Swimming Pools | City of Steinbach

The City of Steinbach’s Swimming Pools By-Law and the National Building Code of Canada (Manitoba Amendments) apply to all private swimming pools as defined in the City By-Law and Building Code.

Both the By-Law and the Building Code define a private swimming pool as, “a body of water located outdoors which is partly or completely below grade or is completely above grade, contained in part or in whole by artificial means, in which the depth of the water at any point can exceed twenty-four inches and is used or capable of being used for swimming.”

Swimming Pools By-Law Booklet - Swimming Pools Construction Specifications

Do I need a fence around my pool?

All pools capable of holding 24 inches of water must be enclosed by a fence.

Although pool advertising and packaging may indicate that a pool is less than 24” deep, many still have the capacity to hold 24” of water and children are at risk to drown.
Many pools have features, such as inflatable ring edges, that allow the depth of the pool to increase beyond 24” and should be included in any pool’s depth measurement.

Fences around a pool must:

Have a minimum vertical height of 5 feet and a maximum vertical height of 6 feet, 6 inches;
Have no openings larger than 4 inches through which a child could crawl;
Be maintained in good repair;
Be constructed of vertically boarded wood or chain-link;
Built in such a way as to not facilitate climbing;
Be located no less than four feet from the pool; and
Be located not less than four feet from any condition that would facilitate climbing.

Any gates must be self-closing and self-latching, meaning the gate closes automatically without the aid of a push or pull from a person; must be at least five feet in height; and must be equipped with a lockable latch to prevent unauthorized entry.

Do I need a permit for my pool?

All pools capable of holding 24 inches of water require a City permit.

Permit Process

To obtain a permit you need to:

Apply for a building permit by following the "Obtaining a Permit" instructions on our Building Permits & Resources webpage.
Provide permit payment. Permits start at $67 and are based on overall cost of the project (cost to construct the pool and fence). Payment can be made
1. as outlined on the Building Permits & Resources webpage;
2. at City Hall by debit, cash, or cheque;
3. or by mail to City of Steinbach, 225 Reimer Avenue, Steinbach, MB, R5G 2J1.
A City Building Inspector will review your permit application and contact you with any questions or concerns and/or give approval to build your enclosure, conditional on a post construction inspection.
Once the enclosure is built, request an inspection through Cloudpermit to have it inspected by a City Building Inspector.
Upon final approval of enclosure, your pool can be filled with water.

Does the Swimming Pool By-law apply to hot tubs?

The Swimming Pool By-Law does not apply to a hot tub installed outdoors at a single-family dwelling where:

The hot tub does not exceed 2.4 metres in diameter or 4.65 m² in total surface area.
The hot tub has a cover that has structural strength to support the weight of an adult walking across the top of the cover and is capable of being locked in the covered position.

By-Law Violations

If you are in violation of the City’s Swimming Pool By-Law, you are required to drain the pool immediately until such time as an enclosure is built in accordance with the by-law.

Constructing a pool within the City of Steinbach without obtaining or possessing the proper building permit(s) could result in a fine of $200.

Constructing a pool without the proper enclosure surrounding the entire swimming pool could result in a fine of $200.

Furthermore, installing and using a hot tub without the proper lockable cover or the proper enclosure could result in a fine of $200.