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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in Derry, NH
Derry tells homeowners there is no fence permit and no town fence regulation, and that a fence may go right to the property line, though the town suggests holding it 2 feet inside so you can mow and maintain both sides. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Derry fence, pool and wetland notes on this page
- Derry Village to Beaver Lake
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Fences in Derry
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.
Replacing an old fence or fencing a pool?
(978) 800-2452Tell us the street and what's there now, and we'll connect you with a company that works in Derry.
Permits
Fence permits in Derry
The town's answer. Derry's Fences page settles the permit question in its first two sentences: "There are no regulations related to fencing." "There is no permit needed." It goes on to say the fence can be installed up to the property line, but recommends setting it at least 2 feet inside your boundary so you can look after the fence and lawn without trespassing on the neighbor's property (Fences). The town's list of items requiring a building permit names decks, sheds of any size, swimming pools, garages and razing, and leaves fences off (Items That Require a Building Permit).
Where the town still comes in. A pool, a deck or a shed built with the fence is permit work. So is anything that touches the wetlands overlay described further down.
- Fence permit
- Not needed (town Fences page)
- Town fence regulations
- None, per the town
- Placement
- Up to the line; 2 ft inside recommended
- Pool permit
- $35 plus $7 per $1,000 (effective September 15, 2023)
- Pool water service
- Backflow device required
New Hampshire basics. Under RSA 155-A:2 each town sets its own permits. The state adopted the 2024 codes on July 1, 2026, and from January 1, 2027 they govern every permit request. With no state license for fence companies ("contractors do not need to be licensed," says the Attorney General), the AG's advice is to check references and insurance, sign a written contract before any money changes hands, and treat a deposit above 50% as a red flag (NH AG). More on our New Hampshire rules page.
Dig Safe still applies. No town permit does not mean no call. RSA 374:51 requires notice at least 72 hours before excavating, weekends and holidays excluded, with the site premarked in white, and the notice lasts 30 days (RSA 374). Dig Safe says property owners and contractors are both required by law to notify it (Dig Safe), and its homeowner brochure lists fencing among the projects to call about; call 811 (Dig Safe homeowner brochure). The notice rule in RSA 374:51 covers digging within 100 feet of an underground facility.
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 build fences or pull permits, and the company you hire handles the paperwork.
Height and placement
Height limits, setbacks and corner lots in Derry
No town height limit. Because Derry says it has no fencing regulations, it posts no fence height cap or finished-side rule. The zoning ordinance of September 3, 2026 defines a corner lot by an intersection angle of 135 degrees or less, and we could not retrieve a sight-triangle rule from it (Zoning Ordinance). On a corner, keeping tall solid panels back from the street is simple courtesy to drivers. The 35-foot front and 15-foot side and rear setbacks in the town FAQ are for decks and other structures, not fences (FAQ).
Height and neighbors. The state still sets an outer limit: a fence that unnecessarily exceeds 5 feet and is kept up to annoy the neighbors is a private nuisance under RSA 476:1. If the boundary is in question, a survey can confirm it before the 2-foot offset is measured.
Pool fences. Derry posts no pool barrier rule, and its Fences page does not mention pools. The pool itself needs a building permit, at $35 plus $7 per $1,000 of construction cost on the fee schedule effective September 15, 2023 (fee schedule), and homes with a pool must install a backflow device (Water). The barrier follows the swimming pool code adopted with the state building code; CPSC guidance, which is not law, calls for at least 48 inches of height and self-closing, self-latching gates (CPSC Pub. 362).
Wetlands and history
Historic districts and wetlands in Derry
Fences on posts in wet soils. Derry's Wetlands Conservation Overlay allows no fill, dredging or structures in very poorly drained soils, marshes, open water or along perennial streams, but it does allow fences, footbridges, catwalks and wharves set on posts or pilings, with approvals (Wetlands Conservation Overlay). It is one of the few places Derry's code mentions fences at all. Separately, § 165-20 keeps buildings 75 feet from wetlands of an acre or more and 30 feet from smaller ones (§ 165-20).
Flood maps. The FEMA flood maps for Rockingham County took effect May 17, 2005, and the town says it cannot issue flood-zone letters (Flood Zones).
Historic areas. Derry's Heritage Commission holds historic district commission powers, but the page names no local historic district (Heritage Commission).
Derry's homes
A 1970s and 1980s building wave
Derry has 13,577 housing units, about half of them detached single-family houses, 12% attached single-family and a quarter in buildings of five or more units. A 2019 draft of the master plan update puts 54% of the town's housing in the 1970 to 1990 building period (Master Plan Update, draft Volume II).
Houses from that wave are now 35 to 55 years old, so many fences from the original build are reaching replacement age. The town's roots go further back: Derry was settled in 1719 on land then called Nutfield, Derry Village and Beaver Lake appear in its history, and over 1,000 acres of former farmland are now protected by conservation easements (History of Derry, Summary of Existing Conditions).
FAQ
Derry fence questions
Do I need a permit to build a fence in Derry?
No, according to the town's Fences page, which says there is no permit needed and no regulations related to fencing. Fences are also missing from the town's list of items that require a building permit. Pools are on that list, so a pool fence project still involves a permit for the pool.
Can my fence go right on the property line?
Derry says it can be installed up to the line, but recommends setting it at least 2 feet inside your boundary so you can maintain the fence and lawn without stepping onto the neighbor's land. A survey settles where the line actually is.
What does a pool permit cost in Derry?
Above-ground and in-ground pools both need a building permit, at $35 plus $7 per $1,000 of construction cost on the schedule effective September 15, 2023. Homes with a pool or irrigation system also need a backflow device on the water service.
Can I put a fence through wet ground in Derry?
Derry's wetlands overlay bars fill and structures in very poorly drained soils, marshes, open water and along perennial streams, but allows fences on posts or pilings with approvals. Ask the town before running a fence across wet ground.
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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