Swimming pools
Gardens. Updated 26 September 2026
A private swimming pool in the garden of a house in England is usually permitted development. Pools follow the same rules as sheds and garden rooms. The pool must be for the household’s own enjoyment and sit behind the front of the house.
The limits
- Not on land in front of the principal elevation, which is usually the front of the house.
- Not within the grounds of a listed building.
- No verandah, balcony or raised platform. Decking or a surround higher than 0.3m counts as a raised platform.
- For a purpose incidental to the house.
A building or enclosure around the pool must also meet the outbuilding limits:
| Maximum height | |
|---|---|
| Building with a dual-pitched roof | 4m |
| Any other building or enclosure | 3m |
| Within 2m of a boundary | 2.5m |
| Eaves | 2.5m |
- Single storey only.
- Pool buildings and enclosures count towards the limit of half the land around the original house.
Protected land
- Conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads and World Heritage Sites: no pool between a side wall of the house and the boundary.
- National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads and World Heritage Sites: buildings, enclosures and pools more than 20m from any wall of the house are limited to 10 square metres in total. Most pools that far from the house will need permission there.
When permission is needed
- The home is a flat or maisonette. These rights cover houses only.
- The house was converted from another use, such as offices, without a planning application, or added as new storeys on an existing building.
- The pool is in front of the house, or the house is listed.
- An Article 4 direction, or a condition on an earlier permission, has removed the rights.
Before you build
A Lawful Development Certificate from the council confirms the pool is permitted. It is optional.
Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, legislation.gov.uk; Permitted development rights for householders, technical guidance, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Outbuildings, Planning Portal.
Common questions
Can I build a swimming pool in my garden?
Usually, yes. A private pool at a house in England is permitted development if it is behind the front of the house, for the household's own enjoyment, and not at a listed building. Flats and maisonettes need permission.
How close can a swimming pool be to a house?
Planning rules in England set no minimum distance. The pool must not be in front of the house, and in National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads and World Heritage Sites, pools more than 20m from the house are limited to 10 square metres in total.