Choosing the Best Fence Company on the North Shore: A Factual Comparison

By James LaPierre, Olympic Fence Co

If you are putting up a fence on the North Shore, the hardest part is often picking who installs it. There are good companies in this area, and a few have been at it longer than we have. This guide walks through what actually matters when you compare fence companies, how the main local names stack up on the facts, and where we fit in. We run Olympic Fence Co, so we have a stake in this, but everything below is checkable.

What should you look for in a fence company?

A few things separate a fence that lasts from one you fight with for years.

• Do they call you back? This sounds basic, but it is one of the most common complaints homeowners have about contractors. If a company is slow to answer before you have paid them, it rarely gets faster after. Ask how quickly they respond to a new inquiry.
• Years in business and reputation. A company that has installed thousands of fences in your area has seen your soil, your weather, and your town's rules before. Look at how long they have been working locally and what their customers actually say.
• Clear, written pricing. You want a written estimate that spells out materials and labor so there are no surprises. Be careful with a quote that is vague or only verbal.
• Who handles the permit. Some towns require a permit for a fence; some do not, and the rules change by town and by height. A good company handles the permitting for you instead of leaving you to figure it out.
• The warranty. This is where companies differ the most. A workmanship warranty covers the installation itself: the posts, the panels, the gates. Read the next sections closely, because the warranty is where the real gap shows up.

Which fence materials hold up in New England?

We stick to the materials that hold up here. We do not chase every trend, so you will not see us pushing bamboo or composite. Here is what we install and where each one fits.

• Cedar. Natural, good-looking, and it weathers well. Cedar is the classic North Shore choice, and it is what most of our privacy and picket work uses. You can see our cedar privacy fencing here.
• Vinyl. No painting, no rot, very little upkeep. A good long-term pick for homeowners who do not want maintenance. See our vinyl fencing.
• Chain link. The most affordable option, and a workhorse for yards, pet areas, and commercial sites. See chain link fencing.
• Ornamental aluminum and steel. The iron look without the rust, good for front yards and pool enclosures. See ornamental aluminum and steel.

The one method worth understanding is our no-dig wood-on-steel post system. The most common reason a wood fence fails early is rot at the soil line, right where the post meets the ground and sits in moisture. We set fences on galvanized steel posts instead of burying wood, which takes that rot point out of the equation. If you want the detail, we wrote a full piece on why no-dig systems outlast standard wood fences.

How do North Shore fence companies compare?

Here is an honest look at how the main local companies compare on the facts that are public. We are not the oldest company on this list, and we will not pretend to be. What sets us apart is the warranty and the post system, not seniority.

Competitor details were compiled from public sources (company websites, BBB, and Yelp) and checked in June 2026. Terms can change, so confirm the current details with each company before you decide.

A few honest takeaways from that table:

• Parker and Groveland have been around longer than we have. Parker dates to 1947 and Groveland to 1960. If decades in business is your single deciding factor, they have us beat on that one number.
• The warranty is where the real gap is. Among these companies, the longest written workmanship coverage we could find anywhere else was Groveland's three-year guarantee on workmanship and labor. Boston Hill and Parker do not publish a workmanship warranty. We cover our work for the life of the fence.
• Credentials are close at the top. Both Olympic and Parker are members of the American Fence Association. That is a fair point in Parker's favor and ours.

So the honest case for Olympic is not that we have been here the longest. It is that we back every job for life and build on a post system designed to not fail in the first place.

What does a fence warranty actually cover?

This trips up a lot of homeowners, so it is worth being clear. There are two kinds of warranty:

• Material warranty. This comes from the manufacturer and covers defects in the product itself, like a vinyl panel that fails.
• Workmanship warranty. This comes from the installer and covers the work: posts that lean, gates that sag, panels that come loose.

Among the local companies we checked, the longest written workmanship coverage we found was three years, and some do not publish a workmanship warranty at all. Ours is for the life of the fence. That means if a workmanship issue ever comes up, we come back and fix it. We can offer that because we build fences that are not likely to need it, which keeps the promise realistic for us to honor.

Do you need a permit for a fence in Essex County?

Whether you need a permit depends on your town and how tall the fence is, and the rules are not the same from one town to the next. Some towns require a permit for almost any fence; others only above a certain height. Property-line setbacks and height limits vary too.

You do not need to memorize all of that. A local company that works in your town every week already knows the rules and pulls the permit for you. That is part of the job, and we handle it so you are not stuck at town hall.

How does the installation work?

Our process is straightforward, and a good company's will look similar:

1. Free on-site visit. We come out, look at the property, and talk through what you want.
2. Written estimate. You get a clear quote with materials and costs spelled out, no high-pressure sales.
3. Permits and scheduling. We handle the permit and set a date.
4. Installation. Our own crew does the work and leaves your yard clean.

Most residential installs take a few days once they start. Peak season is late summer into fall, so there can be a wait during the busy stretch. Plan ahead if you have a date in mind.

What does a fence cost?

We do not list prices here, because the honest answer is that it depends. The main things that move the number are:

• Material. Chain link is the most affordable; cedar, vinyl, and ornamental cost more.
• Length and height. More fence and taller fence means more material and labor.
• Your lot. Slopes, rock, and tricky access take more work.

The right way to compare cost is to get written estimates from two or three companies and look at what each one includes. The cheapest quote is not always the cheapest fence once you account for how long it lasts and whether the work is backed. Request a free estimate from us and you will get a clear number with no obligation.

How should you read reviews?

Reviews tell you more than a star rating. Look for the same themes showing up again and again:

• They showed up on time and finished when they said they would.
• The pricing matched the estimate.
• The crew respected the property and cleaned up.
• When something came up, they handled it.

Those patterns say more about how a job will actually go than any single glowing or angry review.

The bottom line

There are several good fence companies on the North Shore, and a couple have been at it longer than we have. We earn our work a different way: a lifetime workmanship warranty, a no-dig wood-on-steel post system built to not rot, and a family that has run this business since 1985. If you want a fence done right the first time and backed for as long as you own it, whether you are in Newburyport, West Newbury, or anywhere on the North Shore, we are happy to come take a look.