← Ontario Building Code FAQ
OBC DIVISION B · PART 3 · SECTION 3.11 — PUBLIC POOLS

What counts as a public pool under the Ontario Building Code?

A public pool is generally a structure intended for swimming or bathing that is open to the public or serves users beyond a single-family household, such as pools at hotels, condos, gyms, schools and municipal facilities. Backyard residential pools are excluded.

Code reference
Section 3.11 applies to public pools, meaning artificial basins used for swimming or bathing by the public or by users of a facility such as an apartment building, hotel, club or institution. It aligns with the public pool classes regulated under Ontario's health protection legislation, and does not govern private residential pools serving one dwelling.
OBC Division B, Section 3.11 (Public Pools)

Paraphrased for clarity — open this provision in the BUILDAiD Library for the exact wording.

What this means in practice

The trigger question on real projects is whether a pool serves anyone beyond one household. Condo and apartment amenity pools, hotel pools and campground pools are all public pools even though they feel private. Ontario runs a dual regime: the OBC governs construction through Section 3.11, while O. Reg. 565 under the Health Protection and Promotion Act governs operation, and public health inspects before opening. Section 3.11 is an Ontario-specific addition with no counterpart in the National Building Code, so out-of-province precedents do not apply.

Plain language

If a pool is used by more than one family, like a hotel, condo, gym or community pool, Ontario treats it as a public pool with strict construction rules. Your own backyard pool does not count and follows municipal bylaws instead.

Related questions

What are the deck requirements for a public pool in Ontario?Where do water depth markings have to go on a public pool in Ontario?What are the drain and suction entrapment safety rules for public pools in Ontario?

Get answers like this for any code question

BUILDAiD Assist searches the building code and answers in plain English with exact citations — in seconds.

Try BUILDAiD Beta

This page is provided for general information. Building code requirements depend on your specific project, occupancy and municipality, and code editions change. Always verify requirements against the current Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.