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Building Code Reference

Got a CEC 680.22 correction?

Pool equipment bonding and GFCI

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

CEC 680.22 is the California Electrical Code section that governs receptacles and GFCI protection for permanently installed swimming pools and outdoor spas. It sets minimum distance rules for where receptacles can be placed near water, requires ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection on all receptacles within 20 feet of the pool or spa edge, and mandates equipotential bonding for metal parts of pool equipment, pump motors, and structural components. Permits for new pools, spa additions, and pool equipment replacements commonly trigger a CEC 680.22 correction when the electrical plan omits bonding details or places a receptacle inside the required setback zone.

How to fix it

  1. Pull the full corrections letter before revising

    CEC 680.22 corrections often come bundled with flags on 680.23 (underwater lighting), 680.25 (feeders), and 680.26 (bonding). Read every item before you start revising sheets. Fixing 680.22 without addressing the bonding diagram means a second trip through plan check.

  2. Draw a dimensioned bonding plan on the electrical sheet

    The plan-checker needs to see a diagram, not a note. Add a pool bonding detail at 1/4"=1' or larger that shows: the #8 AWG solid copper bonding conductor (bare is fine), the bonding path connecting structural rebar, pump motor frame, light niche, metal stairs, and any metal within 5 feet of the pool edge. Label each bonded component. Note the bonding grid is continuous, not just home-run to the equipment pad. If the pool shell is fiberglass or vinyl-lined and has no rebar, note that explicitly so the reviewer does not ask.

  3. Dimension all receptacles from the pool or spa edge

    On the site plan, add a dimension string from each receptacle to the nearest inside wall of the pool or spa. CEC 680.22(A) minimums are: no receptacle within 6 feet; receptacles between 6 and 10 feet must be GFCI-protected and have a cover rated for damp or wet location; receptacles beyond 20 feet can be standard. If any receptacle falls inside 6 feet, it must be relocated. Show the new location on the revised sheet and call out the revised dimension.

  4. Mark GFCI protection on every receptacle within 20 feet

    Go through your electrical schedule and flag each receptacle within 20 feet of the pool or spa as GFCI protected. A GFCI breaker in the panel or a GFCI outlet at the first receptacle in the circuit both satisfy the code requirement. Note which method you are using on the panel schedule. The reviewer will cross-check the schedule against the site plan distances, so the numbers have to be consistent.

  5. Call out wet- or damp-location enclosures for patio receptacles

    Any receptacle between 6 and 20 feet from the pool edge needs a weatherproof cover rated for damp or wet location, depending on exposure. If the outlet is under a covered patio with no direct rain exposure, in-use covers rated damp are acceptable. Open-air patio or equipment-pad outlets need wet-location (bubble) covers. Note the enclosure rating on the electrical plan. Missing this detail is a common source of secondary corrections.

  6. Show the equipment pad circuit and disconnect on the plan

    Pool pump motors, heaters, and filter equipment need a disconnect means within sight of the equipment, per CEC 680.13. Add the disconnect location to your electrical plan and note the amperage. The pump circuit itself must be GFCI-protected under CEC 680.21, whether it is 120-volt or 240-volt and whether the motor is cord-connected or hardwired. Check the equipment nameplate and document the protection method in the panel schedule.

  7. Verify underwater lighting circuits in the panel schedule

    CEC 680.23 requires GFCI protection for underwater luminaires operating above 15 volts. Plan-checkers reviewing a CEC 680.22 correction will scan the panel schedule for the lighting circuit. If it is not labeled as GFCI-protected with a dedicated breaker, they will flag it alongside your receptacle issue. Add a note in the schedule and identify the breaker type.

  8. Resubmit with a clouded revision block on every changed sheet

    Mark every sheet you revised with a revision cloud around each change and update the revision block with the date and correction number. Reviewers in most cities have a large queue; making the corrections obvious speeds up the review. If you are using Bluebeam, the revision cloud markup tool makes this a two-minute step. No clouds means the reviewer has to find the changes themselves, which sometimes means another round.

Take the CEC 680.22 fix steps with you

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Why you got flagged

Plan-checkers flag CEC 680.22 for a handful of reasons, and the corrections letters can be frustrating because they combine electrical and structural details on the same sheet.

The most common reason is a missing bonding diagram. CEC 680.26 requires all metal within 5 feet of the pool interior wall to be bonded together, and the plan-check reviewer needs to see a detail that shows the bonding conductor size (#8 solid copper minimum), the bonding path through the structural rebar, pump motor, light fixture housing, and any metal handrails. When the electrical plan just says "bond per code" without a diagram, the reviewer sends it back.

