Pools and Outdoor Living in Bellaire

Permits before plans

The city's Development Services presentation lists swimming pools and spas and fencing and walls among the permit categories the department handles, next to electrical, plumbing and irrigation. The City Code also has a separate article on swimming pools in its buildings chapter, and we could not read that article's barrier and setback requirements, so ask the department about them before you design anything. Two lines in the building article help. Its list of work exempt from a building permit covers fences up to 8 feet high but carves out swimming pool barriers, so a fence around a pool does not get the ordinary fence exemption. It also exempts a prefabricated pool that is less than 24 inches deep, holds no more than 5,000 gallons and sits entirely above ground. Anything deeper, larger or in the ground should be treated as a permit job.

The floodplain rules matter too. A letter from Development Services tells residents to check with the department before they build, alter, regrade or place fill on their property. It describes development as any man-made change in improved and unimproved real estate, which is broad enough that you should ask about a pool excavation before you sign a contract. The same letter says all areas of Bellaire are in the floodplain.

Contractors need to be registered with the city and carry insurance, according to the city's 2022 permitting FAQ, so ask a pool or patio contractor for its registration. The FAQ was written for storm repairs, so confirm the current rule with the department.

What flood insurance leaves out

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program describes what a standard policy does and does not cover. Building coverage includes electrical and plumbing systems and foundation walls. The federal flood insurance policy excludes landscaping, decks and patios, fences and swimming pools from coverage.

That is worth knowing before you spend on a backyard, because a policy that protects the house does not protect what you add behind it. For the broader picture, see our guide to flooding and drainage for homeowners and the main flooding guide.

Pool builders

Our directory does not list a dedicated pool builder in Bellaire. The closest match in the data is Thompson + Hanson Landscape Architecture, at 1301 N 1st St. Its website describes a full-service landscape firm and lists pool design and installation among its services, along with irrigation, drainage, planting and lighting design. It does not name Bellaire among the neighborhoods it lists, so ask about its work nearby.

Pool service and repair

Sweetwater Pool & Patio, at 4528 Bissonnet St, is the clearest fit for anyone who already has a pool. Its website says it services existing pools rather than building them. It lists weekly maintenance, equipment repair and replacement, renovation work on plaster, tile, coping and decking, a retail store, and leak detection. Sweetwater lists weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The federal flood insurance policy excludes landscaping, decks and patios, fences and swimming pools from coverage.

PoolCraft, at 5103 Cedar St, is listed as a pool cleaning business. It lists weekday hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on weekends. We could not read its website, so we can say only what the listing says and suggest asking what the service includes.

Outdoor living

For the rest of the yard, three businesses are listed. Heroes Lawn Care of Bellaire, at 6575 W Loop S, lists landscape design, hardscape construction, irrigation and artificial turf, alongside mowing and lawn treatments, on its Bellaire page. Xtreme Kleen Pressure Washing, at 5233 Bellaire Blvd, lists house washing, driveway cleaning, pool deck cleaning, fence cleaning and deck cleaning for homes. Thompson + Hanson, described above, lists lighting design among its services.

Our landscaping and trees guide covers the city's tree permit rules, which matter if a patio or pool will take out a tree. For fences that are not pool barriers, the zoning code's fence section caps residential fences and walls that are not screening fences at 8 feet, and it treats the front yard separately, so measure before you order panels.

Where the water goes

A patio, a pool deck or a new run of fence changes how rain leaves a lot. The city's Development Services letter says to check with the department before you regrade or place fill, and to keep anything out of ditches and storm water inlets. Thompson + Hanson lists drainage among its design services, and the prairie wetland at Russ Pitman Park, described in our landscaping guide, shows planting that soaks up water. Ask any designer where the runoff from your new hardscape will end up.

