The standard your pool is checked against
NSW applies AS 1926.1 through the Swimming Pools Act, with requirements varying by the pool's construction date - pre-1992 pools have some accommodations. Your certifier identifies the applicable requirements from the pool's era; the register's self-assessment checklist for your pool age is a good preview.
What the certifier checks
- Registration on the NSW Swimming Pool Register - checked before anything physical
- 1200mm barrier height, 100mm maximum gaps
- Self-closing, self-latching outward-opening gate, latch at 1500mm or shielded
- 900mm non-climbable zone, inside-face rules for boundary fences (1800mm)
- Doors and windows where the house forms part of the barrier
- Current CPR sign visible from the pool
NSW's most common fails
Older Sydney and regional housing stock means legacy fences: sub-height brush fencing, horizontal-rail timber fences climbable from outside, and gates that predate self-closing hardware. These are era-assessment questions - a good certifier tells you the cheapest compliant fix rather than defaulting to full replacement.
Pass or fail
Pass: certificate of compliance issued and recorded against the register, valid 3 years. Fail: a written notice of items; council-issued notices can carry rectification timeframes. Selling anyway? The certificate of non-compliance route keeps the transaction moving - see selling with a pool.