Glass pool fences in Queensland: what to look at

QBCC says glass in a pool fence must be reinforced glass with no signs of fracture, and it names four problems that come up on glass fences: an accessible ledge of more than 10 mm on the outside, a gap under the glass of more than 100 mm at stairs, a panel that is too low at stairs, and panels that have moved or come loose as the ground shifts. The pages we read give no glass thickness and say nothing about spigots or clamps, so for the fixings on your own fence ask your contractor and a licensed pool safety inspector. A licensed inspector decides.Source: QBCC, Pool fences (page reviewed 12 May 2025), read 5 Nov 2026.

What QBCC says about the glass itself

• The panels must be made of reinforced glass and must not show signs of fracture.
• There must be no accessible ledge of more than 10 mm around the outside of the barrier. QBCC says you can avoid ledges by attaching panels to the outside face of the fence base, known as pin-fixed or face-fixed panels, and that these should be a minimum of 900 mm long on each side of any climbable object.
• Everything else that applies to any pool fence applies to a glass one: at least 1200 mm high, no gap under it of more than 100 mm, and a clear zone either side. Our guide to measuring a pool fence shows where each measurement is taken, and the non-climbable zone guide covers the 900 mm and 300 mm zones.

Four things to look at

1. Ledges on the outside

Run your hand along the outside of the barrier at the bottom and at any fixing. QBCC's limit is an accessible ledge of no more than 10 mm. A ledge gives a child a foothold.

2. A gap under the glass at the stairs

QBCC says no pool fence may have a gap under the bottom of more than 100 mm, and that with glass panels it is a common problem to have gaps at stairways greater than 100 mm. Look at each step where the panel follows the stairs.

3. A panel that is too low at the stairs

The fence must always be at least 1200 mm high, measured at right angles to the finished ground level or solid stable surface. QBCC says that for stairs you measure from the top of the stair tread nosing straight up to the top of the fence, at a right angle to the nosing. QBCC also has a short video on measuring barrier heights at stairs, linked from its pool fences page.

4. Panels that have moved

QBCC says glass panels can move out of position or be dislodged when the ground or foundation moves with the weather. Check the joins, and shake the panels to make sure they are firmly in place and have not dropped so that they reduce the fence height. A panel that has dropped may now be under 1200 mm, or may have opened a gap under it.

QBCC's maintenance check, as it applies to glass

QBCC asks you to check every section of the fence, and says to make sure:

• it is rigid and strong, and every part is held in place securely with screws or permanent fixtures;
• it has no holes or gaps greater than 100 mm in any direction;
• no glass panels are loose or broken;
• no part of the fence can be bent or moved.

The gate in a glass fence follows the same rules as any pool gate. See gate and latch rules.

What the pages do not say

QBCC's pool fences page gives no glass thickness, no limit on how far a panel may move and nothing about spigots or clamps. The Queensland Government says every pool barrier must meet Queensland Development Code MP 3.4, Swimming pool barriers, which calls up and modifies Australian Standard AS 1926 (2007). That is where the technical detail sits, and we have not copied it. If you are choosing glass for a new or replacement fence, ask the contractor which standard the fixings are built to, and ask a licensed pool safety inspector. See hiring a pool fence contractor.

If a panel needs replacing

• The Queensland Government says a damaged or missing part must be replaced, and a new replacement barrier must meet the current standard.
• It says you do not need approval if the barrier meets the pool safety standard and any other building standard that applies, and the fence is no higher than 2 m. See repairing or replacing a pool fence.
• QBCC says that to replace a whole barrier you must first have a licensed pool safety inspector issue a nonconformity notice, and that work valued at $3,300 or more needs someone with the right QBCC licence.
• Parts shops sell hardware, not glass fences. For latches, hinges and signs, see where to buy pool fence parts.

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.