was not already in conduit

Call your power company and ask them?
 

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Ps - a main line they should come out and not only mark for free but mark how close you can get. To get a pool permit (if your city or county requires one) you may even need their approval
 
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Well … i will admit my experience is not all encompassing 😂

To me burying a main power line for the neighborhood I don’t see how they would have run just cable but /shrug

Only a call to power company will find out for sure
 
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The house is 30 years old. Thanks for the replies, I’ll call the power company and see if they know if in conduit and how far they say to be away. So far I’ve heard 3-5 feet from one company and 5 feet from another. I’d like to be 2 feet if not an issue.
 
It’s both a safety issue and a maintainance issue - if the power company has to service the line and there is an easement on it they will trench right thru whatever they have to in order to get to the line. 5’ on either side is usually an easement we see around here for power lines for example ….
 
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BDY said:
a maintainance issue
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Goodness, what a great point.

Even if the pool was 5 ft away, if they ever needed to get to that wire they'd be destroying your patio. I always felt terrible tearing out somebody's garden or retaining wall that they built over the easement, and did my best to put it back nicely, but was under zero obligation to do so, and i was not a landscaper or mason, so I only did it *so* well.

Pay them to move it free and clear away from the area.
 
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Beach Snoopy said:
So first, this is not in the easement! They just threw down the lines apparently but I don’t want to spend two years fighting them.

So say I want to be closer than 5 feet, guessing this means they have to dig up and cover the line w said coverings? Can this be done over a line without splicing it also? And this is a main neighborhood power line that runs through our yards.
Click to expand...
There is a good chance at some point a person who owned your property signed a general easement for the electric utility. We just had new power lines run on our road to provide three-phase service to a factory 5 miles away. They put the lines on the opposite side of the road from where they were due to a creek that had cut some poles out of the ground. People were up in arms, but the utility had easements from the REA days for all of the properties.
 
Still no real world answer. I think I hit the unicorn question. :( ….I have a question into our city permit dept to get a clear answer….days ago w no response. Seems no one wants to answer this question w showing me a clear state or federal code. Sad. I don’t know who to ask or start to ask at our power company but I’m afraid they won’t be real world, they will just say 30’ or something crazy. And got my first quote for a very small fiberglass pool at $70K…. No way in heck am I paying that for a pool, people are out of their mind. Anyone know of a pool company in North Carolina that will install in Virginia? 🤣😂
 

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