Legal Requirements For A Spa Pool In New Zealand

Who doesn’t love a nice hot soak in a spa pool at the end of a long, hard day? It’s bliss, and you know you’ve earned it.

But how do you know if your spa pool meets the legal requirements? Our handy guide is just what you need, and in general, it’s really quite simple.

The following guidelines come from the Auckland Council and generally apply across the country. You should check your local council in case there are differences in your region.

What You Need to Know for Legal Requirements

1. All spa pools must be fenced or covered with a lockable cover.

Why you don’t need to worry about this with a Jet Spa? Because every Jet Spa comes with a free insulated lockable hardcover.

2. You don’t need a consent for a spa pool as long as:

The water surface area is 5 square meters or less (e.g., 2.2m x 2.2m), and
The top surface of the pool wall is at least 760mm above the ground on all sides, and
You install a safety cover or lockable lid, and
The walls of the spa pool are non-climbable (including steps or ladders).
Why you don’t need to worry about this with a Jet Spa: All of Jet Spa’s range of spa pools meet these requirements. All of our spa pools (even our humongous Hercules spa pool) have a water surface under 5 square meters. Our spa pools also meet the height requirements, include a lockable hardcover, and have non-climbable walls. Note that our spa pools also include free steps. However, these are removable (rather than affixed) to meet requirements.

3. A spa pool safety cover does not need consent for legal requirements as long as:

Children under five years of age cannot get into the pool when it is closed
It will not collapse under the weight of a young child
It is easily closed/locked
Has safety warnings showing child safety features.
Spa covers that meet these requirements do not have to be inspected.
Why you don’t need to worry about this with a Jet Spa: Our lockable hardcovers meet the requirements not to require consent. Learn more about our covers and cover lifters here.

Spa pool with lockable cover — A spa pool cover must be easily closed.

4. A spa pool must have a fence or safety barrier if it does not meet the above restrictions.

You may need consent for any spa pool fence – check with your local council.
Why you don’t need to worry about this with a Jet Spa: Since our spa pools meet the requirements, it is up to you whether you would like to include a fence or safety barrier.

5. If you put a spa pool on top of a deck, you are responsible for ensuring the deck is structurally sound and can carry the weight of the pool.

You do not need a building permit for a deck as long as you cannot fall more than 1.5 metres off the deck.
You can build a deck around your spa pool as long as the spa pool still meets all of the above criteria.
If you place the spa pool into an existing deck, you may need building consent to change the structure of the deck.

Spa pool on a beautiful deck — Spa pools with decks have special requirements and may need a consent or building permit

6. Some spa pools will need an electrician, especially if you have a larger spa pool that requires a socket that is larger than a standard home 10 amp socket (learn more here).

Where to get Advice

Jet Spas strongly recommends customers seek advice from their local council before installing a spa pool, as regulations may differ across the country, often depending on where your spa is located, how it is placed, proximity to boundaries and buildings, and so on. Also, be aware that regulations may change from time to time.

Council websites are usually very informative, and the staff very helpful. In fact, Auckland Council offers 15 minutes of free advice before you submit a consent application, and a pre-application guidance meeting should you need one. They also provide guidance information about residential and small heated pools so that you can check if you need a consent to put in a small heated pool.

Call Jet Spas on 0508 JET SPA (0508 538 772) for advice. We’d love to hear from you.

FLEXIBLE SHIPPING. Jet Spas will deliver to your home, and even into place, anywhere in New Zealand.