Wakefield · about 9 mi from our shop
Plunge Pool Installation in Wakefield, MA
On a Wakefield lot, the zoning draft decides where a plunge pool fits: 30 feet off the street, out of side yards, 7.5 feet from the back line.
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Plunge pools in Wakefield
What to know before you start.
Those distances leave most houses with one spot, the back yard, and on lots smaller than today's minimum that spot can be tight. A plunge pool is the shape that works there. Pair it with a narrow paver deck, and let the 5-foot barrier the draft calls for double as the privacy fence along the back.
Plenty of yards near Lake Quannapowitt, Crystal Lake or the Mill River fall within 100 feet of a wetland, which brings in the Conservation Commission before any digging. Think about the end of the season, too. Pool water can only go to the storm drains after it has sat for a week and the chlorine is below 1 ppm, so we leave a sensible place to drain down.
Local rules that can affect your plunge pool project.
Wetlands and the lake
About 18% of Wakefield is wetland, and flood zones sit around Lake Quannapowitt, the Mill River and Reedy Meadow. Work within 100 feet of a wetland falls under the Conservation Commission and the state Wetlands Protection Act.
Source: Town of Wakefield: Proposed Wetland Bylaw ↗Pool barriers
The posted zoning draft requires a pool to be fully enclosed by a fence or barrier at least 5 feet high, with self-latching gates and every latch at least 4 feet off the ground. Confirm the current version with the building department.
Source: Wakefield Zoning Bylaw (posted draft) ↗Pool distance from the street and lot lines
Under the posted zoning draft, a pool more than 24 inches deep can't sit within 30 feet of a street line, inside a required side yard, or within 7.5 feet of the rear lot line.
Source: Wakefield Zoning Bylaw (posted draft) ↗Draining pool water
The town's storm drain bylaw allows pool water into the drain system only once it's dechlorinated (under 1 ppm), has stood for a week, and is drained without causing a nuisance.
Source: Wakefield Code ch. 170: Discharges to Storm Drain System ↗
We check the current requirements for every project before we start.
Can a plunge pool go beside my house in Wakefield?
Usually not in the side yard. The posted zoning draft keeps any pool deeper than 24 inches out of the required side yards and at least 30 feet from the street, so most end up behind the house. We measure it off your plot plan.
Where does the water go when I empty the pool?
Let it stand for a week so the chlorine drops below 1 ppm, then drain it in a way that doesn't create a nuisance for the street or the neighbors. That's what Wakefield's storm drain bylaw asks for.
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Let's talk about your plunge pool in Wakefield.
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