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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in Burlington, MA
Burlington's half-acre subdivisions are classic backyard fence country, but we found no fence height or permit rule posted by the town, so the Building Department is the first call. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
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- What Burlington posts about fences
- Town Center to Wynnmere
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Fences in Burlington
Pick the fence job
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.
Fencing in a pool or a yard?
(978) 800-2452Tell us the lot size and what the fence has to keep in or out, and we'll connect you with a fence contractor who works in Burlington.
Permits
Fence permits in Burlington
What the town says, and doesn't. Burlington's Permits & Applications page states that "most projects require a building permit before work begins," and that residential accessory structures under 200 square feet, such as sheds, play structures and gazebos, need no building permit but must still meet setbacks. Fences, walls and pools are not mentioned. We did not find a town statement on when a fence needs a permit, so ask the Building Department before you set a date.
The office. The Building Department is at Town Hall, 29 Center St, and takes project questions at 781-270-1615. The town asks applicants to allow at least two weeks for review and to contact Conservation before applying when a wetland is nearby. Applications go through OpenGov.
Fees. The town's Building Permit Fees as of August 2026 lists residential work at $13 per $1,000 with a $50 minimum. It has no fence line.
- Fence permit threshold
- Not posted; ask the Building Department
- Fence height limit
- Not confirmed; ask the Building Department
- Residential building fee
- $13 per $1,000, $50 minimum (as of August 2026)
- Review time
- Allow at least two weeks
- Office
- Building Department, Town Hall, 29 Center St
State rules in brief. Massachusetts' building code lists "Fences not over seven feet" as exempt from a state building permit, and the state's contractor chart says under seven feet; the town can still have its own requirements. A contractor who installs only fences is exempt from Home Improvement Contractor registration under 201 CMR 18.01(6)(k), so the Guaranty Fund for registered contractors generally won't be available; a written contract still makes sense. Dig Safe states that property owners and contractors are required by law to notify it before digging, at least 72 hours ahead excluding weekends and holidays (Dig Safe); state law caps notice at 30 days before the dig (c.82 §40A) and includes augering as excavation (c.82 §40). Our Massachusetts rules page has more.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by May 2027. New England Fence Pros is a referral service: we don't build fences or pull permits, and the contractor you hire handles the paperwork.
Height and placement
Height limits, setbacks and corner lots in Burlington
No posted height rule. The Zoning Bylaw, as amended through January 2025 with Attorney General approval noted May 30, 2025, may have a fence height or corner visibility rule we could not confirm, since the posted file did not give us the later articles. Fences show up twice: in the definition of screening ("A solid fence, wall or evergreen planting") and in the Wetlands District, where section 4.4.2.1 limits accessory uses to "fences, flagpoles, noncommercial signs, docks." Ask the Building Department for the height it applies, especially on a corner lot.
Setbacks. A Planning Board zoning article (dated October 28, 2025 in its file name) quotes section 5.1.3.3: accessory uses in the RO district may not occupy the required front or side setbacks or more than 20% of the rear yard, with RO yards of 25 feet in front and 15 feet at the sides and rear (Planning Board article). The town does not say whether that limit applies to fences, so ask. The Stormwater Bylaw update approved September 28, 2022 exempts building features that "will not substantially alter existing terrain or drainage patterns," naming fencing as an example. Where a boundary is uncertain, a survey can confirm the line.
Pool fences in Burlington. A residential swimming pool is allowed by right in RO and by special permit in RG (zoning section 4.3.1.8), and the August 2026 fee list prices pool permits as above. We found no town barrier rule, so the state building code applies, which adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. CPSC guidance, which is advisory, suggests a barrier at least 48 inches tall and gates that close and latch by themselves (CPSC Pub. 362).
Historic review and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in Burlington
No historic district. We found no local historic district in Burlington, so fence style isn't reviewed by a commission. The General Bylaws do list a demolition permit delay in Article XIV section 8.0 (General Bylaws).
Wetlands. The town's Wetlands Bylaw covers a 100-foot buffer, plus 200 feet along mapped regulatory streams, perennial or intermittent. Its regulations, amended March 14, 2024 and effective April 1, 2024, presume that filling, excavating, grading or vegetation removal on an existing house lot within the 20-foot no-disturb zone, or within the building setback of "40 ft. or no closer than existing dwelling", alters a resource area; the presumption can be rebutted. Among activities presumed not to alter a resource area is "construction or installation of fences or structures not requiring a building permit," provided the setback distances are met. Tree removal in the buffer needs Conservation approval, and a local Request for Determination for buffer work at an existing single-family home is $50 (wetland regulations). The Commission's policy aims for a 20-foot natural strip between wetlands and any disturbance (Commission policies).
Flood and groundwater. The town posts a Floodplain Development Permit application on its permits page, and new Middlesex County flood maps took effect July 8, 2025. The town's Hazard Mitigation Plan update, posted as a final draft with a September 2025 cover date, notes groundwater flooding in Fox Hill and the Sandy Brook and Long Meadow Brook area (Hazard Mitigation Plan), which is worth knowing when setting posts in wet ground.
Burlington's homes
Post-Route 128 subdivisions on half-acre lots
Burlington grew fast once Route 128 arrived. The state's 1980 reconnaissance survey calls it the "fastest growing town in the state" between 1955 and 1965 and names Town Center, Great Meadow, Vine Brook Valley, Havenville and Wynnmere among its areas (MHC survey). The 2019 Open Space and Recreation Plan describes farmland giving way to subdivisions and notes half-acre (20,000 square foot) single-family zoning (2019 OSRP).
The 2022 Housing Needs Assessment counts 65% of homes as detached single-family (MAPC housing assessment). Lots that size leave room for a full backyard enclosure or a pool fence, so settle the setback and wetland questions above early.
FAQ
Burlington fence questions
Does Burlington require a permit for a fence?
The town doesn't say either way. Its permits page says most projects need a building permit and that sheds, play structures and gazebos under 200 square feet don't, but it never mentions fences, and we could not confirm a zoning fence height rule. Call the Building Department at 781-270-1615 before the posts go in.
What does a pool permit cost in Burlington?
On the town's list of building permit fees as of August 2026, an above-ground pool is $50 and an in-ground pool is $13 per $1,000 of value with a $75 minimum. The fence around it is not listed separately.
Can I put a fence near the wetland behind my house?
Talk to Conservation first. The town's wetland regulations, effective April 1, 2024, presume that filling, digging, grading or clearing within 20 feet of a resource area on an existing house lot harms it, though that presumption can be rebutted. They also presume that fences, or structures not requiring a building permit, do no harm if they meet those setback distances.
Does a historic commission review fences in Burlington?
We found no local historic district in Burlington, so no commission reviews fence style. Wetland and setback rules still apply.
What does it cost me to use New England Fence Pros?
Nothing. Asking is free for homeowners; the contractor prices the job, and the price and contract are between you and them.
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