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Chain Link and Aluminum Fence Installation in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
A coated chain link run to keep the dog in the backyard, a galvanized fence along a property line, or black aluminum pickets around a new in-ground pool. Both are open styles that keep sight lines clear, and both are common choices for pool enclosures, where the building code and its inspector have the final word. Call (978) 800-2452 or send the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
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- Pool fence rules explained
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Mesh, pickets and pools
Chain link and aluminum, side by side
Chain link. Woven steel mesh hung on steel posts and a top rail, either galvanized or with a vinyl coating, often black or green, that blends into a yard. It is widely used for dog runs, backyard enclosures and long property-line runs. Privacy slats can be woven into the mesh, and taller heights are available for larger dogs.
Aluminum. Ornamental aluminum fencing uses powder-coated pickets and rails in panels, usually black, bronze or white, with styles from flat tops to spear points. It won't rust the way bare steel can, keeps a front yard open to view, and suits pool enclosures because the picket spacing and gate hardware can be matched to pool guidance (if the replacement goes in HTML rather than a PHP string, write the apostrophe plainly).
Questions to ask. For chain link: the wire gauge and mesh size, the coating, the post and top-rail sizes, and whether a bottom tension wire is included. For aluminum: the picket spacing, the rail layout, how panels step or rack on a slope, and what hinges and latches come on the gates. For both: how posts are set, and how gates are braced so they don't sag.
Pool work first. If the fence encloses a pool, tell the contractor up front and talk to the building department before ordering, since the inspector decides whether the barrier passes. Existing gate trouble? See fence repair.
Pool enclosures
Federal pool fence guidance, applied to chain link and aluminum
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Safety Barrier Guidelines for Residential Pools" are guidance, not a mandatory standard, and the guidelines say a barrier never replaces adult supervision. The code your building department enforces governs; these figures explain what inspectors and installers commonly work toward (CPSC Pub. 362):
- Height and clearance. The top at least 48 inches above grade, with no more than 4 inches between the bottom and the ground, or 2 inches over grass, gravel and other loose surfaces.
- Chain-link mesh. No larger than 1¼ inches square, unless slats fastened at the top or bottom shrink the openings to no more than 1¾ inches.
- Aluminum pickets. No opening a 4-inch sphere can pass. Where horizontal rails are less than 45 inches apart, they go on the pool side, and the gaps between pickets should be no more than 1¾ inches.
- Gates. Opening outward away from the pool, self-closing and self-latching, with any release lower than 54 inches placed on the pool side at least 3 inches below the top.
- Other sides. Door alarms where the house wall forms part of the barrier, and steps or ladders of an above-ground pool secured, locked, removed or surrounded by a barrier.
Massachusetts
Chain link and aluminum fences in Massachusetts
Permits. The state building code exempts "Fences not over seven feet" high from a building permit (780 CMR R105.2), but town zoning can still set limits and require a permit. For pools, the code requires compliance with the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (780 CMR R101.4.15; 3109.1), and the state chart marks both above-ground and in-ground pools yes for a building permit (HIC contractor resources).
The contractor. A company that works only on fences is exempt from Home Improvement Contractor registration; one that also builds in-ground pools or other covered work is not fence-only and must be registered (201 CMR 18.01). The Guaranty Fund, which repays up to $25,000 of actual losses (as of November 2026), is open only to homeowners who used a registered contractor (OCABR homeowner resources). Before posts go in, Dig Safe needs at least 72 hours' notice, not counting weekends and legal holidays (M.G.L. c.82 §40A).
New Hampshire
Chain link and aluminum fences in New Hampshire
Permits and the pool code. The town or city issues building permits and may enforce stricter local codes (RSA 155-A:2). The state building code includes the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (RSA 155-A:1), and the town building department enforces it. The 2024 editions took effect July 1, 2026; through December 31, 2026 either set may be used, and from January 1, 2027 the 2024 codes apply to every permit request (Town of Merrimack code page).
Hiring and digging. The Attorney General says "contractors do not need to be licensed" in New Hampshire, so ask for references, suppliers and proof of insurance, and sign a written contract before paying (NH Attorney General). Dig Safe needs notice at least 72 hours ahead, excluding weekends and legal holidays, with the dig area premarked in white (RSA 374:51).
New Hampshire fence rules and the towns we cover.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Fence Pros is a referral service. We don't sell or install fences.
FAQ
Chain link and aluminum fence questions
Can chain link be used around a pool?
It can, if it meets the pool code your building department enforces. Federal CPSC guidance says chain-link mesh should be no larger than 1¼ inches square, unless slats reduce the openings to no more than 1¾ inches, and the barrier should be at least 48 inches tall.
What should an aluminum pool fence gate do?
CPSC guidance says pool gates should open outward away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching. If the release is less than 54 inches from the bottom of the gate, it belongs on the pool side at least 3 inches below the top, with no opening over ½ inch within 18 inches of it.
Does a pool fence need a permit?
In Massachusetts, the state contractor chart marks above-ground and in-ground pools yes for a building permit, and pools fall under the state building code's pool code. In New Hampshire, the town building department enforces the state building code, including its pool code. Ask your building department what it needs for the fence.
Is the house wall allowed to be one side of the pool barrier?
Ask your building department how it applies the pool code to your house. CPSC guidance says that where the house forms part of the barrier, doors leading to the pool should have alarms.
Do I pay New England Fence Pros anything?
No. The request and referral are free; the fence contractor prices the work.
Town guides
Local rules for chain link and aluminum fences by town
Each town page explains when that town wants a fence permit, the height and setback limits, pool barrier and historic rules, and the kinds of homes 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.