Plan Review and Inspections of Public Swimming Pools

The Minnesota Department of Health provides plan review and construction inspection for all public pools within the state. No public pool shall be constructed, installed, or materially altered until two sets of complete plans and specifications are submitted and approved by the commissioner. Once a plan is approved, no modifications affecting the safety and sanitation features of the public pool shall be made without prior approval.

The term "Public pool" is defined as any pool, other than a private residential pool, intended to be used collectively by numbers of persons, and operated by any person whether the person be an owner, lessee, operator, or concessionaire, and regardless of whether a fee for use is charged. A public pool includes, but is not limited to, pools operated by a person in a park, school, licensed child care facility, group home, motel, camp, resort, apartment building, club, condominium, hotel, manufactured home park, or political subdivision.

Plan review application

• Pool Plan Review Application (PDF)

Pool construction opening inspection

A final pool construction inspection will need to be scheduled with the Minnesota Department of Health prior to opening a pool for public use.

To schedule a construction opening inspection, please contact:
Swimming pool engineering
651-201-4500
health.swimmingpools@state.mn.us

For the annual May seasonal reopening inspections, please contact the local health department that has issued your license.

• Licensing Jurisdiction

Large project fee (Over $250,000 in total project cost)

The project engineer or architect must sign and submit an Estimated Value List (EVL) for the project. The EVL must include the value of all items commonly reviewed by this department, including all slides and towers, all pumps, filters, chemical treatment systems, piping, decking, diving boards, ladders, railings, play structures, theme-work within 5 feet of water, fencing and the pool structure itself.

The EVL need not include items that are commonly reviewed by another inspector, program or department, such as: electrical, the roof and walls, domestic drinking water and sewer system, HVAC, site prep, landscaping and lighting. The fee of 0.5% will be assessed to the EVL total, to a maximum of $15,000 per pool project. If the maximum fee is paid, the EVL is not required.

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