Who we are
Who runs New England Fence Pros, and how fence contractors are screened
New England Fence Pros belongs to Paul Leary, who also runs it day to day. Paul worked in the trades for 27 years, and since then he has put more than 15 years into making New England home-service contractors easier for local homeowners to find.
We introduce homeowners to contractors and stop there. No one here digs post holes, builds panels, hangs gates or files permit applications, and we never price a job. The scope, cost, schedule and any warranty are for you and your fence contractor to agree on.
Where your request goes
No fence contractor has signed on yet, so every request currently comes to us. We review it and reply by the next business day. Until contractors join, we can't guarantee an introduction to one near you.
Each request goes to one contractor and no more. If a different contractor takes over your town later on, an earlier request stays with the original contractor unless you ask us to move it.
The checks a fence contractor clears
A fence contractor gets no requests from New England Fence Pros until it has shown us each of the following that applies to it:
- for Massachusetts jobs, a Construction Supervisor License where the work calls for one; the state chart flags fences seven feet or taller and retaining walls over four feet;
- for Massachusetts jobs, a current Home Improvement Contractor registration if the contractor also does home improvement work that requires one;
- a certificate of liability insurance that is in force today;
- proof of workers' compensation coverage, if the contractor has employees.
Massachusetts exempts contractors who work only on fences from Home Improvement Contractor registration (201 CMR 18.01). The state's contractor chart says a building permit or construction supervisor license is not required for a fence under seven feet, and it requires both for an exterior retaining wall over four feet (OCABR contractor resources). A company that also builds decks, in-ground pools or other covered work is not fence-only, which is why we check its registration. In New Hampshire, the Attorney General says "contractors do not need to be licensed" (Attorney General guidance, 2022), so a New Hampshire job rests on the insurance and workers' compensation items.
Every participating contractor also agrees in writing to the towns it serves, the kinds of fence work it accepts and how fast it responds. A contractor that falls short of that agreement loses its area.
You can do some of this checking yourself. In Massachusetts, search a company's registration on the state's Contractor Hub. In New Hampshire, the Attorney General recommends asking every contractor for proof of insurance, references from past jobs and the names of the suppliers it uses.
One contractor per area
Each area holds a single participating contractor. That contractor may pay New England Fence Pros for marketing, yet payment never excuses it from a check, and homeowners pay us nothing at all.
Spotted a problem?
If a referral didn't go well, or something on this site looks out of date, call (978) 800-2452.