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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in Lexington, MA
Lexington spells out its fence limits on a single Building Office sheet: 6 feet along the sides and rear, 4 feet at the front property line, and two fences set close together measured as one. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Lexington fence limits on this page
- Battle Green to Five Fields
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Fences in Lexington
What is the fence for?
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.
In a historic district?
(978) 800-2452Tell us your street and the style you have in mind, and we'll connect you with a fence contractor familiar with Lexington's height sheet and design review.
Permits
Fence permits in Lexington
The 6- and 7-foot thresholds. The Building Office handout Fences and Retaining Wall Regulations, which carries no date, says a fence under 6 feet needs no building permit, one over 6 feet needs a building permit, and one over 7 feet also needs a special permit. The same sheet tells owners to check with the Conservation Commission, the Historic Districts Commission and the Neighborhood Conservation Districts before building, and it says identifying the boundary takes a stamped, certified plot plan from a Massachusetts licensed land surveyor.
Applying and fees. The Building Office is at 1625 Massachusetts Ave (781-698-4530) and takes every permit through its OpenGov portal. Its fee schedule, approved May 23, 2022 and effective September 1, 2022, charges alterations $13 per $1,000 with a $40 minimum on all permits and $50 for a reinspection (Link https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16897 (keep /1291 as a second link if wanted).).
- Under 6 ft
- No building permit (undated town handout)
- Over 6 ft
- Building permit
- Over 7 ft
- Building permit plus special permit
- Boundary questions
- Stamped plot plan from a licensed land surveyor
- Minimum permit fee
- $40 (effective Sept 1, 2022)
- Office
- Building Office, 1625 Massachusetts Ave
State rules in brief. At the state level, 780 CMR exempts "Fences not over seven feet" from a building permit, while the state contractor chart phrases it as under seven feet; Lexington's lower 6-foot permit line still governs here. Companies that do fencing and nothing else are exempt from Home Improvement Contractor registration (201 CMR 18.01(6)(k)), and the Guaranty Fund serves only registered contractors, so get a written contract. Dig Safe tells property owners and contractors they are required by law to notify it before digging post holes, at least 72 hours ahead not counting weekends or holidays, and state law adds that notice may come no more than 30 days before the dig (Dig Safe; c.82 §40A). Details are on our Massachusetts rules page.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by November 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 Lexington
The numbers on the sheet. The same fence handout allows fences up to 6 feet at side and rear lot lines and a fence or retaining wall up to 4 feet at the front property line. Posts may rise 6 inches above the fence. When two or more fences or walls stand closer together than the height of the tallest, they count as one structure with a combined maximum of 6 feet, which matters if you are tucking a new fence inside an old one or stepping a fence on top of a low wall.
Retaining walls and sight lines. A retaining wall may sit in a side or rear setback but has to stand back from the lot line by at least its own height. The sheet also says plainly that you cannot block sight lines along a street, and that on a corner lot a fence may need to be lower and set back from the corner; it gives no triangle dimensions, so ask the Building Office for your lot. Fence or wall work that doesn't change terrain or drainage is exempt from the town stormwater bylaw (§114-4B(6)).
Pool fences in Lexington. We found no town page setting its own pool barrier rules, so the state building code governs: Massachusetts adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and the CPSC's advisory guidance calls for a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates (CPSC Pub. 362). Ask the Building Office what it checks at inspection. Note also that the town's wetland rules count a pool as impervious surface unless it can hold the design storm for 24 hours (wetland regulations).
Historic districts and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in Lexington
Four districts, about 2,000 properties. Battle Green, Hancock-Clarke, Munroe Tavern and East Village `are governed by Chapter 447 of the Acts of 1956, as amended (2020 amendment;` (the existing ` Historical Commission)` that follows closes the parenthesis) (Historical Commission). The Historic Districts Guidelines, approved February 7, 2019, treat fences and walls as structures and review only what can be seen from a public way. They discourage solid board privacy fences, call stockade, chain link, light-gauge metal and concrete block inappropriate, say PVC or vinyl is unlikely to be approved, and expect wood fences to be left natural or painted white. New masonry or retaining walls should follow historic patterns or stay out of view. Applications go through OpenGov, and a Formal Hearing application has no fee (Historic Districts Commission).
Pierce-Lockwood. The Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood Conservation District, adopted at Town Meeting on April 11, 2018, Append: `; solid fences reaching past the front corners of a building toward the street still need review` (NCD bylaw). Turning Mill is the town's second NCD; ask its commission how it treats fences.
Wetlands. Under Chapter 130 and regulations amended September 13, 2021, the Conservation Commission's buffer runs 100 feet, or from the 100-year storm elevation if that reaches farther. The regulations bar vegetation removal within 25 feet, and the Commission "will not approve any structure, roadway, driveway, or other constructed surface within 50 feet" except in extraordinary circumstances (wetland regulations). A lawn fence has an easier route: since October 3, 2022, fences, stone walls and cordwood stacks in existing lawn at least 25 feet from the wetland line, built so wildlife can still pass, qualify for administrative review (minor activities policy). The residential fee is $75 under the schedule effective March 1, 2023 (Conservation fees), and violations can draw up to $300 per day (Conservation Rules and Permits).
Lexington's homes
Mostly single-family, spread across three building eras
The town's Housing Needs Assessment of June 24, 2025 (revised August 18, 2025) counts about 82% of homes as single-family, with 22% built in 1939 or earlier, 24% between 1940 and 1959 and 23% between 1960 and 1979 (Housing Needs Assessment). On a lot that old, check first whether it falls in a historic or neighborhood conservation district.
An undated town zoning overview lists house setbacks of 30 feet in front (20 on a secondary street), 15 feet at the rear and 7.5 to 15 feet at the sides depending on frontage (zoning overview). The Historical Commission also points to the recent-past enclaves of Moon Hill, Five Fields and Peacock Farm (Historical Commission).
FAQ
Lexington fence questions
Do I need a building permit for a 6 ft fence in Lexington?
The Building Office's fence and retaining wall sheet says fences under 6 feet need no building permit, a fence over 6 feet does, and a fence over 7 feet needs a special permit as well. The sheet is undated, so confirm with the Building Office, and check with Conservation and the historic or neighborhood district commissions if they apply.
Can I put a second fence just inside my neighbor's fence?
Under the town sheet, two or more fences or walls closer together than the height of the tallest one are treated as a single structure, with a combined limit of 6 feet. Space them farther apart than that, or plan the pair as one fence.
Will the Historic Districts Commission approve a vinyl fence?
Probably not. The commission's guidelines, approved February 7, 2019, call PVC or vinyl fencing unlikely to be approved and list stockade, chain link, light-gauge metal and concrete block as not appropriate where they can be seen from a public way. Wood fences are expected to be natural or white.
Can a fence near a wetland skip the full Conservation filing?
Sometimes. Since October 3, 2022 the Commission has allowed administrative review for fences, stone walls and cordwood stacks in existing lawn at least 25 feet from the wetland line that don't block wildlife. The residential fee for that review is $75 under the schedule effective March 1, 2023.
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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