How to measure your pool fence
QBCC says a pool fence must be at least 1200 mm high at every point, measured from finished ground level at a right angle to the ground, with no more than a 100 mm gap between the ground and the bottom of the barrier. Climbable objects should be kept at least 900 mm from the outside of the fence and 300 mm from the inside. A licensed inspector decides.Source: QBCC, Pool fences (page reviewed 12 May 2025) and Non-climbable zones (page reviewed 15 May 2025), read 31 Oct 2026.
What you need
A steel tape measure, a straight piece of timber or a spirit level to hold against the fence, a pen and your phone for photos. Two people make it easier. Write down where each measurement was taken and the date, so you can take the same measurement again after a repair.
Measure the height
- Stand the tape on the finished ground (or the stable surface under the fence) and run it straight up, at a right angle to the ground, to the top of the fence.
- The reading should be 1200 mm or more. QBCC says the fence must be built on stable, solid ground.
- Do it at several places along the whole fence, and at the ends of each gate. On a slope or steps, QBCC says the fence must be at least 1200 mm high at every location, so the lowest point is the one that counts.
Check again after landscaping. The Queensland Government says a barrier can end up under 1200 mm when garden beds or ground levels rise.
No charge to run the self-check. It is not an inspection.
Measure the gap under the fence
Measure from the finished ground to the bottom of the barrier. QBCC says the maximum gap is 100 mm. The same limit applies to holes in the fence itself: no holes or gaps greater than 100 mm in any direction. A tape against a straight edge laid on the ground shows dips that a quick glance misses.
Stairs and steps
QBCC says that at 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, and the 1200 mm minimum applies. QBCC gives this in its glass panel section and notes that gaps at stairways are a common problem for glass, so look there first.
Fences that move or sink
QBCC says to check that panels are firmly in place and have not shifted or dropped below the height they were built to, and to check gates after heavy impacts. A fence that measured 1200 mm last year can measure less now, so measure again before each inspection.
Measure the zones around the fence
QBCC says to move climbable objects at least 900 mm away from the outside of the fence and 300 mm away from the inside. Measure from the fence along the ground, and look up as well as across, because overhanging branches count. QBCC lists furniture, barbecues, pot plants, rockeries, garden beds, steps and ledges, air-conditioning units, taps and pipework as things that can be climbed. See non-climbable zones and boundary fences.
A measuring log
| Where | Measure | QBCC's number |
|---|---|---|
| Fence, every few metres and at the lowest ground | Height, straight up from the ground | 1200 mm or more |
| Bottom of the fence | Gap from the ground | 100 mm at most |
| Stairs and steps | From the tread nosing to the top of the fence | 1200 mm or more |
| Outside the fence | Distance to the nearest climbable object | 900 mm or more |
| Pool side of the fence | Distance to the nearest climbable object | 300 mm or more |
Gate and latch heights are measured differently, so they are on their own page. The full set of rules is in pool fence requirements, and the whole list of things to look at is the pool safety checklist. An inspector may measure differently or find things you missed, which is why only a licensed inspector decides.
How this page was made: the PoolPreCert team read each page listed under Sources on 31 October 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.
Record your measurements
Use the PoolPreCert self-check to record each measurement with a note and a photo, and mark each check Looks OK, Needs attention or Couldn't check.
No charge to run the self-check.
Common questions
How high does a pool fence have to be in Queensland?
QBCC says at least 1200 mm, measured from finished ground level to the top of the fence, at a right angle to the ground or stable surface under the fence.
Where do I measure on a slope or steps?
QBCC says that on sloping or stepped sites the fence must be at least 1200 mm high at every location, so measure at several points and take the lowest.
How big can the gap under a pool fence be?
QBCC says the maximum gap from finished ground level to the bottom of the barrier is 100 mm. It also says there should be no holes or gaps greater than 100 mm in any direction in the fence.
Where do I measure at stairs?
QBCC says that at 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, and the 1200 mm minimum applies.