Land & Building Experts

Residential swimming pools are a common feature used today to extend the living area of the house beyond its walls. A pool requires a pool fence enclosure and a Building Permit is required for the construction of a pool enclosure fence on private property in the City of Mississauga. If the pool depth (body of water) is more than 0.61 m (2 ft), then the City of Mississauga requires the homw owner to install a pool enclosure fence prior to filling the pool. This applies to inflatable pools and manmade ponds as well in the City of Mississauga. 

City of Missisuga's Zoning By-laws help guide development and protect the rights of residents of Mississauga. Having vast experience in municipal engineering design, we offer effective, innovative, and cost-efficient Pool Enclosure (Pool Fence) Drawings and Site Grading Plans to obtain swimming pool permit from the City of Mississauga. Our team's proficiency in conceptualizing designs and plan in accordance with our clients' requirements has made us very successful. Our licensed professional engineers prepare thorough, detailed, and clear Pool Enclosure Permit Drawings and a Site Grading Plans to suit your needs while also adhering to design requirements of the City Mississauga and submit to the City of Mississauga for review and approval to obtain site plan approvals and building permits.

 A Swimming pool is a permitted accessory use to most residential properties within the City of Mississauga. A swimming pool is defined in the City of Mississauga's zoning by-law as being a body of water located outdoors contained wholly or partly by artificial means and which can hold water exceeding 0.61 m in vertical depth at any point and shall include a hot tub.

The regulations within subsection 4.1.4 of Zoning By-law 0225-2007 of the City of Mississauga outline the general regulations (e.g. setbacks) applicable to a swimming pool.

An outdoor swimming pool in the City of Mississauga is subject to the following regulations:

• no part of an outdoor swimming pool is permitted in a front or required exterior side yard
• an outdoor swimming pool shall be set back a minimum of 1.5 m from all lot lines, measured from the inside wall of the outdoor swimming pool

Most of today's outdoor pools require external mechanical components to operate.

City of Mississauga - Zoning By-law 225-2007 - Subsection 4.1.6 - External Heating, Air Conditioning, and Pool Heating/Filtering Equipment)

External heating, air conditioning and pool heating/filtering equipment may be located in any required yard, other than the front yard, provided it is located no closer than 0.61m away from any lot line.

If it is determined that the outdoor swimming pool is located on a property adjacent to a greenbelt zone, additional setback restrictions will apply. Firstly, it must be determined what type of Greenbelt zone the property is adjacent to - a base greenbelt zone (ie. G1, G2) or a greenbelt exception zone (ie. G1-1, G1-2 etc.).

Section 4.1.8 - Minimum Setbacks to Greenbelt Zones

4.1.8.1 The minimum setback for all buildings, structures, parking areas and swimming pools in Residential Zones to all lands zoned G1 or G2 Base Zone, shall be the required yard/setback of 7.5m. (0179-2018)

4.1.8.2 The setback for an outdoor swimming pool shall be measured from the inside wall of the swimming pool to a G1 or G2 Base Zone or a G1 or G2 Exception Zone. (0179-2018)

If you are installing an above-ground or in-ground swimming pool, hot tub or swim spa in your backyard you'll need to submit documents to the City of Mississauga and pay a fee before starting work.

If your property is located on conservation lands, you will also need written permission from the Credit Valley Conservation-CVC or the Toronto and Region Conversation Authority-TRCA to install your pool, hot tub or swim spa.

You may be asked by the City of Mississauga to submit additional documents such as a tree removal permit, and/or a park access permit, if required.

Lot grading is the slope of the ground on your property. The swimming pool site plan must show the current lot grades, elevations, drainage, and any proposed changes.  

If you need to store construction equipment, machinery or materials on a road, sidewalk, or City of Mississauga owned land during construction, you will need to apply for a road occupancy permit.

Submit the following documents to the City of Mississauga in PDF format.