The second common flag is a receptacle inside the 6-foot or 10-foot setback. CEC 680.22(A) requires receptacles to be at least 6 feet from the inside wall of the pool; for certain receptacle types, that rises to 10 feet. Outdoor kitchen circuits, patio lighting receptacles, and sub-panels for pool equipment all need to be located and dimensioned on the site plan. When the plan shows a receptacle "near the equipment pad" without a dimension, the reviewer applies the worst-case reading and flags it.

GFCI protection omission is the third trigger. Any single-phase, 15- or 20-amp, 125- or 250-volt receptacle within 20 feet of the pool edge must be GFCI-protected. If the electrical schedule shows a standard duplex outlet on the patio within that zone, it comes back with a red mark.

Pool light circuits are sometimes missed as well. Underwater luminaires operating above 15 volts require GFCI protection under CEC 680.23, and plan-checkers reviewing the pool electrical sheet will cite 680.22 alongside 680.23 when the lighting panel schedule does not call out GFCI breakers.

The official code

California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) — Article 680, Receptacles and GFCI Requirements

Read the source →

Common questions

How far does a receptacle have to be from a pool under CEC 680.22?
No receptacle can be installed within 6 feet of the inside wall of a permanently installed pool or outdoor spa. Between 6 and 10 feet, any receptacle must be GFCI-protected and have a cover rated for damp or wet location. Beyond 10 feet and up to 20 feet, receptacles still need GFCI protection. Beyond 20 feet, standard protection applies. Measure from the inside wall of the pool shell, not the coping or deck edge. When your site plan is not dimensioned, the reviewer defaults to the most conservative reading and flags it.
Does CEC 680.22 apply to above-ground portable pools?
CEC 680.22 covers permanently installed pools and spas. Storable or portable pools (ones that can be disassembled and moved) fall under CEC 680.30 through 680.35 instead. If your pool is designed to be filled, emptied, and relocated, it is storable. If it is built into the ground or on a permanent deck structure, it is permanently installed and 680.22 applies. The distinction matters for bonding as well: permanently installed pools require the equipotential bonding grid under 680.26; storable pools do not.
What size bonding conductor is required for pool equipment?
The bonding conductor connecting metal components within 5 feet of the pool must be #8 AWG solid copper, bare, covered, or insulated. It must be continuous and connect all metal parts including structural rebar, pump motor frame, light fixture niche, metal handrails, ladders, and any other metal within the zone. The conductor does not need to be run in conduit. The bonding grid is not the same as a grounding conductor, which runs back to the panel. Both are required but serve different purposes. Your electrical plan needs to show the bonding path explicitly so the reviewer can verify continuity.
Does adding a hot tub to an existing pool require a new CEC 680.22 plan check?
Yes, adding a permanently installed spa or hot tub to a property with an existing pool requires a permit, and the plan check will review CEC 680.22 for the new installation. The plan-checker will look at the receptacle setbacks from both the pool and the spa, since they are now two separate water features with overlapping zones. If the existing pool electrical was installed before GFCI requirements took effect, the reviewer may not require you to upgrade the existing pool circuits, but they will require the new spa circuits to comply. Verify current adoption status with your city before assuming the existing circuits are grandfathered.
Is the pool pump circuit required to be GFCI-protected?
It depends on the voltage. Single-phase 120-volt pump circuits within the pool area require GFCI protection. For 240-volt single-phase pump motors, the requirement is more nuanced and depends on the circuit configuration and equipment type. Check the current adopted edition of CEC Article 680 and the equipment manufacturer spec sheet for the correct protection method. When in doubt, a GFCI breaker in the panel satisfies both configurations. Show the breaker type and amperage in the panel schedule so the reviewer does not have to ask.
Can a landscape lighting circuit near the pool satisfy CEC 680.22 with a GFCI outlet instead of a breaker?
Yes, a GFCI outlet at the first outlet in the circuit protects downstream outlets on the same circuit. This is often used for landscape lighting runs that pass through the 20-foot zone. The GFCI outlet must be accessible (not buried in a junction box under a concrete walkway), and you need to note on the electrical plan which outlet is the GFCI device and which are downstream. If the GFCI outlet trips and a downstream outlet loses power, a homeowner needs to be able to reach the reset button. The reviewer will want to see the protection method called out in the electrical schedule or on the plan.
Does CEC 680.22 apply to spa jets and water features, or just pools?
CEC 680.22 applies to permanently installed swimming pools and permanently installed outdoor spas and hot tubs. In-ground water features like fountains and ornamental ponds are covered under CEC 680.50 through 680.57. If your project has a combination pool and attached spa with shared equipment, both fall under Article 680 and the 680.22 receptacle setbacks apply from each water feature edge. Decorative water features without swimming access are technically separate, but reviewers will still want to see GFCI protection on any receptacle within reach of the water.

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