Do I need a permit for swimming pool or spa in Unincorporated Arapahoe County?
Yes. In Colorado, swimming pool or spa generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Arapahoe County is no exception.
An in-ground or permanent above-ground pool or spa requires a building permit in essentially every Colorado jurisdiction. Colorado has no statewide building code, so the barrier requirements, including the water depth at which a barrier becomes mandatory, come from the code your city or county adopted. The model figure most jurisdictions work from is 24 inches, so confirm the local rule. Pool electrical bonding and grounding fall under Colorado's State Electrical Board and require a state electrical permit and inspection in addition to the local building permit. In Arapahoe County, permits outside the cities are handled by the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Building Division, reachable on 720-874-6600 at https://www.arapahoeco.gov/your_county/county_departments/public_works_and_development/divisions/building/index.php. Its online permit portal is https://aca-prod.accela.com/ARAPAHOE/Default.aspx. This office covers unincorporated Arapahoe County, and in parts of Colorado one regional building department serves a county and several of its cities at once, so confirm which office covers your address. A pool involves a building permit, a separate electrical permit for bonding, and a barrier inspection before final sign-off.
Documents you may need
- Permit applicationrequired
- Site plan showing pool location, setbacks, and required barrierrequired
- Pool structural and plumbing/equipment plansrequired
- Barrier/enclosure and gate detailsrequired
Possible inspections
- Structural/pre-gunite or shell inspection
- Plumbing and electrical bonding/grounding inspections
- Barrier and self-latching gate inspection
- Final inspection
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for swimming pool or spa in Unincorporated Arapahoe County?
- Yes. In Colorado, swimming pool or spa generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Arapahoe County is no exception. An in-ground or permanent above-ground pool or spa requires a building permit in essentially every Colorado jurisdiction. Colorado has no statewide building code, so the barrier requirements, including the water depth at which a barrier becomes mandatory, come from the code your city or county adopted. The model figure most jurisdictions work from is 24 inches, so confirm the local rule. Pool electrical bonding and grounding fall under Colorado's State Electrical Board and require a state electrical permit and inspection in addition to the local building permit. In Arapahoe County, permits outside the cities are handled by the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Building Division, reachable on 720-874-6600 at https://www.arapahoeco.gov/your_county/county_departments/public_works_and_development/divisions/building/index.php. Its online permit portal is https://aca-prod.accela.com/ARAPAHOE/Default.aspx. This office covers unincorporated Arapahoe County, and in parts of Colorado one regional building department serves a county and several of its cities at once, so confirm which office covers your address. A pool involves a building permit, a separate electrical permit for bonding, and a barrier inspection before final sign-off.
- Who issues the permit in Unincorporated Arapahoe County?
- The local building department for Unincorporated Arapahoe County handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.