Questions for any contractor

The Texas Department of Insurance gives homeowners advice for storm repairs that fits a backyard build as well. It says to get at least three written bids, keep signed agreements and warranty terms, confirm that the contractor has insurance or a bond, and avoid paying the full amount up front. It warns against any contractor who only takes cash or who asks for money before materials are on site.

Public pools while you decide

The Bellaire Family Aquatic Center, at 7001 5th St, is the city's pool at Bellaire Town Square. The city's Aquatics page lists lap swimming in the competition pool during the off-season and links to swim lessons, swim clinics and the Bellaire Barracudas Swim Team, with pricing and memberships on a separate page. Evergreen Park, at 4500 Evergreen St, has a neighborhood pool and playground, according to the city's park information, though we could not confirm the pool's season dates.

Neighboring cities have pools too. Southside Place Pool is at 3744 Farber St, and Colonial Park Pool is at 4130 Byron St in West University Place. Check each city's site for who may use them.

Before you go

- Ask Development Services whether a pool, spa, fence or patio project needs a permit before you sign with anyone. - Request the contractor's City of Bellaire registration and certificate of insurance, and keep copies of both. - Do not assume a flood policy will pay for a pool, deck, patio, fence or landscaping, because the policy excludes them. - Ask a pool service what a weekly visit includes before you agree to a monthly price. - Check which tree permits apply before any excavation near a large tree. - Treat a fence around a pool as a permit item, because the fence exemption in the building code does not cover swimming pool barriers.

Sources

- City of Bellaire, Development Services presentation for the Citizens Academy: https://www.bellairetx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/33654/BCA-Development-Services-2025- - City of Bellaire, Development Services letter to residents: https://www.bellairetx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34476 - City of Bellaire, Hurricane Recovery Permitting FAQs (2022): https://www.bellairetx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29736/Permitting-FAQs-2022 - City of Bellaire, Code of Ordinances, Article VIII Swimming Pools: https://library.municode.com/tx/bellaire/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH9BU_ARTVIIISWPO - City of Bellaire, City Code Sec. 9-17, building code amendments: https://library.municode.com/tx/bellaire/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH9BU_ARTIIBUCO_DIV1GE_S9-17AMBUCO - City of Bellaire, City Code Sec. 24-512, fences and walls: https://library.municode.com/tx/bellaire/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH24PLZO_ARTVZORE_DIV1ZODIREGEAP_S24-512FERE - City of Bellaire, Aquatics: https://www.bellairetx.gov/720/Aquatics - City of Bellaire, Park Information: https://www.bellairetx.gov/737/Park-Information - FEMA, FloodSmart policy terms: https://www.floodsmart.gov/policy-terms - Thompson + Hanson Landscape Architecture: https://thompsonhanson.com/landscape-architecture - Texas Department of Insurance, Making repairs after a storm: https://www.tdi.texas.gov/wind/making-repairs-after-a-storm.html - Russ Pitman Park, Nature Discovery Center: https://naturediscoverycenter.org/russ-pitman-park - Sweetwater Pool & Patio: https://sweetwaterpoolandpatio.com - Heroes Lawn Care of Bellaire: https://heroeslawncare.com/bellaire-tx - Xtreme Kleen Pressure Washing: https://www.xtremekleenpressurewashing.com/residential-pressure-washing

En español

Antes de construir una alberca o remodelar un patio en Bellaire, consulte al departamento de Servicios de Desarrollo de la ciudad, que maneja permisos para albercas, spas, cercas y muros. La ciudad exige que los contratistas estén registrados y aseguren su trabajo. La cerca de una alberca no entra en la exención de cercas comunes. Todo Bellaire está en zona de inundación, y el seguro federal contra inundaciones no cubre albercas, cercas, terrazas, patios ni jardinería. No hay un constructor de albercas en nuestro directorio, pero sí un negocio de servicio y reparación de albercas en Bissonnet Street y una firma de arquitectura de paisaje que diseña albercas. La guía también menciona la alberca pública del Bellaire Town Square.