Princeton pool rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Princeton, Texas homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Yes. The City of Princeton lists pools, spas and hot tubs among the projects that need a building permit. Pool fences are fences too, and the city requires a permit for every fence built or repaired, at $25. Development Services answers pool questions and can tell you if a pool permit was approved. Call 972-736-6169, option 4, before you build or buy a house with a pool.

Who to ask: City of Princeton Development Services / Building Inspection (website)

Fee: Fence permit: $25. Pool permit fee: call Development Services.

The rules

• A permit is required for every fence built or repaired. The fee is $25.
• Rear and side yard fences can be up to 6 feet tall, measured from grade, with schedule 40 steel posts.
• Front yard fences can be no taller than 48 inches.
• Barbed wire fences are not allowed in the city.
• Call Development Services at 972-736-6169, option 4, for pool questions and to check if a pool permit was approved.

HOAs

Many newer Princeton subdivisions have homeowners associations, and some sit in a public improvement district with its own assessments. An HOA can add its own pool fence and design rules, so check your HOA before you plan a pool.

Call before you dig

Texas811: dial 811. Call at least 2 working days before digging. Holidays do not count. This covers pool excavation. The call is free.

Local conditions

North Texas has long, hot summers, so a pool here gets heavy use from late spring into early fall. Heat, sun and a mix of storms are the main pool care issues.

• The Dallas-Fort Worth area has roughly 100 days a year at or above 90 degrees. Most fall in June, July and August.
• Average July high in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is about 96 degrees.
• The area gets about 37 inches of rain a year and about 29 days a year with a freeze, so winter pool care matters.
• Princeton's tap water is moderately hard and carries a chlorine residual, which affects how often you adjust pool chemistry after a fill.

Good to know

• Princeton had 17,027 residents in 2020. The population grew about 150 percent from 2010 to 2020.
• The city's water comes from several surface water sources and is delivered by the North Texas Municipal Water District, mostly from Lake Lavon.
• NTMWD calls its treated water moderately hard. Divide total hardness in mg/L by 17.12 to get grains per gallon.
• The 2025 water report lists an average chlorine residual of 2.17 ppm.
• Residential wastewater charges are based on winter water use (December to February), starting with April 2026 bills.
• Utility Billing is at 972-736-2711. Public Works handles water report questions at 972-736-2416.
• Development Services is at 2000 E Princeton Drive.