Question 1

Do you need a permit to put up a fence in Newtown Square, PA?

Accepted Answer

In most cases yes. The permit is issued by Newtown Township rather than by Delaware County, and neighbouring townships including Marple, Radnor and Haverford each run their own process with their own height and setback rules. We confirm the requirement for your address and file the application as part of the installation.

Question 2

How much is 200 feet of fence?

Accepted Answer

It depends far more on what the 200 feet crosses than on the number itself. Material, height, gate count and grade all move the price, and a run that steps down a slope needs more posts and more labour than the same footage on level ground. We give a free written estimate after walking the line rather than quoting a rate per foot over the phone.

Question 3

Is a 4 foot fence cheaper than a 6 foot fence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though less than people expect. The post count, the footings, the gate hardware and the labour to set a true line are close to identical at either height. You save on panel or board material and a little on post length, so the difference is real but modest. Choose the height for what the fence has to do, not to save money.

Question 4

What is the best time of year to install a fence in Delaware County?

Accepted Answer

Late spring through autumn is easiest, because the ground works well and footings cure predictably. Winter installation is possible here and frozen ground is workable, but it is slower and the schedule is weather dependent. The practical constraint is usually the township permit queue and any HOA review cycle, both of which run longer in spring than in autumn.

Question 5

Is it better to set fence posts in concrete or dirt?

Accepted Answer

Concrete, in this ground. Delaware County soils hold water through the winter, and a post tamped in soil alone will move as that ground freezes and thaws. The detail that matters more than the concrete itself is depth and drainage: the footing goes below the frost line, with the base set so water can leave rather than sitting against the post.

Question 6

What kind of fence adds the most value?

Accepted Answer

On these properties it is usually powder-coated aluminum where the fence is visible from the street, and cedar or vinyl privacy where it encloses the rear yard. Aluminum reads as permanent, needs no maintenance and suits the older housing stock along the Main Line. What actually costs value is a leaning fence line or a gate that no longer closes square.

Question 7

Is it normal for neighbors to split the cost of a fence?

Accepted Answer

It is common where the fence sits on a shared boundary and both owners want it, and it is entirely a private arrangement. Pennsylvania does not compel a neighbour to contribute to a residential fence. If you are splitting the cost, agree in writing who owns it, who maintains it and what happens if one party later wants it replaced.

Question 8

My neighbor is refusing to pay for their fence. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

If there was no agreement, there is generally nothing to enforce, and you can build the fence entirely on your own side of the line at your own cost. If there was a written agreement, it is a contract question for an attorney. What we can tell you is where the line is and how to build wholly within it, which keeps the fence yours regardless of how the conversation goes.

Question 9

My neighbor’s fence is falling down and I’m concerned. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

If it is their fence on their side of the line, the first step is raising it with them, and the township code office is the escalation where a structure has become unsafe. If the failing fence sits on the boundary, you may be able to replace it by agreement. We are frequently asked to establish which side of the line an old fence actually sits on before that conversation starts.

Question 10

My neighbor’s fence fell into my yard. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Photograph it before anything is moved, and tell your neighbour in writing. Removing or repairing their structure yourself can complicate who is responsible. If the collapse damaged something of yours, that is an insurance conversation. Once responsibility is settled we can quote either a repair to the existing fence or a replacement built inside your own line.

Question 11

What happens if I don’t pull a permit for a fence?

Accepted Answer

The township can stop the work, charge a penalty fee to permit it after the fact, and require removal where the fence breaks a height or setback rule. It also becomes a disclosure problem at resale. Because we file the permit as part of the job, this is a risk you take on only by hiring someone who leaves it to you.

Question 12

Should I get a 5 or 6 foot fence?

Accepted Answer

Six feet if the purpose is privacy, because five feet leaves a standing sightline over the top at normal property depth. Five feet is a reasonable choice for enclosure, for pets or for a boundary that should not read as a wall. Both are within the by-right height for rear and side yards in the townships we work in.

Question 13

How do you find a good fence contractor?

Accepted Answer

Check that the Pennsylvania home improvement contractor registration is current and that insurance is in force. Ask who files the township permit and who prepares the HOA submission. Ask whether the installers are employed or subcontracted. Then compare written estimates line by line, because post depth, post material and gate hardware are where two similar-looking quotes actually differ.

Question 14

Do fence companies negotiate?

Accepted Answer

Specification is negotiable, price for identical work generally is not. Reducing gate count, changing material grade, shortening a run or scheduling outside the spring peak all reduce the number legitimately. If a quote drops sharply with nothing else changing, the first number was not a considered price.

Question 15

How much does a home improvement chain charge to install a fence?

Accepted Answer

Chain-store installation is sold at the counter and then assigned to a subcontracted crew, so what you pay and who arrives both vary. The difference worth comparing is not the headline figure but the scope: who files your township permit, who prepares the HOA submission, who stands behind the installation afterwards, and whether the crew and the warranty belong to the same company.

Question 16

What color fence makes a yard look bigger?

Accepted Answer

Darker finishes recede visually, so black aluminum or a dark stain tends to make a boundary read as further away than a bright white vinyl fence in the same position. On smaller Delaware County lots that effect is noticeable. Where an HOA specifies colour, the decision is usually made for you, which is another reason to get the submission in early.

Question 17

How long does a fence installation take in Newtown Square?

Accepted Answer

Most residential installations are one to two days on site, with posts set and left to cure before panels or boards are hung. Significant grade, long runs or automatic gate hardware push that to three days. Township permit turnaround and HOA review run separately from installation time and are usually the longer part of the schedule.

Question 18

Do you handle HOA approval on the Main Line?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We prepare the architectural submission, including the fence specification, height, material and placement, and file it alongside the township permit. Associations along the Main Line commonly restrict height, material and colour beyond what the township requires, so both approvals have to line up before the fence is built.

Question 19

Can I hang something on my side of my neighbor’s fence?

Accepted Answer

If the fence is theirs and stands on their side of the line, the fence is their property and attaching to it is their decision. Where you want planting, lighting or screening on your side without that conversation, the usual answer is a freestanding structure or a fence of your own set just inside your boundary. We can build to a surveyed line for exactly this reason.

Question 20

Which towns does the Newtown Square office serve?

Accepted Answer

Newtown Square, Bryn Mawr, Wayne, Villanova, Haverford, Havertown, Springfield, Glen Mills, Gladwyne, Narberth, Merion Station and Wynnewood. Each has its own page listing the fence services we install there. West Chester, Kennett Square, Malvern and the rest of Chester County are covered by our West Chester office.

Fence Company in Newtown Square, PA: 20 Fence Types Installed Across 12 Delaware County and Main Line Towns

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