Pool permits in O'Fallon, IL

The City of O'Fallon Community Development Department, through its Building & Inspections Division, issues the combined residential building and zoning permit for a pool, reviews plans, and does the inspections. Public sidewalk pre-inspections go through the Engineering Department.

Permit from

City of O'Fallon

Permit fee

0.4% of value ($50 min.) + $35 zoning

Pool fence

48 in. minimum

Permits an inground pool needs in O'Fallon

• Residential building and/or zoning permit (check 'Swimming Pool/Hot Tub/Swim Spa' on the application) from City of O'Fallon. Required for any pool, spa or hot tub that can hold more than 24 inches of water. Submit with: a professionally drawn site plan to scale; a working-plan checklist (bonding layout, structural steel layout for concrete or shotcrete pools, barrier details including gate swings and latch heights, equipment cut sheets, and locations of UL 2017 door and window alarms); and the signed Homeowner Acknowledgement Form, without which the permit cannot be issued.
• Electrical permit from City of O'Fallon. A separate electrical permit is used when the work is electrical only. Pool wiring and bonding must be shown on the pool working plans.

Pool fence and barrier rules in O'Fallon

• Fence height: At least 48 inches tall, measured on the side facing away from the pool (city information sheet; 2021 ISPSC 305.2.1).
• Gates: Under the adopted 2021 ISPSC 305.3: pedestrian gates open outward away from the pool, are self-closing and self-latching, and can take a lock. A non-locking latch release reached from outside must be at least 54 inches above the ground at residential pools. O'Fallon's amendment adds that utility or service gates must be self-closing and self-latching and stay locked when not in use.
• Doors and windows from the house: UL 2017 alarms are required on doors and on windows with a sill below 48 inches that give direct access to the pool through the house wall (2021 ISPSC 305.4). The city's checklist requires alarm locations on the plans, and the acknowledgement form requires all UL 2017 pool alarms to be installed.
• Also required: Openings must not let a 4-inch sphere through (city information sheet). O'Fallon amended ISPSC 305.1 so only spas and hot tubs with a lockable ASTM F 1346 cover are exempt from barrier rules. The model code's exemption for pools with a powered safety cover is not in O'Fallon's version. A temporary barrier is required as soon as the pool can hold 24 inches of water, even during construction. Existing barriers are not grandfathered and must be brought up to current code.

Pool permit fees in O'Fallon

Swimming pools: $50.00 minimum, or 0.004 x value of construction, plus a $35.00 zoning fee for in-ground and above-ground pools (Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2010). Re-inspection $50.00.

How far a pool must be from property lines

Pools, hot tubs and spas are treated as accessory structures under zoning. Per the city information sheet: at least 3 feet from side and rear property lines (5 feet in the RR district); at least 60 feet from the front property line; 25 feet from the side property line on a corner lot. All structures together may cover at most 30% of the lot. Check for overhead power lines.

Inspections

1. Schedule all inspections at 618-624-4500 ext. 4 with at least 24 hours notice. Requests made by 10:00 a.m. are usually done the same business day.
2. The general residential list includes public sidewalk pre-inspection (Engineering, ext. 3), footing, rough-in (electrical, plumbing), and final. A pool-specific inspection sequence is not published.
3. Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy before the pool is used (Homeowner Acknowledgement Form).

Other things to know before you dig

• The Homeowner Acknowledgement Form makes the owner ultimately responsible for finishing the permit. Permits are valid for 180 days, and final inspections plus a Certificate of Occupancy are required before using the pool. Failing to comply can bring a civil citation.
• Silt control must be up and maintained throughout construction until permanent erosion control is established.
• Any damage to city infrastructure must be reported to Public Works right away and repaired at the owner's or applicant's expense.
• The pool site plan must show the barrier and all gates, retaining walls, equipment, diving boards, ladders, lighting, the equipotential bonding grid, overhead and underground utilities, easements, and finished grading with drainage direction.
• Fences 6 feet or shorter do not need a permit; fences over 6 feet do (city fence information sheet). The city suggests checking HOA restrictions.
• Staff check floodplain status on each application.
• Illinois state law (220 ILCS 50/4): anyone excavating, homeowners included, must notify JULIE at least 2 and no more than 10 days before digging, not counting weekends, holidays or the day of the call. Pre-mark the dig area. Call 811 or (800) 892-0123; the city's fence sheet also lists J.U.L.I.E. at 1-800-892-0123. Source: Illinois General Assembly, 220 ILCS 50.
• The Illinois Department of Public Health's swimming facility permit does not apply to a backyard pool. The Illinois Swimming Facility Act excludes pools at private single-family residences used only by the owner and guests (210 ILCS 125/3.01). Source: Illinois General Assembly, 210 ILCS 125.

Codes in use

2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with local amendments, 2021 International Residential Code, and 2020 National Electrical Code (City Code § 150.01, amended by Ord. 4348, 11-17-2025). Note: the city's pool information sheet (April 2021) still cites the 2018 ISPSC; the current code adopts 2021.

Who to contact

• City of O'Fallon Community Development Department, Building & Inspections Division

  Building and zoning permit, plan review, inspections, 618-624-4500 ext. 4

Sources

Checked against these official sources in October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the permit office before you sign a contract or break ground.

• Residential Construction / Home Improvement Permit (City of O'Fallon)
• Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs, and Spas Information Sheet IS-1 and Working Plan Requirements (July 2021) (City of O'Fallon Community Development Department)
• Swimming Pool Permit Homeowner Acknowledgement Form (updated February 22, 2022) (City of O'Fallon)
• Application for Residential Building and/or Zoning Permit (updated 1-29-26) (City of O'Fallon Community Development Department)
• Building Permit Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2010) (City of O'Fallon)
• Required Inspections (updated February 27, 2014) (City of O'Fallon)
• Fences, Walls, and Hedges Information Sheet IS-2 (City of O'Fallon Community Development Department)
• Code of Ordinances, Ch. 150 Building Regulations (§ 150.01 adoption) (American Legal Publishing (City of O'Fallon, IL Code))
• Code of Ordinances, § 150.12 Swimming Pool and Spa Code Amendments (American Legal Publishing (City of O'Fallon, IL Code))
• 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, Chapter 3 (Section 305 barriers) (ICC)
• 220 ILCS 50/4, Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act (Illinois General Assembly)
• 210 ILCS 125/3.01, Swimming Facility Act (swimming pool definition) (Illinois General Assembly)

Pool permits nearby in St. Clair County

• Belleville, IL