How many glass pool fence panels do I need?

Divide each run, less one gap, by the largest panel plus a gap, and round up. An 8 m run with 1500 mm panels and 50 mm gaps needs 6 panels of 1275 mm.

What is the maximum gap in a glass pool fence?

100 mm in Australia (AS 1926.1), between panels and at the ends. In the US the pool code allows no opening that a 4 in sphere passes through.

How high does a pool fence have to be?

At least 1200 mm in Australia and 48 in (1219 mm) in the US, measured from the ground on the outside.

How much does a glass pool fence panel weigh?

12 mm glass weighs 30 kg per m², so a 1200 mm high panel 1275 mm wide weighs 45.9 kg.

Glass Pool Fence Calculator: Panels and Spigots

Glass pool fence calculator

An 8 m run with panels of up to 1500 mm and 50 mm gaps takes 6 panels of 1275 mm; a 4.5 m run, 3 of 1433 mm. Each run is split into equal panels: n = (run − gap) ÷ (largest panel + gap), rounded up, and each panel is (run − (n + 1) × gap) ÷ n. Type your runs, the largest panel you stock and the gap: the page gives the panels to order, the spigots and the weight, and checks the height and the gaps against Australia's AS 1926.1 and the US pool code.

How it is worked out

panels in a run n = ceil((run − gap) / (largest panel + gap)) panel width w = (run − (n + 1) × gap) / n spigots 2 per panel (3 above the width you type) panel weight w × height × thickness × 2.5 kg/m² per mm

For the 8000 mm run with panels up to 1500 mm and 50 mm gaps: n = ceil(7950 ÷ 1550) = 6, and each panel is (8000 − 7 × 50) ÷ 6 = 1275 mm. In 12 mm glass and 1200 mm high, each weighs 45.9 kg.

The barrier rules checked

Australia, AS 1926.1: at least 1200 mm high, and no gap over 100 mm.
United States, International Swimming Pool and Spa Code: at least 48 in (1219 mm) high, and no opening that lets a 4 in sphere through.

What this page does not do

It does not lay out the gate. Gates, hinge panels and latches (height, self-closing) have their own rules and hardware.
It does not check the non-climbable zones around the fence, nor the ground clearance under the panels.
It does not replace the local rules. States, councils and counties amend them; the inspector has the last word.

Questions people ask

How many glass pool fence panels do I need?: Divide each run, less one gap, by the largest panel plus a gap, and round up. An 8 m run with 1500 mm panels and 50 mm gaps needs 6 panels of 1275 mm.
What is the maximum gap in a glass pool fence?: 100 mm in Australia (AS 1926.1), between panels and at the ends. In the US the pool code allows no opening that a 4 in sphere passes through.
How high does a pool fence have to be?: At least 1200 mm in Australia and 48 in (1219 mm) in the US, measured from the ground on the outside.
How much does a glass pool fence panel weigh?: 12 mm glass weighs 30 kg per m², so a 1200 mm high panel 1275 mm wide weighs 45.9 kg.