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Fence Companies for Installation and Repair in Nashua, NH
Nashua caps fences in its residential districts at 6 feet, with one exception: homes directly beside the F.E. Everett Turnpike may fence the Turnpike line up to 14 feet. Call (978) 800-2452 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
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- Nashua ordinance, wetland and flood notes
- Tree Streets to the Turnpike
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Fences in Nashua
Tell us which fence job you have
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.
Lot near the Turnpike or a wetland?
(978) 800-2452Tell us where the fence will run, and we'll connect you with a fence contractor who knows how Nashua's height limits and buffers apply.
Permits
Fence permits in Nashua
What the city has posted. The Building Safety Department's permits page doesn't list which work needs a permit, and we found no general statement on fences. The one fence permit the Land Use Code spells out is on the Turnpike: under section 190-44C, fences over 7 feet on a Turnpike-abutting lot need a building permit. For anything else, ask the department before work begins.
Filing. Nashua takes fillable PDF applications by email, with paper forms available at the Building Safety Department, City Hall, 229 Main Street, 2nd floor, using the Building and Land Use Permit Application. Fees are posted only as an image-based permit fee spreadsheet, so ask the department for the current figure.
- Residential districts (§190-44A)
- Fences up to 6 ft; no interference with traffic circulation
- Turnpike-abutting lots (§190-44C)
- Up to 14 ft on the Turnpike line; permit over 7 ft
- Barbed wire (Ch. 150)
- Nuisance unless mounted above 6 ft, or farm or utility use
- Floodplain
- Permit for all development in a special flood hazard area
- Filing
- Fillable PDF by email, or paper at 229 Main St., 2nd floor
New Hampshire rules. Under RSA 155-A:2, issuing building permits and collecting their fees is reserved to the towns and cities that enforce the code, so Nashua's rules are the ones that count. The city notes that New Hampshire moved to the 2024 codes on July 1, 2026, with a grace period through December 31, 2026 (Building Safety Department). The state Attorney General says "contractors do not need to be licensed," and advises a written contract before any work or payment, references and proof of insurance, and caution about a deposit over 50% (NH AG). RSA 359-G sets a notice-and-repair process before suing over residential construction defects; whether it reaches a stand-alone fence isn't spelled out. Details are on our New Hampshire rules page.
Dig Safe before post holes. RSA 374:51 requires notice at least 72 hours before excavating, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and no more than 30 days ahead, with the dig area premarked in white paint, stakes or other white markings; the notice is good for 30 calendar days. A homeowner digging on their own property is exempt from the civil penalty in RSA 374:55, VIII, not from the duty to notify. Call 811; Dig Safe is free. 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 apply for permits, and the contractor you hire does both.
Height and placement
Height limits, setbacks and corner lots in Nashua
Section 190-44. The ordinance (Land Use Code §190-44) handles fences in three parts. In residential zoning districts, a fence may be no more than 6 feet high and may not interfere with traffic circulation. In nonresidential districts there is no height limit, but the traffic rule still holds. And residential parcels directly adjacent to the F.E. Everett Turnpike may build boundary fences up to 14 feet on their Turnpike lot lines, with a building permit for anything over 7 feet.
Barbed wire. Chapter 150 of the city code treats a barbed-wire fence as a public nuisance unless the wire is mounted more than 6 feet above the ground or the fence serves farming or public-utility operations (Chapter 150).
Corners and lines. We found no separate corner-lot sight triangle in Nashua's code; the traffic-circulation clause in section 190-44 is the rule to keep in mind at an intersection, so ask the department if you're on a corner. The city posts nothing on which side of a fence faces out. A survey or the city can confirm where your line is. New Hampshire's spite fence law makes a fence a private nuisance when it unnecessarily exceeds 5 feet and is put up to annoy the neighbors (RSA 476:1).
Pool fences in Nashua. The city's pool chapter regulates swimming pools, spas and hot tubs "except those facilities located appurtenant to single-family or duplex family residences" (the city pool chapter), and we found no residential pool barrier rules on city pages. Backyard pool barriers fall under the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code in the state building code, enforced by the Building Safety Department. Federal CPSC guidance, advisory only, calls for at least 48 inches of height, no openings a 4-inch sphere can pass and self-closing, self-latching gates that open outward (CPSC Pub. 362). Keep in mind the 6-foot residential cap above.
Historic districts and wetlands
Historic districts and wetlands in Nashua
Historic District overlay. Nashua's historic districts are an overlay shown on the zoning map (section 190-22). The Historic District Commission reviews building-permit applications inside them for exterior design, materials and setting, including items such as yards, drives, signs and landscaping (Article XLI); fences and walls aren't named, so check with the commission before fencing a district property. Since Ordinance O-23-059 of December 2023, every commission application gets a public hearing, abutters receive certified-mail notice at least 14 days ahead, and a sign goes up on the site (O-23-059).
Tiered wetland buffers. Table 112-1 in section 190-112 sets buffers of 75 feet for primary wetlands; 40 feet for critical wetlands and other wetlands over 9,000 square feet; 20 feet for wetlands of 3,000 to 9,000 square feet and intermittent streams; and at least 100 feet for vernal pools. "Any use, building, structure or development" in a wetland or buffer needs a wetlands special exception, recommended by the Conservation Commission and decided by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (special exceptions). Clearing a fence line has its own risk: under section 190-117, trees removed unlawfully from a buffer must be replaced with trees at least 6 feet tall, the city holds security of three times fair market value for a year, and each tree is a separate violation.
Floodplain. The floodplain ordinance states that "All proposed development in any special flood hazard area shall require a permit," based on flood maps dated September 25, 2009, with some panels revised April 18, 2011.
Nashua's homes
Older downtown streets and a mix of housing
The city's Lead Program notes that more than half the homes in Greater Nashua were built before 1978. Its FY2026–2030 Consolidated Plan places the oldest housing downtown and in the Tree Streets, and counts 45% of homes as one-unit detached houses (2016–2020 survey figures).
Nashua's 2021 Master Plan places Merrimack to the north, Hudson to the east and Tyngsborough, Massachusetts to the south. If your lot backs onto the F.E. Everett Turnpike, section 190-44 lets that boundary fence go to 14 feet, well above the usual 6-foot residential cap.
FAQ
Nashua fence questions
How tall can a fence be in a Nashua residential district?
Six feet. Section 190-44 of the Land Use Code limits fences in residential zoning districts to 6 feet and bars fences that interfere with traffic circulation. Nonresidential districts have no height limit, but the traffic rule still applies.
Can I build a taller sound fence along the Turnpike in Nashua?
If your residential lot is directly adjacent to the F.E. Everett Turnpike, the ordinance allows a boundary fence up to 14 feet on the Turnpike lot line. Any fence over 7 feet there needs a building permit.
Is barbed wire allowed on a Nashua fence?
Under Chapter 150 of the city code, a barbed-wire fence is a public nuisance unless the wire is mounted more than 6 feet above the ground or the fence is used for farming or public-utility operations.
What if my fence line crosses a wetland buffer in Nashua?
Buffers run 75 feet from primary wetlands, 40 feet from critical wetlands and larger other wetlands, 20 feet from wetlands of 3,000 to 9,000 square feet and intermittent streams, and at least 100 feet from vernal pools. Any use, structure or development in a wetland or buffer needs a wetlands special exception, with a Conservation Commission recommendation going to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
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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