Pool deck gate lock rules in Ottawa?

Under Ottawa's Pool Enclosure By-law 2013-39, every gate in a pool enclosure must have three things: a self-closing device, a self-latching device positioned at least 1.35 metres above the bottom of the enclosure, and a lock. The gate must be kept closed and locked at all times except when the pool area is in use.

Those three requirements apply to every gate, including any gate built into a deck structure that forms part of the pool enclosure. The self-latching device's height, 1.35 metres from the bottom of the enclosure, is the figure the by-law sets.

The by-law also sets rules for the enclosure the gate sits in. Every enclosure must be at least 1.5 metres high, openings must prevent the passage of a 100 mm sphere, and nothing on the exterior face of the enclosure between 140 mm and 900 mm above the bottom may facilitate climbing. Those enclosure rules shape what the gate itself can look like, since the gate is part of the enclosure.

A few things are worth confirming with the City's Building Code Services before you build or modify anything. Whether a deck guard can serve as the pool enclosure is not settled: a deck guard built to the 2024 Ontario Building Code can be as low as 900 mm on a deck not more than 1 800 mm above grade, while the pool by-law requires 1.5 metres. The heights and the no-climb rules differ, so confirming with the City before relying on a deck guard as the pool barrier is the right step. Every pool enclosure, including a replacement, requires a pool enclosure permit, which the City's fee schedule sets at $257.

If the deck giving access to the pool is detached, self-supported and greater than 10 square metres, the City's Pool Enclosures page says it also requires a separate building permit. The building permit fee for that deck follows the City's general construction formula: $12.75 per $1,000 or part thereof of the assessed value of the work, with a minimum of $117.

Hot tubs fall under the same by-law. An enclosure is required around a hot tub unless it has a safety cover capable of supporting a 90 kilogram load, permanently attached and locked whenever the hot tub is not in use. The City says a pool enclosure permit and inspection are still required even with a compliant cover.

Before anyone digs for a footing or post to support a gate or enclosure, a locate must be requested through Ontario One Call at least five business days in advance. It is free and required by the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012.

When you get quotes for this work, ask each builder to show you exactly which line items, gate hardware, enclosure framing, permit drawings, removal of any existing structure, and the foundation, are included in the price and which are not.