The 2024 IRC prohibits embedded radiant cables within its pool-area-heating scope.
The 2024 International Residential Code prohibits radiant heating cables embedded in or below a pool deck under section E4206.14.3, which references NEC 680.27(C)(3).
Read this with E4206.14: the pool-area-heating provisions cover pool-deck areas, including covered pools, where electrically operated comfort heating units are installed within 20 feet of the pool’s inside wall. The separate five-foot setback for mounted radiant heaters is not permission to install embedded cable five feet from the pool.
Use the electrical and building-code editions adopted for the project and have the designer or electrical contractor confirm the applicable scope with the authority having jurisdiction. This U.S. model-code citation does not establish a Canada-wide allowance or a universal rule for every location beyond its stated scope.
Do not specify a snow-melting cable for a pool-deck installation based only on its outdoor rating or on a general setback distance.