Pool fences in Longview: the rules and the prices

Height and gaps

• 48 in minimum, measured on the side away from the pool, all the way around and for 3 ft out from the fence.
• Under the fence: no more than 2 in above grass or gravel, and no more than 4 in above concrete.
• Openings: nothing a 4 in sphere can pass through.
• Footholds: where horizontal rails sit less than 45 in apart, they go on the pool side and the pickets can be no more than 1¾ in apart. Chain link mesh can be no larger than 1¾ in.
• Pool equipment outside the fence has to sit at least 36 in from it, so it cannot be used as a step.

From the model 2021 ISPSC, Sec. 305.2, on the ICC codes site. Longview adopted the 2021 code but may amend parts of it, so confirm details with Building Inspection.

Gates and latches

Pedestrian gates must open outward, away from the pool, close on their own and latch on their own, and take a lock. Utility gates stay locked when not in use. On a double gate, one leaf is fixed in place and the other self-latches. A latch released from outside the fence must sit at least 54 in above the ground at a residential pool unless it is a self-locking type, such as a keyed or keypad lock, which must sit no higher than 54 in; if the only release is on the pool side, it must be at least 3 in below the top of the gate, and the fence within 18 in of it can have no opening bigger than ½ in (2021 ISPSC 305.3).

Self-closing hinges sag over time. Test that the gate swings shut and catches from any angle once a month.

When the house is part of the barrier

Many Longview yards use the back of the house as one side of the pool enclosure. When doors, gates or windows open straight onto the pool area through that wall, the code requires one of several protections. The usual one is an alarm on doors and on windows with sills under 48 in that sounds when they or their screens open, listed as a water-hazard entrance alarm under UL 2017, with the off switch at least 54 in above the floor in most homes. The others are a safety cover listed under ASTM F1346, or another approved means such as self-closing, self-latching doors that protects at least as well (2021 ISPSC 305.4). Separately, a pool with a powered safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 does not have to meet the fence sections at all (2021 ISPSC 305.1). Ask Longview Building Inspection before relying on any of these.

Longview's own fence rules

• Permit: $55 for a fence, $305 for an in-ground pool (2025–2026 fee schedule).
• Height cap: on one- and two-family lots a fence or wall can be up to 8 ft tall (UDC B.4.03).
• Enforcement: leaving an outdoor pool deeper than 12 in without a full fence or wall is a misdemeanor under the city code (UDC Art. F).
• Who answers for it: the city's registered pool contractor is responsible for the fence, gates and alarms passing inspection.

The rest of the permit process is in our Longview permits guide.

What each kind of fence costs

Prices from Fixr (updated January 2025), which puts a typical 100 ft aluminum fence with a self-closing gate at about $6,500. Self-closing gates alone run $200–500.

Common questions