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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in North Andover, MA
North Andover draws its fence permit line at six feet, a foot lower than its neighbor Andover, so a tall privacy fence here usually means paperwork. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- North Andover fence, pool and wetland rules
- Old Center to Machine Shop Village
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Fences in North Andover
Tell us 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.
Over six feet, or in the Old Center?
(978) 800-2452Tell us the height and where the house is, and we'll connect you with a fence contractor who handles North Andover permits.
Permits
Fence permits in North Andover
Six feet, not seven. The Building Department FAQ says a building permit is required if a fence is over six feet in height, and that the state building code, 780 CMR, regulates fence height. That local line sits a foot under the state code exemption described below, so a seven-foot fence that would be exempt under state code alone still needs a permit here. The same FAQ adds that the Historic District Commission must review work on a property in the historic district.
The office. The Building Department is at 120 Main St. As posted in November 2026, the building inspector is available 8 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Permits are filed on OpenGov; the fee schedule sits in a linked folder we could not read, so ask for the current fee.
- Building permit
- Required for a fence over 6 ft (Building Department FAQ)
- Property line
- Close to it is fine; nothing over it
- Historic district
- Commission review first
- Pool fence
- Self-closing, self-latching once the pool holds water
- Wetland edge
- No activity within 25 ft
State rules, in brief. Massachusetts code lists "Fences not over seven feet" as exempt from a state building permit, and the state chart says under seven feet; North Andover's lower local threshold governs here. A contractor that only does fencing is exempt from Home Improvement Contractor registration under 201 CMR 18.01(6)(k), and because the Guaranty Fund covers registered contractors only, a written contract is sensible. Dig Safe says property owners and contractors are both required by law to notify it before digging, at least 72 hours ahead not counting weekends or holidays and no more than 30 days ahead; state law treats augering as excavation (Dig Safe; c.82 §40; §40A). Our Massachusetts rules page covers the rest.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. We are a referral service, not an installer; the fence contractor you hire files the permit.
Height and placement
Height limits, setbacks and corner lots in North Andover
On the line. The town FAQ says a fence can be installed close to the property line as long as no part of it extends over a neighbor's property. We found no rule on which side faces out or on fences in easements. If the boundary is in question, a survey settles where it is.
Corner lots. Chapter 195's setback provisions require buildings on corner lots to keep the front setback from both streets, except in R-4, where the side street needs at least 20 feet (Zoning, setbacks). That rule speaks of buildings; we found no fence height cap or corner visibility triangle for house lots in the zoning text we read, so ask the Building Department before a corner fence goes up.
Pending changes. The zoning index lists two zoning amendments adopted at the May 12, 2026 Annual Town Meeting, Articles 24 and 25, as not yet incorporated into the code. They deal with accessory dwelling units and limited site plan review, and neither mentions fences.
Pools
Pool fences in North Andover
The town rule. North Andover's FAQ requires a self-closing, self-latching fence for a pool as soon as the pool can hold water, and says no pool building permit will be issued unless an electrical permit has gone to a Massachusetts licensed electrician. The town doesn't post a barrier height or gate specification of its own.
The state layer. For height and gate details, the state building code adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. CPSC's guidance, which is advisory, describes a barrier at least 48 inches above grade and gates that open outward from the pool and latch themselves (CPSC Pub. 362). Confirm the details with the Building Department when the pool permit is filed.
Historic review and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in North Andover
Old Center Historic District. Chapter 110 of the General Bylaws has the commission review exterior features clearly visible from any public street, way or land, and takes its terms from the state historic districts act, which counts fences and walls as structures (Old Center bylaw). Applicants are asked to file plot and site plans for improvements involving landscape features such as walls and fences. The section 110-7 exemptions cover plantings, at-grade terraces, walks, sidewalks and driveways, like-for-like repair or replacement, and features not clearly visible from a public way; new fences are not on that list.
Machine Shop Village. The neighborhood conservation district (Chapter 125) requires a certificate for alterations to buildings, and defines a structure as materials forming a shelter (Chapter 125). We could not read its exclusions, so ask whether a fence there is reviewed.
Wetlands. Under the wetlands bylaw and its regulations, no activity is permitted within 25 feet of the edge of a wetland resource area, including grading, landscaping, clearing, filling or excavating; the inner 50 feet is a no-build zone, with retaining walls only where there is no feasible alternative. Riverfront areas extend 200 feet along the Merrimack, the Shawsheen and several brooks, including Mosquito, Cochichewick and Fish, and owners need a Professional Wetland Scientist to flag the wetland line (Conservation FAQ; Chapters 190 and 260). The Lake Cochichewick Watershed Protection District adds non-disturbance buffer limits of its own (§195-4.19).
Flood zones. About 19.5% of the town's land lies in the 1% or 0.2% annual-chance flood zones, according to the September 2021 hazard mitigation plan, which recalls the Mother's Day 2006 and spring 2010 floods (HMP-MVP report).
North Andover's homes
From Georgian Old Centre houses to 1920s subdivisions
The town's Housing Production Plan 2018–2022 puts about 18% of homes before 1940 and about 60% before 1979, with roughly 56% detached single-family.
A 2005 state heritage reconnaissance report describes Georgian and Federal houses around the Old Centre on Academy Road and Andover Street, Machine Shop Village with everything from row houses to mansions, Tavern Acres as a 1920s subdivision laid out by the Olmsted Brothers, and the Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill (Reconnaissance Report). A low picket or post-and-rail suits the Old Centre streetscape, where the commission reviews visible fences, and elsewhere a privacy fence kept to six feet or less stays under the town's permit line.
FAQ
North Andover fence questions
At what height does a fence need a permit in North Andover?
The Building Department's FAQ says a building permit is required once a fence is over six feet tall. If the property is in the historic district, the Historic District Commission also has to review the work.
How close to the property line can a fence go in North Andover?
Close, according to the town FAQ, as long as no part of the fence extends over the neighbor's property. A survey is the way to confirm where that line is.
When does a pool need its fence in North Andover?
As soon as the pool can hold water, the town requires a self-closing, self-latching fence. No pool building permit is issued until a Massachusetts licensed electrician has an electrical permit for the job.
Are fences exempt in the Old Center Historic District?
No. The bylaw's exemptions cover plantings, at-grade walks and terraces, like-for-like repairs and features not clearly visible from a public way, and the commission asks for plot and site plans for walls and fences.
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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