What is a pool inspection?
A pool inspection is a check of the safety barrier around your pool or spa — the fence, the gates and what sits near them — against the Victorian standard. A registered inspector measures it, and if it passes you get a Form 23 Certificate of Barrier Compliance to lodge with your council.
It is not a check of your pool water, pump or equipment, and it is not a building-and-pest inspection. It is about one thing: whether a small child can get to the water.
What happens during a pool inspection
Most people have never had one and are not sure what they are in for. It is short, and nothing about it is a surprise.
We walk the whole barrier
The inspector walks the full perimeter of the fence or barrier around your pool or spa — every panel, every gap, every gate. Nothing is sampled; the whole thing is looked at.
Each point is measured, not guessed
Heights, gaps and the climb zone are physically measured against the Victorian standard. A gap is tested with a gauge, not judged by eye, so the result is the same whoever inspects it.
It takes about 30 to 45 minutes
A typical suburban pool takes half an hour to three quarters. A large or unusual barrier takes longer. You do not need to be home for the inspection itself, as long as we can get to the pool area.
You get the result the same day
If the barrier passes, we issue your Form 23 Certificate of Barrier Compliance to lodge with your council. If it does not, you get a written list of exactly what needs fixing — not a vague fail.
What the inspector actually checks
Every point below is measured against the standard. The gate is where most barriers fail.
- The gate — does it swing shut and latch by itself, every time, from any position?
- Gaps — can a 100mm sphere pass through anywhere, including under the fence?
- Height — is the barrier at least 1200mm from the ground on the outside?
- The climb zone — is the 900mm arc outside the barrier clear of footholds?
- Condition — loose panels, missing pickets, tired hinges, a failing latch.
- Surroundings — pots, furniture, BBQs, pool pumps and trees near the fence.
- Boundary fences, windows and doors that open into the pool area.
- A current, legible CPR sign displayed near the pool or spa.
The full detail is on our Victorian pool fence requirements page, and you can self-check most of it before we arrive using the pre-inspection checklist.
What if it does not pass?
Most barriers fail on something small — a gate that no longer latches on its own, a pot plant sitting in the climb zone, a gap that has opened up as the fence has settled. You get a written list of exactly what to fix, and once it is fixed we come back and re-inspect it free of charge.
Nothing is reported to the council when a barrier fails at this stage — you simply do not have your certificate yet. If a non-compliance has to be lodged, that is a Form 24 rather than a Form 23, and we explain that before it happens.
More short answers are on our pool inspection FAQs, and the step-by-step version is on how it works. If you are wondering why this is required at all, see why your pool must be inspected.
Ready to book one?
Now you know what happens, booking is the easy part. Flat $170 ex GST, a free re-inspection if something needs fixing, and your Form 23 on the day if it passes.
Read more about the barrier inspection itself or see the areas we cover.
Call 0423 090 211Get your free quote
One of our VBA-registered inspectors will get back to you.