• One scaled, legible drawing of the hot tub, swim spa, or swimming pool site plan. Hand drawn sketches will not be accepted.
• An original statutory declaration signed by the property owner(s) and a lawyer or notary public
• A swimming pool enclosure inspection request, valid for one year from the application date and pay the pool enclosure inspection fee of $308^+HST
• A survey of your property, which accurately reflects all existing fencing, structures and easements within the property boundaries is required

Email bylaw.enforcement@mississauga.ca attaching all required documents.

In the subject line of your email note the municipal address / Swimming Pool

e.g. (123 Any Street / Swimming Pool)

The original signed Swimming Pool Enclosure Inspection Request and Statutory Declaration must be mailed together with a cheque in the amount of $348.04 ($308^+hst) for payment of the swimming pool enclosure inspection fee to:

Compliance & Licensing Enforcement

City of Mississauga

300 City Centre Dr.

Mississauga ON L5B 3C1

A Statutory Declaration is a written declaration or statement of facts which a person swears, affirms, or declares to be true in the presence of an authorized witness. City of Mississauga's staff may not commission this declaration and therefore the person must seek other individuals who are authorized to administer oaths -usually a Commissioner of Oaths, Notary Public, lawyer, or a Justice of the Peace.

The City of Mississauga will only accept an ORIGINAL signed copy of the Statutory Declaration. The person who is authorized to administer oaths (e.g. lawyer) must stamp the document and clearly provide their contact information.  The ORIGINAL signed Statutory Declaration for Swimming Pool Installation must be submitted with all other required documentation.

Once your site plan is approved, the City of Mississauga will contact you to schedule a pre-construction meeting at your property about the proposed location of your pool.

Before the Cityof Mississauga's  inspectors arrive, make sure the proposed location of your pool is marked (staked-out) with spray paint or stakes where the walls of the pool enclosure and any pool equipment will be.

 If any changes have been made between when you submitted your site plan and the inspection, you will need to submit a revised site plan before installing your pool.

You will receive an email from the City of Mississauga letting you know that everything is in order. Then you can pay the development and construction inspection fee of $300 plus HST and the refundable deposits mentioned below:

• Municipal services protection deposit of $500 for above-ground or $1,000 for in-ground or on-ground pools
• Lot grading deposit of $5,000 for in-ground or on-ground pools (if there will be changes to the lot grading)

You can pay your fee and any applicable deposits as one certified cheque or bank draft. Once your deposits are paid, you will receive an email notice within a week from the Development Construction Inspector indicating when you can start construction. While you install your pool and enclosure, make sure that:

• No changes are made to the site plan
• Existing lot grading and drainage patterns are maintained
• Municipal property (which includes roads, boulevards, sidewalks, easements and City-owned land) are free of equipment, debris and mud

Before you fill your pool for the first time, call 905-615-4311 to arrange a final pool enclosure inspection.

Our fee to prepare

➢ a new survey of your property by an Ontario Land Surveyor, accurately

reflecting all existing fencing, structures, and easements within the

property boundaries

➢ One scaled site plan showing

• the shape and size of the lot
• the dimensions of the yard
• house location with municipal address
• proposed swimming pool with elevations, set-backs to property
• line and all accessory structures (sheds/cabanas/detached garages)
• and or pool equipment-the shape, location and overall dimensions,
• including the width of the coping to be around the pool(if proposed).
• distance from the dwelling to the closed inside wall of the pool
• existing and proposed landscaping such as gardens, grassy areas,
• retaining walls, etc., with height and setback from the property line.
• all hard surfaces such as decks, patio stones, interlocking brick, etc.,
• include elevations and size (provide dimensions in brackets) and setbacks
• to property lines
• all easements and right-of-and their widths
• existing and proposed fence with self-closing gate location(s)
• construction access
• existing and proposed grading:
• the current lot grades, elevations, drainage, and any proposed
• changes, including existing and proposed grading elevations at
• various points throughout the backyard property, including points
• along the property lines
• street trees and adjacent parkland/greenbelt if applicable

is $2,985^+HST.

