How the inspection and certificate are issued
Use the self-assessment checklists below to check your pool or spa barrier before your first inspection. This helps you understand the rules and reduce the number of inspections needed. If you have not had one before, our guide to what a pool inspection is sets out what the inspector checks and why.
Book your pool inspection
One of our registered inspectors will call you back.
Register your pool or spa
Your pool or spa should be registered with your local council. If it is not, contact your local council first.
Book an inspection with us
Book an inspection with our registered pool inspectors and get your certificate — often on the same day.
Lodge your Form 23
Lodge the Certificate of Barrier Compliance (Form 23) with your council, generally within 30 days of issue.
Self-assessment checklists
Choose the checklist that matches when your pool or spa was installed. Each one is the official Victorian Building Authority (VBA) checklist. Work through it before your inspection to find and fix any issues early.
Want a plain-English summary first? Read our pool barrier & fence inspection guide for the full Victorian compliance checklist and how your Form 23 certificate works.
First, work out which checklist applies to you
All three checklists above look similar, and picking the wrong one is the easiest mistake to make. The date your pool or spa was installed decides which set of rules your barrier is judged against — not the date you bought the house, and not the date the fence was last replaced. If you are not sure of the date, these are the places it is usually found:
- Your council's pool and spa register — the registration record carries the date and is the quickest source.
- The original building or pool permit, if you or a previous owner kept it.
- A property file request from your council, which usually holds the permit history.
- The pool builder or installer, if the pool is recent enough that they are still trading.
Still unsure? It is a normal question and we work it out on the day. The rules that follow from each date are set out on our pool fence height rules page.
What to look for, by when your pool was installed
The six checks in the next section apply to every pool. These are the things that differ between the three bands — the points where owners in each group are most often caught out. Walk your own fence with the list that matches your pool.
Installed before 8 April 1991
- Find the date first — a pool this old often predates the paperwork. A council property file, an old building permit, or the original pool builder's invoice will settle it.
- Look for sections that have been replaced since. A rebuilt run of fence or a new gate is judged by the rules that applied when that work was done, not by the pool's original date.
- Check the boundary fence carefully. On older properties the back or side fence often doubles as the pool barrier, and that is where the height question usually arises.
- Expect the inspector to ask what has changed. Honest answers here save a second visit — an undocumented repair is not a problem, an unmentioned one can be.
Installed between 8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010
- This is the biggest group in suburban Melbourne, and the standard changed during the period — so the year within this band matters, not just the band itself.
- Windows and doors opening into the pool area are the common surprise here. If a door from the house opens straight into the pool enclosure, it forms part of the barrier and is assessed as such.
- Check what has grown, not just what was built. Trees and shrubs planted after the fence went up are the most frequent new fail on a barrier that passed before.
- If the pool has changed hands, do not assume the previous certificate still describes the barrier. Decking, paving and landscaping all change the ground level the height is measured from.
Installed from 1 May 2010
- The most demanding of the three bands, and the one most owners assume applies to everyone.
- Newer pools usually fail on maintenance rather than design — a hinge that has loosened, a latch that has worn, a gate that no longer closes from every position.
- Check the gate from a half-open position, not just from wide open. A gate that latches when swung hard but not when nudged is a fail, and it is the single most common one.
- If the barrier is glass, check the fixings and the gap at ground level. Panels are rarely the problem; what holds them and what sits under them usually is.
Prepare for your pool fence inspection
Before we visit, a quick self-check of your pool fence can catch the most common fails early — and often means your fence passes first time. Walk around your pool and check:
- The gate swings shut and latches on its own from any position — and nothing is propping it open.
- There is no gap bigger than 100mm anywhere — under the fence, between the bars, or beside the gate.
- The fence is at least 1200mm high the whole way along.
- Nothing climbable sits within 900mm of the outside of the fence — pots, chairs, a BBQ, the pool pump or low branches.
- The fence and gate are in good repair — no loose panels, missing pickets or worn latches.
- A CPR sign is displayed near the pool or spa.
For the full detail on each of these, see our pool fence inspection page, the pool fence requirements, and the pool gate & latch guide.
Ready for your inspection?
- A thorough on-site inspection of your pool or spa barrier to the Australian Standard.
- A clear written report with photos and explanations.
- Your Form 23 Certificate of Barrier Compliance once no repairs are needed.
To schedule an inspection, call 0423 090 211 or send us your details and our team will contact you shortly.
Book an inspection