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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in North Reading, MA
In North Reading the key figure is 7 feet: the town says a fence needs no building permit until it goes over 7 feet, and zoning holds fences and walls in residence districts to that height. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- North Reading fence rules on this page
- Center Village to the large-lot districts
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Fences in North Reading
Which fence do you need?
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.
Rocky or wet lot?
(978) 800-2452Tell us about the stones, slope or wet spots along the fence line, and we'll connect you with a fence contractor who works in North Reading.
Permits
Fence permits in North Reading
Over 7 feet. North Reading's building FAQ says a fence needs no building permit unless it is over 7 feet. That doesn't settle every question: the zoning cap, the historic district and the wetland bylaw described below can still apply to a shorter fence.
Applying. Permits are filed through PermitEyes, and every application carries the contractor's license and a liability insurance certificate naming the Town as certificate holder (Link https://www.northreadingma.gov/node/81 with anchor `Building Department page`.). The Building Commissioner takes calls at 978-357-5240 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. (Building Department).
Fees. The town's permit fees, revised 11/1/2024, set residential building work at $13 per $1,000 with a $75 minimum residential permit, $75 re-inspections and a $100 stop work order.
- Building permit
- Only over 7 ft (town FAQ)
- Zoning height, residence districts
- 7 ft, retaining walls excepted
- Minimum residential permit
- $75 (fees revised 11/1/2024)
- Filing
- PermitEyes, with license and insurance certificate
- Office
- Building Department, Building Commissioner
State rules in brief. The state building code exempts "Fences not over seven feet" from a building permit, and the state contractor chart describes the same exemption as under seven feet; the town's FAQ lines up with that. A contractor who works only on fences doesn't have to register as a Home Improvement Contractor (201 CMR 18.01(6)(k)), which leaves the job outside the Guaranty Fund for registered contractors, so a written contract is a sensible precaution. Dig Safe says property owners and contractors must by law notify it at least 72 hours before digging, not counting weekends and holidays(Dig Safe); state law caps notice at 30 days before the dig (c.82 §40A) and counts augering as excavation (c.82 §40). More 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 North Reading
Zoning section 200-36A(5). Fences and walls must not interfere with the safe operation of motor vehicles, and in residence districts "they shall not be more than seven (7) feet in height unless used as a retaining wall" (§200-36). That traffic language is the only sight-line rule we found for house lots; the 2-foot corner landscaping limit in the Site Plan Review chapter applies to projects that go through site plan review, which the chapter requires for commercial, industrial and mixed-use development (Chapter 340). On a corner, ask the Building Department how the traffic rule applies before choosing a solid style.
The line and drainage. We found no town rule on the finished side or on easements. A survey can confirm a boundary when it is in doubt. The stormwater bylaw exempts "fencing that will not substantially alter existing terrain or drainage" (Chapter 156).
Pool fences in North Reading. The Building Department posts Spa and Pool Regulations we could not read, and its fee schedule asks for the fence design with an in-ground pool permit; the state building code adopts the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code; CPSC's advisory guidance suggests at least 48 inches with self-closing, self-latching gates (CPSC Pub. 362). What the town does post is placement: pools, like sheds and detached garages, need a plot plan showing setbacks of "front lot line 20', side/back 10', and septic setbacks 10' to the tank and 20' to the leach field" (Building Department).
Historic district and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in North Reading
Center Village. The Center Village Historic District takes in nine buildings in the old town center, with design guidelines from 2008, and the Historic District Commission "must approve any exterior alterations" (Historic District Commission). Optionally cite node/281 alongside. and defines a structure to include "a sign, fence, wall, terrace, walk or driveway" (historic district bylaw). A fence at one of those properties belongs in front of the commission first.
Wetlands. The Wetlands Protection Bylaw (Chapter 196, adopted 1992 and amended in 2000 and 2018) protects resource areas and "lands within 100 feet" of them; no one may "remove, fill, dredge, build upon, degrade, or alter" them without the Conservation Commission's permission. Abutters within 300 feet are notified, and fines are $25, $100 and $300, each day counting separately (Chapter 196; penalties). The town's Tree Removal page describes a 12-foot no-disturb zone around wetland resources.
Floodplain. The zoning bylaw's Floodplain District requires a Community Planning Commission special permit to erect, alter or enlarge structures, with small non-residential structures under 100 square feet allowed by right (Floodplain District). It cites the June 4, 2010 flood map; new maps took effect July 8, 2025. Fences are not named.
North Reading's homes
A 1950s town on hardpan, septic and stone walls
North Reading is mostly postwar. Its April 2018 Housing Production Plan says "Only about 7% of the Town's approximately 5,700 housing units predates World War II," and that the 1950s were the biggest building decade, with 959 units (Housing Production Plan).
The March 2013 Open Space and Recreation Plan sets lots from 20,000 square feet in RB to 120,000 square feet in RD, with at least 60% open space in residential districts, and states that "North Reading has no public sewer system or wastewater treatment facility." On May 20, 2024 the Select Board voted to end planning for a sewer connection to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District (sewer information), so septic tanks and leach fields stay part of fence planning. The same open space plan describes compact till, stony ground, boulders and stone walls, with water often perched above the hardpan.
FAQ
North Reading fence questions
When does a fence need a building permit in North Reading?
The town's building FAQ says a fence does not need a building permit unless it is over 7 feet tall. Zoning separately limits fences and walls in residence districts to 7 feet, except retaining walls, so a taller fence would run into both rules.
Why is digging fence posts hard in North Reading?
The town's 2013 open space plan describes compact glacial till, or hardpan, with stony, boulder-filled ground and old stone walls, and notes that water often perches above the hardpan. Expect rocks in the post holes and plan for wet spots.
Does a fence in Center Village need historic approval?
Yes, if it falls under the bylaw. The Center Village Historic District bylaw defines a structure to include a sign, fence, wall, terrace, walk or driveway, and a Certificate of Appropriateness is needed for construction or alteration. Talk to the Historic District Commission before you order materials.
How close to a wetland can I put fence posts?
The town wetlands bylaw covers land within 100 feet of a resource area, and the town's Tree Removal page describes a 12-foot no-disturb zone around wetland resources. Fines run $25, $100 and $300, with each day a separate offense, so check with Conservation first.
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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