When the inspection is complete and the enclosure is approved, the inspector will sign a final swimming pool enclosure approval form and give you a copy. The City of Mississauga will also mail you a certificate of approval.

After the pool has been installed, the enclosure is approved and any landscaping and sodding is complete, email twdevcon@mississauga.ca to request a lot grading and municipal right-of-way inspection.

If the landscaping and sodding is not completed before your inspection, you will have to reschedule and pay an additional inspection fee of $290^+HST.

After both inspections are complete and you receive the certificate of approval, the City of Mississauga will mail you a cheque for your refundable deposits. Refunds normally take about four weeks to process.

If required,

• Final updated survey to include the installed swimming pool and the final grading would cost $495^+HST.
• Stamped Engineering Final Lot Grading Certificate would cost $295^+HST.

If construction of the pool will affect the neighbour's property, such as damaging sod with heaving equipment, removal of existing fencing between the two properties etc., the municipality may require a signed permission letter from the neighbour prior to construction, and a signed acceptance letter once all of the work is completed. Take photos of the existing conditions of any municipal property and adjacent neighbour’s property prior to the construction of the pool to protect from potential liability should any damage of municipal or private property be identified upon completion of construction of the pool.

If the property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, a heritage permit may be required. This is an additional process that will impact timelines. The pool permit approval may be delayed should additional approvals from other agencies be required (i.e.Conservation Authority, Regional Municipality, Hydro One etc.). A copy of their approval or permit is required to be provided to the municipality prior to the enclosure permit can be approved.

Regardless of whether or not it is believed that the utilities may be affected, the Ontario Health & Safety Act (OHSA) mandates to locate and mark buried utilities before excavating. 
 
Overhead electrical wires are not permitted directly above open pool water. Ensure that a licensed electrician installs all electrical connections to a pool or pool-related equipment. An electrical inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is a required part of the process. Keep electrical devices, such as radios, electric lawnmowers and trimmers well away from the pool. Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires all outdoor electrical outlets to have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) which can prevent or minimize shocks caused by faulty equipment.

Discharge from pool equipment must not affect neighbouring lands No person shall backwash or drains a swimming pool in a manner that adversely affects any adjacent land.  When a swimming pool is drained, it is customary to use a pump, and the water should be disposed by means of a discharge hose to the gutter or ditch in front of the property or into the Municipal Storm Drainage System, being careful to ensure that the water flows away harmlessly.

Hoses or running water should not cross a neighbour’s property without first having permission from the neighbours themselves.  When completely draining a swimming pool, it is important not to utilize too powerful a pump as large amounts of water are involved. Too much water at any one time will cause problems. A little forethought, and careful disposal of the pool water, will maintain good relationships in the neighbourhood.

Local municipalities regulate the size of the swimming pool and where on the property it can be built. Before planning to build a swimming pool, please check with the local municipal zoning department for required setbacks, lot coverage restrictions, easements and other requirements that pertain to construction of a swimming pool. A legal survey will have easements clearly marked.

A setback is a distance that must be maintained from the property line that cannot be built upon. Setbacks act as buffer zones to help alleviate development problems such as being too close to the adjacent neighbor. A proposed swimming pool that encroaches into a property setback will most likely need a minor variance application to obtain a pool enclosure permit. Designated sections of land set aside for the purposes of maintaining proper water tables, water run off, drainage, flood control and for protected areas. The municipality and the conservation authorities may require a pool to be located away from a watershed area. If the property does not have municipal services, in determining the placement of a pool, the septic system must remain serviceable and able to be replaced in the future.

While a swimming pool is being installed, it is a requirement that temporary swimming pool fencing be installed and maintained, preventing unauthorized access to the swimming pool site. Every swimming pool while under construction shall be enclosed with a temporary swimming pool enclosure until such time as construction of the swimming pool is completed and a swimming pool enclosure has been erected. 

When planning to install a swimming pool, it is important to investigate insurance responsibilities. Most insurance companies recommend that the liability insurance on a property be increased when a swimming pool is installed.

