Common questions
Fence FAQs
Permits, height limits, cost, materials, pool barrier code and repair — answered for Chester County, Delaware County and the Main Line.
Permits & Rules
Do I need a permit for a fence in Pennsylvania?
In most cases yes. Fence permits in Pennsylvania are issued by the individual township or borough rather than by the county or the state, and the requirement differs between neighbouring municipalities. A small number exempt fences below a certain height, and some treat like-for-like replacement differently from new construction — but any change in height, material or location makes a permit near-certain, and a pool barrier always requires one.
How tall can my fence be?
Six feet is the residential standard permitted by right in rear and side yards across most municipalities in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County, with front and street-facing yards commonly limited to four feet. Eight-foot fences generally require a variance. The governing figures are set by your specific township or borough and, separately, by any HOA — so both need confirming before a height is chosen.
Do I need a permit to replace an existing fence?
Usually yes. A small number of municipalities in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County treat a like-for-like replacement — same height, same material, same line, same post locations — as maintenance rather than new construction, but most do not, and the exemption is not something to assume. Any change resets it: a taller fence, a different material, a shifted line or an added gate reads as new construction. The governing rule comes from your specific township or borough code office, and we file the application either way.
Do I need a permit to put up a fence?
In most of Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County, yes. Fence permits are issued by your township or borough rather than by the county or the state, and the requirement differs between neighbouring municipalities. Most require a zoning permit for any fence, some exempt fences below a certain height, and a pool barrier always requires one and is inspected. The application generally needs a plot plan showing the fence relative to your property lines, plus height, material, style and gate locations. The governing rule comes from your specific municipality.
Can I put a fence on my property line?
Usually yes, but confirm two things first. Some municipalities in this territory allow a fence directly on the boundary; others require it set back a few inches to a few feet, and that figure comes from your specific township or borough. Second, establish where the line actually runs — the old fence, the hedge and the mown edge are not evidence, a boundary survey is. Most contractors set the fence just inside the line so future staining, repair and post work can all be done from your own side.
Who owns the fence between two houses?
Whichever property it stands on. A fence built entirely on one side of the boundary belongs to that owner, who maintains it, repairs it and may remove it. A fence straddling the line is generally treated as shared, and neither owner can take it down alone. Who paid for it originally, and how old it is, are not what decides ownership — location is, and the only reliable evidence of location is a boundary survey. A recorded agreement between the two properties can change the default.
- More detail: Do I need a permit for a fence in Pennsylvania?
- More detail: How tall can my fence be?
- More detail: Do I need a permit to replace an existing fence?
- More detail: Do I need a permit to put up a fence?
- More detail: Can I put a fence on my property line?
- More detail: Who owns the fence between two houses?
Cost & Estimates
How much does a fence cost?
Fence cost is driven by linear footage, material and material grade, height, the number of gates, how much grade the line crosses, site access, and whether an existing fence has to be removed. Two properties with identical footage and identical material can differ substantially. We provide a free written estimate after an on-site assessment rather than quoting a per-foot figure over the phone.
Process
How long does fence installation take?
Most residential fence projects are one to two days of on-site work. Posts are set and allowed to cure before panels or boards are hung, which is why the work is normally split across consecutive days. Larger properties, significant grade changes or complex gate systems extend that to two or three days. Permit turnaround is separate and depends on the municipality.
Do you handle permits and HOA approval?
Yes. We prepare and file the township or borough permit application and, where the property is in a homeowners association, the architectural review submission as well. Both are part of the installation rather than an extra service, and we file them in parallel so their independent timelines do not compound.
Materials
What is the best fence material?
There is no single best material — it depends on what the fence has to do. Western red cedar suits properties where appearance matters and a stain schedule is acceptable. Vinyl suits homeowners who want genuinely zero maintenance and a uniform finish. Powder-coated aluminum suits pool barriers, frontage and anywhere the fence must last decades untouched. Chain link suits containment and security where cost per foot governs.
How deep should fence posts be set?
