Swimming Pool (C-53) · Lesson 5 of 8

Pool Deck Slope, Coping, and the 9-Inch Handhold

"Pool Deck Slope, Coping, and the 9-Inch Handhold" is lesson 5 of 8 in the Swimming Pool (C-53) Learning Hub. It opens with "The Deck Rule" and works through 6 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. The Deck Rule
  2. Deck Slope: 1 to 2 Percent
  3. Deck Between Pools, Coverings, and Plantings
  4. Handholds: The 9-Inch Rule
  5. Bull-Nosed Coping and Cantilevered Decking
  6. Setting the Bond Beam Elevation

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 7 steps, from "Deck at the pool edge" through "Bull-nosed coping check".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Pool Deck Slope, Coping, and the 9-Inch Handhold" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Deck Between Pools, Coverings, and Plantings".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Handholds: The 9-Inch Rule".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Bull-Nosed Coping and Cantilevered Decking".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Setting the Bond Beam Elevation".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Deck Slope, Coping, and HandholdsSetting the bond beam, deck edge, and waterline from one benchmarkSECTION AT THE POOL EDGE (not to scale)waterline 99.50bond beam top 99.875copingdeck, 10 ft3/16 in. per ftdrain6 in.coping top 100.00edge 99.84ELEVATIONS (ft)Deck drop over 10 ft (3114B.3)1/8 x 10 = 1.25 in. to 1/4 x 10 = 2.50 in.3/16 x 10 = 1.875 in. edge = 99.84Bond beam top (coping 1.5 in. thick)100.00 - 1.5/12 = 99.875 ftHandhold (3112B.1, max 9 in.)100.00 - 99.50 = 0.50 ft = 6 in. PASSESLowest legal waterline100.00 - 9/12 = 99.25 ftDeck 4 ft min, 1/8 to 1/4 in. per ft, handhold within 9 in.Min deck for a 25 x 45 ft pool: 33 x 53 - 25 x 45 = 624 sq ftBetween adjacent pools: 6 ft. Bull-nose overhang 1 to 2 in., thickness 2-1/2 in. max2025 CBC §§3112B.1, 3112B.3, 3114B.1-.3 (Chapter 31B); CSLB C-53 Study GuideCC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: The Deck Rule

2025 CBC §3114B.1 requires a minimum continuous and unobstructed 4-foot-wide slip resistant, cleanable, nonabrasive deck of concrete or like material, flush with the top of the pool coping and extending completely around the pool. The deck also extends 4 feet on both sides and the rear of any diving board, fixed disabled access device or slide. Width is measured from the poolside edge of the coping lip. A spa pool needs the 4-foot deck around a continuous 50 percent or more of its perimeter.

Step 2: Deck Slope: 1 to 2 Percent

§3114B.3 says the deck surface shall slope no less than 1 percent (1/8 inch per foot) and no more than 2 percent (1/4 inch per foot) away from the pool to a deck drainage system, and be constructed and finished to prevent standing water. Total drop = slope (in. per ft) x run (ft). The drain edge of a 10-foot deck therefore sits between 1-1/4 and 2-1/2 inches lower than the coping.

The remaining 4 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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