New Fences, Gates, Pool Fences and Fence Repair for Massachusetts and New Hampshire Homes
Privacy for the backyard, a safe enclosure around the pool, room for the dog to run, or a line of posts the last storm pushed over? New England Fence Pros connects Massachusetts and New Hampshire homeowners with a screened local fence contractor, free of charge. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Contractors screened before referrals
- One contractor per area
Ask About Fence Service in Your Area
Tell us what kind of fence you have in mind, or what needs fixing. A person reads it and replies with what happens next.
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What we refer
What kind of fence work is it?
Wood Fences
Privacy, picket, stockade and split-rail fences in cedar or pressure-treated lumber, new or replaced.
Vinyl Fences
Low-upkeep PVC privacy, semi-privacy and picket fences, with matching gates.
Chain Link & Aluminum
Galvanized or coated chain link and ornamental aluminum, including pool enclosures built to code.
Fence Repair
Leaning or rotted posts, sagging gates, storm-damaged sections and broken pickets or panels.
Not sure what you need?
(978) 800-2452Posts that heave a little more each spring, a gate that drags on the ground, a pool that needs an enclosure, a property line you aren't certain of: tell us what you're looking at and we'll help you sort out the next step.
How it works
Send one request, hear from one contractor
Fence contractors get busy once the ground thaws, and chasing several of them for a callback can eat up time. Tell us your town and the job, and the request comes to us. No fence contractors are participating yet; we are signing them up one area at a time, and in the meantime a person here answers every request.
No area ever has more than one participating contractor. We don't set posts, hang gates, sell materials or apply for permits, and we sign no contracts. You and the contractor settle the price, the schedule and the agreement.
- Describe the job. Your town, roughly how many feet of fence, the height and material you're leaning toward, how many gates, and anything about the ground, such as ledge, a slope, wet spots or a pool the fence has to enclose.
- A person reads it and replies. Every request is read by a person, who writes back with what to do next.
- Know the line, then call Dig Safe. Before any posts go in, be sure where the property line runs; a survey, or a question to the town, settles it. Dig Safe must also be notified at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays, and it says that applies to a fence on your own property too.
Service area
Towns we cover in both states
A town page lays out when that town asks for a fence permit, its limits on height and setbacks, any pool barrier or historic district rules, and the kinds of homes and lots common there. Towns with a local guide so far: Greater Lowell, MA (Lowell, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford, Tyngsborough and Pepperell), Andover, Lawrence & Haverhill, MA (Methuen, Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill), Woburn, Reading & Melrose, MA (Woburn, Lexington, Burlington, Wilmington, North Reading, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham and Winchester), Nashua Region, NH (Nashua, Hudson and Merrimack), Salem, Derry & Londonderry, NH (Pelham, Salem, Windham, Derry and Londonderry), Manchester & Bedford, NH (Manchester and Bedford) and Portsmouth, Dover & Rochester, NH (Portsmouth, Dover and Rochester). We add towns across New England as we can cover them properly.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts fence rules and every town we cover →
New Hampshire
State rules
Fence work under Massachusetts and New Hampshire rules
Massachusetts: registration, the seven-foot line and your town
Registration. State regulations exempt any contractor that works exclusively in fencing from Home Improvement Contractor registration (201 CMR 18.01), and the state's contractor chart marks its Fencing row "no" for HIC (OCABR contractor resources). A company that also builds decks, in-ground pools or other covered home improvement work is not fence-only and needs a registration, which you can look up on the state Contractor Hub. The state Guaranty Fund pays as much as $25,000 toward actual losses (as of November 2026), but only homeowners who hired a registered contractor can apply (OCABR homeowner resources), so on a fence-only job a written contract and a modest deposit are sensible precautions.
Permits. The state building code lists "Fences not over seven feet" high among work that needs no building permit (780 CMR R105.2). The contractor chart words it a little differently, saying no building permit or construction supervisor license is required if the fence is "under seven feet high," and it calls itself general guidance only. Neither one overrides town zoning, which can limit fence height near streets and corners, set setbacks and call for a zoning or fence permit, so check with your building or zoning office.
Spite fences. Massachusetts law treats a fence as a private nuisance when it unnecessarily exceeds six feet in height and is maliciously put up or kept to annoy the neighbors, and it lets the injured neighbor sue for damages (M.G.L. c.49 §21).
New Hampshire: vetting is yours, permits are the town's
No state license. The Attorney General's office says "contractors do not need to be licensed" in New Hampshire. It advises asking for references from past jobs and from the suppliers a contractor uses, asking each contractor for proof of insurance, and having a written contract before any work is done or any payment made; it calls a down payment over 50% of the final cost a warning sign (NH Attorney General, March 2022).
Permits. Issuing building permits is reserved to cities, towns, counties and village districts, and local codes stricter than the state code stay in force (RSA 155-A:2), so ask your building department whether your fence needs a permit and ask zoning about height and setbacks. The state code moved to the 2024 editions on July 1, 2026; applicants may use either set until December 31, 2026, and starting January 1, 2027 only the 2024 codes apply (Town of Merrimack code page).
Spite fences. New Hampshire's threshold is lower: a fence unnecessarily exceeding 5 feet, put up or kept to annoy the owners or occupants next door, is a private nuisance (RSA 476:1).
Post holes and pool fences in both states
Dig Safe. Massachusetts counts augering and digging as excavation (<a href="https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter82/Section40">M.G.L. c.82 §40</a>) and requires notice at least 72 hours ahead, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and no more than 30 days before digging (M.G.L. c.82 §40A). New Hampshire sets the same 72 hours and requires the dig area to be premarked in white (RSA 374:51). Dig Safe names a fence on your own property as a project to report; call 811, and the service is free (Dig Safe).
Pool barriers. Both states apply the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code through their building codes, enforced by the local building official (780 CMR 3109.1; RSA 155-A:1). Federal guidance, which is advice rather than law, calls for a barrier at least 48 inches tall with no opening a 4-inch sphere can pass, and gates that open outward away from the pool and close and latch on their own (CPSC Pub. 362).
Massachusetts fence rules in full · New Hampshire fence rules in full
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027.
FAQ
Common questions
Do homeowners pay anything for this?
No. Sending a request is free. The fence contractor prices its own work, and you and the contractor agree on the price and terms between yourselves.
Will a crowd of contractors start calling me?
No. Your request goes only to the one contractor assigned to your town, or to us if your town has none yet. We never pass it around to a list.
What fence work do you refer?
New wood, vinyl, chain link and aluminum fences, gates, pool fences and repairs to existing fences at homes in the towns we cover.
Does a fence contractor need a state license?
In Massachusetts, a contractor that works only on fences is exempt from Home Improvement Contractor registration, and the state chart says a construction supervisor license is not needed for a fence under seven feet high. In New Hampshire, the Attorney General says contractors do not need to be licensed. In both states, references and proof of insurance carry the weight.
Do I need a permit to put up a fence?
The Massachusetts building code lists fences not over seven feet high among work that needs no building permit, but your town's zoning can still limit height and placement or call for its own permit. In New Hampshire, towns issue building permits and may enforce codes stricter than the state's. Either way, call the building or zoning office before materials are ordered.