All pools over 24 inches high that hold more than 5,000 gallons or more of water and have a surface area of 150 square feet require a building permit in Virginia.  

The electric line from the garage to a GFCI outlet near the pool was buried in this 18-inch-deep trench.

Linda Ash with her impulse buy — a 48-inch-high above-ground pool that was installed in late August.

All pools over 24 inches high that hold more than 5,000 gallons or more of water and have a surface area of 150 square feet require a building permit in Virginia.  

The electric line from the garage to a GFCI outlet near the pool was buried in this 18-inch-deep trench.

Linda Ash with her impulse buy — a 48-inch-high above-ground pool that was installed in late August.

The summer of 2022 forever will be known in my house as the summer of blood, sweat and tears — three months governed by a spur-of-the-moment decision in June followed by hot, humid days and vexing bug bites that left a trail of bloody scratch marks all over my legs and arms.

The summer started off great. My daughter and I got our garden in and then we began working on two new flower beds in our backyard. On a trip to Costco, an above-ground pool that we had admired on previous visits went on sale for $499. Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to cool off this summer in a pool? What fun, we thought — instead of hiding from the heat indoors we could be outside, ladies of leisure, floating around in our pool with a cool drink in hand. We left without it, but over the next few days the idea of owning a pool had taken root and without thinking it through or figuring out all of the costs associated with a pool, we went back for it.

The pool box was big and heavy — it contained a 12-foot-wide, 22-foot-long, 48-inch-high soft-sided steel-frame above-ground pool. Two store employees barely got it into the car for us.

I drove around with that pool in a box for weeks. Now that we had bought it, reality slapped us. Just how were we going to put it up? How much more was it going to cost? The more we researched, the more I thought about returning it. Fear had me paralyzed. June soon became July, and the heat made our decision for us — the pool goes up. We moved the pool in a box into the garage, where it would sit through the end of August.

Finding someone to install the pool was difficult. I made calls and sent emails to pool companies and the only response I got was a recording from one company that said they were booked up through next year. What did I expect? It was the middle of a hot, humid pool season.

The more we watched installation videos, the more we knew we needed help. But before we could start work, we had to figure out where to put the pool, obtain a building permit and get electricity to the pump.

The state building code requires a building permit for swimming pools that are 24 inches or more deep, hold more than 5,000 gallons of water or have a surface area larger than 150 square feet. The pool also has to have a barrier to prevent young, unsupervised children from entering it. At first glance, the barrier requirements are overwhelming. What did we get ourselves into? We read and reread information provided by our county’s government website as well as other sites and our anxiety grew.

Our backyard is fenced, but one side had panels that needed to be replaced. Our gate did not open away from the pool and it did not self-lock or self-close. The doors and windows on our house did not have alarms installed. Those are just some of the safety features listed as barrier requirements.

We pushed on, figuring we would tackle one issue at a time. We printed and filled out the permit application from the county’s site and added a pool manual and sketch of our property to the application. The sketch showed the location of the pool and how far it would be from our house and property lines. We submitted our permit request on July 5, heard that it was approved on July 14, and attended a meeting at the county Building Inspections Office the following week. I paid the $51 permit fee and went home to make calls to have our fence fixed and looked for someone to prepare the ground for the pool. I also called two electricians for estimates on installing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet near my deck for the pool filter.

What I discovered during my research is that leveling is the hardest part of installing a pool — the ground has to be level so that the pool water is evenly distributed. I read that any more than 2 or 3 inches out of level could damage the pool. My anxiety level over this pool went sky-high when I thought about more than 6,000 pounds of water gushing out of a split seam because it had not been leveled properly.

I found someone to remove grass from the pool area and then someone else to do the leveling. What surprised me was that he had to dig about 8 inches down in front of my deck to make the entire area level. Using a shovel and a long level, it took him about three days to finish up. He also removed the rest of the grass and some twigs and stones that could damage the pool liner. The cost for ground preparation, fence and gate repairs, and materials was around $1,600.

Another major issue with the pool that I worried about throughout July and most of August was how to get electricity from the garage to the pool filter. I did not want to use an extension cord. The filter manual advised not to use one, and I didn’t think it would be up to building code. I wanted the GFCI outlet on a post next to the deck.