Where a main building forms part of the swimming pool enclosure, the main entry into the building shall not be located inside the swimming pool enclosure.

Where a building or structure forms part of a swimming pool enclosure, no window or other opening shall open into the area enclosed by the swimming pool enclosure unless such window or opening is capable of being securely closed and latched.

Every gate in a swimming pool enclosure shall be self closing and shall be equipped with a lockable self-latching device located on the top interior side of the swimming pool enclosure. Such gates shall not have any member or attachment that would facilitate the climbing of the gate and shall be supported on substantial hinges. The minimum height of any gate or entry shall be 1.2m. Swimming pool enclosures shall be constructed as follows:

• 1.5 m high Chain link fences must be constructed of not greater than 40mm diamond mesh.
• A wooden fence shall conform to the following:
          vertical boards shall be spaced not more than 38mm apart where rails are spaced closer than 1.1m and not more than 100mm where rails are spaced at least 1.1m apart.
          vertical boards shall be of not less than 19mm x 89mm lumber and shall be attached to rails that are not less than 38mm x 89mm in size. The rails shall be supported on substantial posts with a minimum dimension of 89mm x 89mm spaced not more than 2.4m apart and imbedded to a minimum depth of 900mm below grade.
• FENCE SPIKES are not permitted for use with wooden fence posts.
• Wrought iron or similar fencing must be a minimum height of 1.5m with vertical members spaced no more than 100mm apart. A 0.3m x 0.3m plate must be provided over the gate latch to prevent access to the latch.

Where a swimming pool enclosure (pool fence) or temporary enclosure is a building, accessory building or structure, it shall be constructed of materials that will withstand weathering and will remain in place when reasonable loads are applied. No swimming pool enclosure or temporary enclosure shall have any unprotected openings that would permit the passage of a sphere larger than 100mm in diameter within or below the enclosure. No swimming pool enclosure or temporary enclosure shall have any members or attachments that could facilitate climbing on the exterior face of a swimming pool enclosure or temporary enclosure for a distance between 100mm and 1.2m from the grade. No condition that facilitates climbing a swimming pool enclosure or temporary enclosure may be permitted to remain within 1.0m of the exterior of the swimming pool enclosure or temporary enclosure. No part of a Swimming Pool Enclosure shall contain barbed wire, electrical wire, sharp objects or materials, or any other objects or materials that would create a danger to the safety of any persons.

The exterior side of the above-ground swimming pool structure and any rail or guard attached thereto shall constitute a swimming pool enclosure. The owner of an above-ground swimming pool shall ensure that the means of entry within the swimming pool enclosure shall be kept closed and locked except when the swimming pool or enclosed area is in use by the owner, it's invitees or licensees. Where such means of entry is a ladder, the ladder shall be removable from the vicinity of the swimming pool or be designed to be lifted and locked or be designed to have a lockable cover when the swimming pool is not in use.

The exterior sides of the above-ground swimming pool structure and the outside face of any rail or guard shall be constructed as a swimming pool enclosure, in a manner that will not facilitate climbing.

Where a platform or deck is constructed adjacent to an above-ground swimming pool and such platform or deck is higher than 0.6m above the adjacent grade, a rail or guard of not less than 0.9m in height shall be provided around the outside perimeter of such deck. The combined height of the exterior sides of the swimming pool structure and any rail or guard attached thereto shall be a minimum of 1.5m and may be a maximum of 2.5m in height above the adjacent grade.



Deck Permit
The required deck permit drawings showing

•     Details of footings, including footing size, spacing, depth, height above grade and frost protection details.
•     Sizes and locations of all columns; sizes, locations and spans of all beams
•     Stair Construction Details, including height and depth of stair treads and headroom above stairs (where applicable)
•     Guard Construction Details, including information about openings and climbability, and the location of the guards with respect to stairways, landings, and edges of the proposed platform

would cost $795.

