A pool fence installer's checklist for Queensland

QBCC and the Queensland Government set the same core measurements for any new or repaired pool fence: at least 1200 mm high at every point, no gap under it of more than 100 mm, no holes of more than 100 mm in any direction, a 900 mm non-climbable zone outside and 300 mm inside, and a gate that opens away from the pool and self-closes and self-latches from any open position. This checklist follows the order of the job. A licensed pool safety inspector decides whether the finished fence meets the standard, not the installer.Source: QBCC, Pool fences (page reviewed 12 May 2025), Non-climbable zones (15 May 2025) and Gates, latches and hinges (30 Aug 2021), read 5 Nov 2026.

1. Before you quote

• Licence. QBCC's fact sheet on fence builders says the class you need depends on the material, and lists the swimming pool classes (pool fences only), structural landscaping (trade) and the builder classes among those that allow fences. Work valued at more than $3,300 needs the appropriate licence. The fact sheet shows no review date and its file name carries July 2019, so check your class with QBCC on 139 333.
• A whole new barrier. QBCC says an owner who replaces a whole pool fence must first engage a pool safety inspector, who gives a Form 26 nonconformity notice that says what has to be done. Ask the owner whether they have one, and expect the same inspector to return within 3 months to inspect the finished work.
• Approval. The Queensland Government says a new replacement fence needs no approval if it meets the pool safety standard and any other building standard that applies and is no higher than 2 m above the ground. If any part is more than 2 m from the ground it cannot be within 1.5 m of a boundary. QBCC says replacing fences on buildings other than houses or townhouses needs building approval.
• A shared boundary fence. QBCC says the pool owner pays the full cost where the work is needed for the pool fence to meet the pool safety laws. If the owner cannot or will not talk to the neighbour, they must give a Form 39 notice at least 14 days before starting work, or at least 1 month before if the neighbour also has a pool. QBCC says your access to the neighbour's land must be reasonable, for example between 7am and 7pm.

2. Ground and footings

• QBCC says the surface under a fence must be solid. Sand or garden mulch is easily moved by young children, who can make a gap of more than 100 mm to crawl under.
• QBCC says the ground or foundation can move with the weather, and that glass panels can shift or drop when it does. See glass pool fence checks.
• Every part must be rigid and held in place securely with screws or permanent fixtures, and no part of the fence can be bent or moved.

3. Height and gaps

• The fence must be at least 1200 mm at any location, measured at right angles to the finished ground level or a solid, stable surface. On stairs, measure from the top of the tread nosing at a right angle to the nosing.
• There must be no gap under the bottom of more than 100 mm, and no hole or gap of more than 100 mm in any direction.
• QBCC says raised garden beds can lower the effective height, and suggests removing beds within 900 mm, lowering surrounding ground or raising the fence. How to measure on a slope or at steps is in how to measure a pool fence.

4. Rails and the non-climbable zone

• There must be at least one gap of 900 mm or more between rails, measured from the top of one rail to the top of the rail below. Where the outside rails are at least 900 mm apart, vertical elements such as posts, slats or wires can be up to 100 mm apart.
• Where outside rails are closer than 900 mm, QBCC gives two options. Fit a timber wedge of at least 60 degrees to the top of the rails and keep the palings less than 10 mm apart. Or build the fence more than 1800 mm high, put the non-climbable zone on the inside measured from the top, and keep tables and barbecues out from under it.
• At a corner with another fence, QBCC says to check both barriers, and gives fitting a timber wedge to each rail for at least 900 mm from the corner, inside and outside, as a fix for timber paling fences.
• Clear zones: 900 mm outside and 300 mm inside. QBCC says an object that cannot be moved can be shielded with flat polycarbonate sheeting or similar, vertical palings or a fillet at 60 degrees or more. See the non-climbable zone guide.

5. Gates, latches and hinges

• The gate must not open towards the pool, must be self-closing and must self-latch from any open position.
• An outside latch must be at least 1500 mm from the ground, measured to the underside of the latch-release handle, and 1400 mm above the top of the highest lower horizontal member.
• An inside latch must be at least 150 mm below the top of the gate (or any hand-hole) and covered with a 450 mm-radius shield with no gaps of more than 10 mm within it.
• There must be no gap of more than 10 mm around the latch handle.
• Hinges that jut out more than 10 mm can be climbed. They must be at least 900 mm apart, from the top of the lower hinge to the top of the upper one, or the lower hinge needs a 60-degree safety cap.

QBCC says anyone who props a pool gate open, or otherwise interferes with a barrier so it no longer meets the standard, commits an offence under the Building Act 1975. More: gate and latch rules.

6. A boundary fence or a building wall as the barrier

• A boundary fence can serve as the barrier if it is at least 1200 mm high, non-climbable on the outside and has no accessible climbable items within 300 mm on the inside. Also check it cannot be climbed from the neighbour's side.
• A wall of a building on a common boundary can serve if it is at least 1200 mm high and non-climbable on the outside. QBCC says you may need a separate fence where any part of the wall does not meet the standard.

7. Temporary fences

QBCC says a temporary fence can be used for up to 3 months if a building certifier or pool safety inspector has inspected and approved it, and that longer needs their written permission. If you take sections out during a repair or replacement, a temporary fence must be installed while they are out.

8. Handing over

• Tell the owner what to keep clear from now on: furniture, barbecues, pots, planters, toys and plants that a child could climb. The zone is the owner's to keep clear after you leave.
• Tell them the gate must never be propped open, and to check the self-closing and latch after knocks or a kicked ball.
• Your work is not an inspection. The owner books a licensed pool safety inspector. QBCC says an inspector should not certify a barrier they repaired themselves unless the repairs were minor repairs, so if you hold both a fence licence and an inspector licence, a different inspector should inspect your fence.

Where PoolPreCert fits

QBCC's register already gives most licensed fence contractors a listing in the pool fence contractor directory. There is no charge to claim it. A person checks every claim against QBCC's own search. Homeowners who check their own pool can ask a listed contractor for a repair quote, and you can read the For fence contractors page for what that looks like. Your checklist here is not a certificate: a licensed inspector decides.

How this page was made: the PoolPreCert team read each page listed under Sources on 5 November 2026 and wrote this in plain words. The dates beside each source are the dates those pages show. PoolPreCert is not part of QBCC or the Queensland Government, and only a licensed pool safety inspector decides whether a pool meets the standard.