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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in Dover, NH
Dover states plainly that a fence up to 7 feet tall needs no permit, lets side and rear fences reach 8 feet, and asks that every fence sit on your own land with room to 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
- Dover permit, height and pool rules on this page
- Wood, vinyl, chain link and aluminum
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Fences in Dover
What do you need 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.
Pool, privacy or a front-yard picket?
(978) 800-2452Tell us the height and which side of the house the fence goes on, and we'll connect you with an installer who works with Dover's front-yard and pool rules.
Permits
Fence permits in Dover
Seven feet is the line. Dover answers the permit question twice, and both answers agree. The Inspection Services FAQ, last modified September 24, 2026, says "A permit is not required to install a fence that does not exceed 7 feet in height" (Inspection Services FAQ). The Planning FAQ, modified May 20, 2025, answers "Typically, no; however, if the fence exceeds 7 feet in height, then yes" (Planning FAQ). Height and placement rules still apply to the shorter fences.
Where to apply. For a fence over 7 feet, Inspection Services at 269 Mast Road is open weekdays from 8 to 4, and the city's portal handles permits, plans and licensing online at permits.dover.nh.gov (Inspection Services). The city has not posted a current fee schedule we could read, so ask Inspection Services for the fee when you apply.
- Up to 7 ft
- No permit (Inspection Services FAQ)
- Over 7 ft
- Building permit
- Side and rear
- Up to 8 ft
- Front of the house
- 4 ft or shorter within 10 ft of the right of way
- Placement
- On your own property, with room to maintain both sides
- Pools
- Fence or wall at least 4 ft tall; 10-ft setback in residential zones
- Office
- Inspection Services, 269 Mast Road
State rules, briefly. New Hampshire leaves permits and fees to each city (RSA 155-A:2), and from January 1, 2027 every permit request follows the 2024 codes, with either edition allowed through the end of 2026. The Attorney General says contractors "do not need to be licensed" in the state, so get references and proof of insurance, have a written contract before work or payment, and be cautious about a down payment over 50% (NH AG). RSA 359-G lays out notice steps before a construction-defect suit over residential work; whether a fence on its own falls under it isn't stated. See our New Hampshire fence rules page.
No permit doesn't mean no call. Even a fence that needs no permit needs a Dig Safe notice before the post holes. Contact 811 or 888-DIG-SAFE at least 72 hours ahead, skipping weekends and legal holidays, and no more than 30 days early; mark the dig area with white paint, stakes or other white markings; and dig while the 30-day ticket is valid. Dig Safe says property owners have to notify just as contractors do, and the homeowner exemption in RSA 374:55 covers only the civil penalty (Dig Safe; RSA 374). 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 any paperwork.
Height and placement
Height limits, setbacks and corner lots in Dover
Side, rear and front. According to the Planning FAQ, fences along the side and rear can be 8 feet tall, but "those in front of a house must be 4 feet tall or shorter within 10 feet of the right of way." The FAQ points to the zoning ordinance for further rules, which we could not read in full (Planning FAQ). Note that the 8-foot side fence is above the 7-foot permit threshold, so the tallest side and rear fences need a building permit.
Your side of the line. Inspection Services says "A fence shall be installed on your property" and suggests it be "located to allow for maintenance on both sides" (Inspection Services FAQ). Setting the fence a little inside the line leaves room to paint, stain or repair the outer face. A survey or the city can confirm where the line runs.
Corner lots and walls. A corner lot has "two front setbacks, as well as side and rear setbacks," which the city says will affect where structures go. A decorative retaining wall under 4 feet can be built without a permit; taller walls need a building permit (Planning FAQ). In New Hampshire, a fence over 5 feet built unnecessarily high to annoy a neighbor can be a private nuisance under the spite-fence statute (RSA 476:1).
Pools
Pool fences in Dover
A fence or wall is required. Dover's Planning FAQ says "There is a requirement that a minimum four-foot-tall fence or wall surround the pool," for the safety of the owner and the public, and that pools in a residential zone need a 10-foot setback (Planning FAQ). Plan the pool and its enclosure together so the fence clears the setback too.
Beyond the minimum. Barrier details come from the swimming pool code New Hampshire adopts, enforced locally. The CPSC's barrier guidance, which is advisory, describes no opening that a 4-inch sphere could pass through and gates that open away from the pool and close and latch by themselves, with the release on the pool side if it sits under 54 inches (CPSC Pub. 362).
Historic and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in Dover
Advice, not rules. Dover's Heritage Commission surveys the city's cultural resources and advises other boards on request, and we could not confirm a local historic district with design review for fences (Heritage Commission). Its 1991 Historic Preservation Guide, also advisory, names older neighborhoods such as the Silver Street, Central Avenue and Summer Street area, Tuttle Square, the First through Fifth Street worker housing, and areas near Woodman Park. It encourages keeping historic fencing and calls chain-link, stockade and solid board fences inappropriate for front yards (Historic Preservation Guide, 1991). Nothing requires it, but it is a fair guide to what suits a front yard on those streets.
Wetlands and water. The Planning FAQ describes a 50-foot buffer from wetlands "for most activities that change the surface configuration of the land," with any development in a wetland or its buffer needing a Conditional Use Permit application, and a 100-foot setback from tidal waters, rivers and natural ponds, 50 feet from streams, for the same kinds of activity (Planning FAQ). If a fence would cross into one of those areas, ask the city's planning staff first.
Dover's homes
Mill-era houses and narrow city lots
Dover's 2015 land use chapter found nearly 29% of its housing units, over 3,700, built before 1940 and nearly 46% before 1960, well above the county's 23% and 35%, with 53% of units in multifamily buildings (Land Use chapter, 2015). A 2013 demographics report counted 944 homes built between 1800 and 1899 (demographics report).
Narrow lots. The Planning FAQ notes that nonconforming lots with 50 to 75 feet of frontage get 6-foot side setbacks, and 75 to 100 feet of frontage get 10 feet. On a lot that narrow, a fence along the side line sits close to the neighbor's house, which is where Dover's request to leave maintenance room on both sides earns its keep.
FAQ
Dover fence questions
Do I need a permit for a fence in Dover?
Not for most fences. Dover's Inspection Services FAQ says a permit is not required for a fence that does not exceed 7 feet in height, and the Planning FAQ says a fence over 7 feet does need a building permit.
How tall can a front fence be in Dover?
The Planning FAQ allows 8 feet along side and rear lines, but fences in front of a house must be 4 feet tall or shorter within 10 feet of the right of way. The zoning ordinance has further rules.
Does my pool need a fence in Dover?
Yes. The city says a minimum four-foot-tall fence or wall must surround the pool, and pools in residential zones need a 10-foot setback.
Can my fence go right on the property line?
Dover asks that a fence be installed on your own property and suggests leaving room to maintain both sides. If you're not sure where the line is, a survey or the city can confirm it.
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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