What shocked me was the cost. The first estimate I received was nearly $3,000, and that included the county electric permit fee and inspection but not the cost of digging a trench for the electric line from the garage to the deck. The second estimate was lower, just under $2,000, and it included the permit fee and inspection. It would cost an additional $800 for them to dig the trench.

I ended up saving $800 by digging the trench myself. Big mistake! The trench for an electric line has to be 18 inches deep. I had a metal shovel, a plastic trowel, and some cheap shears to cut tree roots. It took me three days to dig a 21-foot-long trench, and now, one month later, I am still limping after injuring my right knee while working on the trench.

Before the electricians arrived, my daughter and I set up the pool so they would know where the pool filter would go. We put down a large tarp and then an oval pad to protect the pool liner. Installation was fairly easy and took the two of us just a few hours. We had planned to put mason sand under the pool but decided against it. The sand would make a softer floor, but it could shift or wash out. We also had to set some 1-inch deep cement pavers into the ground under each pool leg so they would not shift or sink into the ground after heavy rain.

I've already mentioned barriers and some of the requirements to keep children safe. We fixed our fence and changed our gate to swing outward, be self-closing and self-latching, but we did not have to add window and door alarms because our pool is 48 inches tall. The pool itself can be considered the barrier as long as it is 48 or more inches tall around all sides of the pool. There should be nothing close to the pool that a child can stand on to be able to enter the pool, and the pool ladder has to have safety features like locks or gates to prevent a child from climbing in, or a ladder that can be removed when the pool is not in use.

To be honest, I was nervous the day the inspector visited. He looked over the pool, tested the electrical outlet and checked the breaker box. Then he gave me a card that said we had passed the inspection.

I waited for him to leave before I did my limping version of a happy dance!

After the inspection, we set up the filter and solar heater and began to fill the pool. It took about two days. I was a bit anxious as I watched the water rise. When it was at capacity, I walked around the pool and was pleased to find no major issues with the leveling. It was only off about a half inch in one small area of the pool.

I have not received the water bill, but called our provider and was told it would be about $60 extra for the 6,000 gallons of water for the pool. The chemicals we bought to open the pool included water test strips, chlorine tablets, shock, PH down and a bottle of scale, metal and stain control. We've ordered a better water test kit and so far have spent around $200 on that and a brush.

So, just as other area pool owners were thinking about closing their pools for the winter, we took the plunge and opened ours on Aug. 28 — a lot later than what we had hoped, but we’ll swim until it gets too cold. We still have much to learn about pool maintenance and water chemistry, but thankfully there are a lot of resources online to help us with that.

Next summer, I am looking forward to being a lady of leisure, floating around in my pool with a cold drink in hand.

Linda Ash is a retired newspaper editor. Email: linda@nvdaily.com

• There are plenty of pool installation videos online as well as information about pool maintenance and the chemicals needed for safe swimming. There’s also support online through Facebook groups. Find them by searching for groups on pool maintenance, pool groups or the name of your pool’s manufacturer, such as Intex, Coleman or Bestway. 


• Check with your county or city building inspections department for details on building and electrical permits as well as barrier requirements. 

• Building inspections: https://www.fcva.us/departments/building-inspections


• Swimming pools building permit application requirements: https://www.fcva.us/home/showpublisheddocument/12134/637660887583730000

• Residential pools, spas, and hot tubs barrier and safety requirements: https://www.fcva.us/home/showpublisheddocument/22672/637660252477730000

• General pool and barrier requirements: https://www.fcva.us/home/showpublisheddocument/1300/637661021227570000

• Building inspections: https://shenandoahcountyva.us/building-inspection/

• Residential pool application package: https://shenandoahcountyva.us/building-inspection/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/04/Residential-Pool-Application-Packet.pdf

• Building inspections/permits: https://warrencountyva.gov/government/county-departments/buildinginspections

• Building/electrical permits: https://warrencountyva.gov/departments/buildinginspections/permits-a-fees

• Requirements for outdoor pools: https://www.winchesterva.gov/sites/default/files/documents/inspections/Pool-pamphlet.pdf

• Building department: https://www.clarkecounty.gov/government/building-department


• Building permit for swimming pools (scroll down the page): https://www.clarkecounty.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9031/637872535308400000

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