Retaining Wall Permit:
Any retaining wall over 0.9m high shall be structurally engineered except that in geotechnically sensitive areas, the Chief Building Official may require a Geotechnical Engineer to design and inspect the method of retention. Structural engineering permit drawings for retaining walls would cost $795.

Geo-technical report to establish the native soil depth and bearing capacity:
The municipality may require to provide a Geo-technical Report once the pool area is excavated to verify the placement of the pool will be on undisturbed native ground. It might be prudent to establish the native soil depth and bearing capacity prior to entering into a contract with the pool company to determine the necessary founding levels. If required a Geo-technical report to establish the native soil depth and bearing capacity would cost $975.

Title Search
If a Title Search is required for the purpose of determining easements or other encroachments, it would cost $95.

General Review

We also provide general reviews of the construction to determine whether the construction is in general conformity with the plans and other documents that form the basis for the issuance of a building permit.

We charge $195 per site visit for general review and $275 per review report. All general review reports will be forwarded promptly to the Chief Building Official.

To reduce energy costs associated with the pool:

• Install Energystar certified variable speed pool pumps. Keep intake grates clear of debris as clogged drains require the pool pump to work harder.
• Utilize fencing, hedges and other similar landscaping to act as a windbreaker to reduce heat and water loss by sheltering the swimming pool from prevailing wind.
• Use a solar pool cover when the pool is not in use.
  
• Use solar pool heater. For extended periods of cloudy and cooler weather, configure system with supplemental heat pump or gas/propane pool heater. Strategically set the temperature of the pool based on the usage. The most healthful swimming temperature is 25ºC. If the swimming pool is being only used during the weekends, reduce swimming pool heater thermostat settings by 5ºC to 8ºC during the week or turn off the swimming pool heater  during the week. A solar pool heating system cannot heat during the night or a cloudy day and takes twice the time it takes the gas heater to heat the pool. Heat pumps make the same amount of noise as central air conditioners, and run continuously for hours at a time. Solar pool heating systems make no noise like gas pool heaters.    
• Install a cartridge filter or a robotic cleaner instead of a sand pool filter. Circulate water through a pool filter only once per day during off-peak hours when hydro rate is lower. To obtain maximum filtration and energy efficiency, regularly clean the pool filter.

Fiberglass swimming pool is lighter, easy to maintain and Algae won’t stick to smooth, nonporous fiberglass swimming pool walls. Porous rough gunite (dry mix concrete) and shotcrete (wet mix concrete) pool walls are can be a breeding ground for algae and require regular scrubbing.

To reduce use of chlorine, bromine, salt and other pool chemicals, UV and ozone systems can be used along with a sanitation and chemical systems. Properly maintained swimming pools are not a source of West Nile Virus. 

Site Access

A huge factor in the construction cost and time of an inground swimming pool project is site access. Rural area lots, corner lots, and lots backing onto an open property have wide open access areas to the swimming pool area. Site access area wider than 2.75m and higher than 4m would allow to use a small loader to move the excavated material to the dump truck. If the access area is wider tha 1.75m and higher than 3m, it would allow to use a mini-excavator and a small loader or conveyor belt system. It is possible to install a swimming pool in a yard with no access by using a very large crane and special attachments.

During the construction of the swimming pool, to place construction or landscaping materials on the street a Road Occupancy Permit is required.

Cost

Typically an inground swimming pool costs $15,000 more than an above-ground swimming pool. A fully equipped and installed heated inground swimming pool with a heater, solar blanket and roller, automatic cleaner may cost over $35,000 and larger swimming pool may cost over $65,000. Fiberglass swimming pool typically costs about $6,000 more than a vinyl liner swimming pool. Gunite/shotcrete swimming pool costs $6,000 to $10,000 more than a fiberglass swimming pool.

Having vast experience in swimming pool design, we offer effective, innovative and cost efficient concept designing, design detailing and construction drawings to our clients. Our team's proficiency in conceptualizing swimming pool designs and plan in accordance with our clients' requirements has made us very successful.



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