Below the local frost line, in a concrete footing sized for the post and the load it carries. In southeastern Pennsylvania that means a substantially deeper hole than most do-it-yourself installations use. Posts set too shallow will heave with freeze-thaw cycles and the fence will begin to lean within a few seasons regardless of what material is above grade.
Repair & Replacement
Can you repair my existing fence?
Yes, including fences we did not install — most of the repair work we do is on someone else's fence. Whether repair or replacement is the right call turns almost entirely on the posts: if the posts are sound and the failure is in rails, boards, panels or hardware, repair is substantially cheaper. If posts have rotted at grade or heaved out of plumb in several places, you would be rebuilding section by section and replacement costs less overall.
Why is my fence leaning?
Almost always frost heave. Water in the soil around a post freezes, expands and lifts the post; repeated freeze-thaw cycles walk it progressively out of plumb. It happens when footings were set above the frost line, when the hole was undersized for the post and load, or when drainage around the post is poor and water pools against it.
Pool & Safety
What fence do I need for a pool?
A pool barrier has to satisfy a specific set of code requirements simultaneously: adequate height measured from the outside grade, a limited gap beneath the barrier, picket spacing narrow enough to reject the specified gauge, no climbable horizontal members on the outside face, and gates that are self-closing and self-latching with the latch at the required height. Flat-top powder-coated aluminum is the usual answer because it satisfies all of them cleanly.
About Us
What areas does JHL Fence Company serve?
We serve Chester County, Delaware County and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, from two offices — West Chester and Newtown Square. That covers West Chester, Kennett Square, Malvern, Exton, Downingtown, Chadds Ford and the surrounding Chester County townships, plus Newtown Square, Glen Mills, Havertown, Springfield and the Main Line through Bryn Mawr, Wayne, Villanova, Haverford, Wynnewood, Narberth and Gladwyne.
Is JHL Fence Company licensed and insured?
Yes. We are a licensed and insured Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor, registration #PA035784. A certificate of insurance is available on request, and we are a family-owned local operation rather than a national franchise.
Materials & Cost
What size should fence posts be?
For residential wood fence, 4x4 posts on the line and 6x6 at every corner, end and gate is the standard specification. Post length is fence height plus burial depth, so a six-foot fence generally needs a nine- or ten-foot post. The old one-third-in-the-ground rule of thumb is a sanity check, but in southeastern Pennsylvania the frost line governs — the footing has to reach below it. Chain link uses pipe sized by outside diameter and wall thickness, with terminal posts a size up from line posts.
How much does a split rail fence cost?
Split rail cost is driven by the number of rails — two, three or four — the material, the linear footage, and how much of the run is corners, ends and gates rather than straight line. Locust, cedar, pressure-treated pine and vinyl rail all price differently. Grade, rock and machine access move the labour. Mesh backing to contain a dog, plus tear-out and haul-away of an existing fence, are separate items people forget. We give a free written estimate after walking the property rather than a per-foot number over the phone.
What is the cheapest fence to install?
Chain link is the least expensive fence to install, and pressure-treated split rail or post-and-rail is next. Both are inexpensive for the same reason: little material, wide post spacing, and fast installation with nothing assembled picket by picket. Cheapest to install and cheapest to own over twenty years are different questions, though. Pressure-treated wood carries a recurring stain schedule and a shorter service life, while vinyl and aluminum cost more up front and then ask for essentially nothing at all.
Working With Us
How do I choose a fence contractor?
Start with registration. Pennsylvania requires home improvement contractors to register with the Attorney General, the number must appear on contracts and advertising, and it is verifiable on the public state registry. Then read the estimate — a real one is written, and it specifies material grade, post size, post depth and footing, rail count, gate hardware, tear-out, and who files the permit and the utility mark-out. Ask whether the crew is employed or subcontracted, and get the workmanship guarantee in writing rather than as a sentence in the driveway.
Longer Reads
Permits, pool barrier code, HOA review and cost are covered in depth in our fence guides.
Ready for a straight fence line?
On-site assessment. Written quote. No obligation.