Install a pool or spa

An easement is an area of land on your property that councils and other authorities are allowed to access. When an easement is obstructed, it can prevent important maintenance work and block the flow of stormwater.

Check your Certificate of Title for any easements. If you don’t have this document, you can get a copy from the Landata website for a small fee.

If the pool or spa will be located on an easement, or within 1 m of an easement, you may need permission from the service authority relevant to the easement. Contact the authority for advice.

Will your pool or spa be located on or within 1 m of an easement?

• If yes, check your plans for the pool or spa comply with any requirements, then go to the next step. 
• If no, go to the next step.

Create a Planning Property Report on the VicPlan website by entering the address of your property.

This will give you the zone of your property and any overlays.

You need a Planning Permit if your property is in a Commercial 1 Zone or a Commercial 2 Zone.

You need a Planning Permit if your property has any of these overlays:

• Heritage Overlay and the pool or spa can be seen from a street (not a laneway) or a public park
• Design and Development Overlay
• Special Building Overlay
• Public Acquisition Overlay
• Land Subject to Inundation Overlay.

If your property is on the Victorian Heritage Register you may also need approval from Heritage Victoria. Contact Heritage Victoria for advice.

Planning enquiry tool

Use myLot, our free planning enquiry tool, to help you:

• find overlays that apply to your property
• determine if your pool or spa requires a planning permit
• understand why a permit is or isn't needed, referencing the relevant planning rules and overlays.

This tool is intended as a helpful guide and isn’t a final planning decision.

Use our free planning enquiry tool

If your property has a Special Building Overlay, contact our Statutory Planning team for advice on whether you need a Planning Permit.

Is your property in a commercial zone or does it have any of these overlays?

• If yes, apply for a Planning Permit then go to the next step.
• If no, go to the next step.
   

Measure the depth of the pool or spa

Measure the distance from the floor of the pool or spa to its highest point – the point at which water would spill over the edge if the pool or spa was completely full.

If this distance is more than 30 cm, your pool or spa will need a: 

• compliant safety barrier (pool fence). This is a State Government requirement for pools or spas of this depth. For more information on pool safety barriers see the Victorian Building Authority website.
• Building Permit.

Note: You also need a Building Permit if you are altering an existing pool or spa safety barrier.

Do you need a Building Permit?

• If yes, apply for a Building Permit then go to the next step.
• If no, go to the next step.

You may need other permits, depending on your situation.

If you need to:

• remove, prune or do works within 2 m of a canopy or significant tree during your works, apply for a Tree Works Permit 
• store equipment on a road, footpath or nature strip, apply for a Road or Footpath Occupancy Permit. 

If your works could impact:

• driveway access to your property, apply for a Vehicle Crossing Permit 
• public assets, such as roads, footpath or nature strip, apply for an Asset Protection Permit.

You can begin construction:

• after all your permits or permissions have been issued
• if your situation does not require any permits or permissions.