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Searching for City of Tampa pool inspections or Hillsborough County pool inspections usually means a DOH public-pool visit is coming. In Sep 26–Oct 25, 2026, 138 Hillsborough facilities were marked Pool Closed or Unsatisfactory. The #1 cited item was Maintenance log. Use the order below to prep before the inspector walks the deck.
Buy the $9 checklist See Hillsborough failure statsCounty health department inspectors use the statewide DH 920 inspection key under Florida Administrative Code Chapter 64E-9. They walk the deck, test water quality, review the maintenance log, and inspect the equipment room. Results that show up as Pool Closed or Unsatisfactory in the public search are the ones property managers and service companies care about most.
Free chlorine/bromine, pH, stabilizer, and appearance. Out-of-range chemistry is a top reason pools close the same day.
Life ring, life hook, rules signs, fences/gates, suction outlet covers, handrails and lighting.
Filter/pump, flowmeter, gauges, feeders, autofill, and the daily maintenance log (DH 921-style records).
Ordered by how often each DH 920 item appeared on Pool Closed and Unsatisfactory records in our Sep 26–Oct 25, 2026 public-records tally (138 facilities). Not a substitute for the inspector’s judgment.
Fill out the daily maintenance log
DOH expects a daily record of disinfectant and pH on days the pool is open, plus weekly cyanuric acid when used.
Post the required rules signs
Signs must stay legible from the deck and cover the items DOH/FBC require for your pool type (including spa extras if applicable).
Confirm the flowmeter works and reads
Flowmeters must be functional and readable across roughly half to 1.5× design flow. A stuck or missing meter is a frequent close-out item.
Test free chlorine every day the pool is open
Keep free chlorine in the DOH range (typically 1–10 ppm for conventional pools; spas higher). Have a DPD test kit on site.
Clear gutter grates and skimmers
Skimmer baskets and gutter grates must be present, intact, and free of debris that blocks flow.
Run the filter and pump at design flow
A dead pump, bypassed filter, or system that cannot hit design flow is a common Unsatisfactory or Closed result.
Mount a life ring with rope
Ring buoy with attached rope must be present and usable from the deck — not locked in a shed.
Read the inspector’s “Other” notes
Codes 48/49 are free-text on the public summary — pull the detail and fix whatever was written.
Confirm flowmeter and gauges read, feeders run, pump hits design flow, chemical drums are labeled, and the equipment room is dry and lit.
Stabilize chlorine and pH in range, clear algae, set water level for continuous skim, and catch the maintenance log up to date.
Test water with the approved kit, check life ring/hook, rules signs, gates, suction covers, and post the latest inspection report if your pool type requires it.
Hillsborough County DOH Environmental Health inspects public pools under statewide FAC 64E-9 rules. This guide is for commercial/public pools (hotels, condos, apartments, HOAs), not residential home-sale inspections.
Our $9 PDF maps plain-language tasks to DH 920 codes and is ranked by real citation frequency across Florida counties we have tallied. Use it with the Hillsborough-specific order above.
Not legal advice. The DOH inspector’s judgment governs. Citations: public FDOH inspection records; DH 920 key.
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