Swimming Pool Regulations and Setbacks in the City of Mesa

Swimming pools and other bodies of water within the City of Mesa must be located a minimum of four feet from any property line, measured from the water’s edge. The City of Mesa strictly prohibits the installation of swimming pools within any required front yard or within a side yard required for vehicle access. Any pool or container with a depth of 18 inches or more or a width exceeding eight feet must be secured by an enclosure that complies with the City of Mesa Building and Residential Codes [Section 11-30-11].

General Standards for Swimming Pools

The City of Mesa classifies any body of water as a swimming pool if it reaches a depth of 18 inches or more at any point or is wider than eight feet at any point. These structures are subject to specific placement and safety standards to protect the public health and safety of City of Mesa residents [Section 11-30-11(B)].

Location and Setback Requirements

The City of Mesa regulates the placement of swimming pools through the following mandatory setbacks and location restrictions:

Regulation Category	Requirement
Minimum Setback	4 feet from the water's edge to any Lot Line
Front Yard Restriction	Prohibited in any required Front Yard
Side Yard Restriction	Prohibited in Side Yards required for vehicle access
Landscape Areas	Prohibited in required landscaped areas
Bed & Breakfast Inns	20-foot separation from abutting Single Residence lots

These standards apply across various districts, including the City of Mesa Agricultural (AG) District, Residential (RS) Districts, and Downtown Residence (DR) Districts [Section 11-30-11(A); Section 11-31-8(B)(3)].

Security and Enclosure Regulations

All swimming pools in the City of Mesa must be secured from unauthorized access. The property owner is responsible for ensuring that an enclosure is provided in accordance with Title 4 (Mesa Building Code) or Title 3 (Mesa Residential Code) of the Mesa City Code [Section 11-30-11(C)].

For specific uses such as Large Day Care Group Homes, the City of Mesa requires a six-foot-high solid opaque fence or wall to be provided between all outdoor play areas and adjacent properties to ensure safety, though this does not apply within the required front yard [Section 11-31-13(D)].

Lot Coverage and Building Calculations

When determining the allowable development for a parcel in the City of Mesa, swimming pools and hot tubs that are not enclosed in roofed structures or decks are excluded from "Building Coverage" calculations [Section 11-2-3(J)]. Additionally, for the purposes of calculating "Lot Coverage," the City of Mesa excludes swimming pool areas, provided they are not covered by a roof or similar structure [Chapter 87, Definitions].

Special Use Standards

The City of Mesa applies more stringent standards for swimming pools when they are part of a commercial or semi-public operation:

Bed and Breakfast Inns: Outdoor facilities, specifically including swimming pools, must maintain a minimum separation of 20 feet from any abutting Single Residence lot [Section 11-31-8(B)(3)].
Public and Semi-Public (PS) District: Pools and their associated structures within the PS District must adhere to the supplemental standards in the general development regulations [Table 11-10-3].

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