Where a fence sits in Harrisonburg's permit language
Harrisonburg puts several yard projects under one heading. The city counts decks, sheds, detached garages, gazebos, pools and pool fences among accessory structures. It says not all accessory structures need a building permit, but all must comply with applicable zoning requirements.
Turn that statement into questions before you sketch anything. Call the city's Building Inspections Division or the zoning staff and ask:
- Is the fence you have in mind treated as an accessory structure, and does it call for a building permit?
- Which zoning requirements apply to a fence on your lot, and where can you read them?
- Does the answer change for a front yard, a side yard or a corner lot?
- Is there a review step, and how long does it take to hear back?
Write down who you spoke with and the date. Then ask each company that bids whether it will handle any application and whether the fee is part of its price.
When the fence surrounds a pool, hot tub or spa
Harrisonburg says a fence or barrier must enclose all swimming pools, hot tubs and spas; the Building Inspections Division sets the height and size requirements. Small pools exempt from a permit are not exempt from the barrier requirement.
If any of those sits inside the yard you are fencing, ask the Building Inspections Division for its height and size requirements before you choose a style. Then ask each bidder how its design, its gates and its latches answer them, and ask for that answer on the written bid.
Name the job the fence has to do
Settle what the fence is for before anyone visits. Decide which of these matter to you:
- keeping a dog or children inside the yard;
- blocking a view of a parking area, a street or a neighbor's deck;
- marking the edge of the lot without closing it in;
- protecting a vegetable garden;
- enclosing a pool, a hot tub or a spa.
Each purpose can point toward a different height, spacing and gate. A dog that digs may call for a bottom edge close to the ground. A screen for a patio may only need to run along one side. Tell every bidder the same purpose, in the same words, so their designs answer the same brief.
Know where your land stops
Pull out the deed, the plat or a past survey, and walk the yard looking for corner markers. If you find none, or the markers and the old fence disagree, a land surveyor can find and flag the corners. Show your plan to the households on each side before work starts. Some may ask which face of the fence will point toward them; if anyone offers to split the bill for a shared boundary fence, put the terms on paper and have both households sign. Ask each bidder how far inside your line it intends to set the posts, and who checks the stakes on the first day.
What lies under the lawn
Post holes can go deeper than a garden spade. Find out whether you or the contractor will request a utility locate before digging, and how far ahead that has to be done. Then ask whether the locate marks lines past your meter. Lines you own may go unmarked: irrigation pipe, wiring to a lamp post or a shed, gas to an outdoor grill, an underground pet fence. Flag any you know about and walk the route with the crew lead.
Questions that separate one bid from another
Two bids can share a label such as "privacy fence" and still describe different work. Ask each company:
- Which post material and size did you price, and is wood post stock meant for burial in soil?
- What hole depth did you plan, and how did you arrive at it?
- What goes around each post in the hole, and how will rainwater be kept off its base?
- Do the posts at corners, ends and gates differ from the rest?
- For each gate: its width, its hinges and latch, and the bracing that keeps it from dropping?
- What upkeep will the fence need from you, and what does your workmanship warranty promise that the manufacturer's does not?
Harrisonburg's drinking water
Harrisonburg has two surface water sources: the Dry River in Rawley Springs, whose watershed includes the Switzer Reservoir impoundment, and the North River in Bridgewater, each supplying about 50% of the city's water. Harrisonburg Public Utilities says it is developing a supply line from the South Fork Shenandoah River.
Harrisonburg Public Utilities reports that in 2025 its water hardness ranged from 12 to 153 mg/L, averaging 67 mg/L; treatment removes some minerals, but calcium and magnesium generally are not removed.
What to ask every company before you sign
Put the same short list to each bidder, and note every answer on that company's paper:
- "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?"
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- Will your own crew build the fence, or will a subcontractor?
- What is the deposit, and what are the payment steps after it?
- What happens to the price if a hole meets rock, roots or an old footing?
Call your own insurer if you are unsure how your homeowner's policy treats work in the yard.
Reading the bids side by side
Ask for every bid in writing, drawn from your sketch, and check that each one lists the length, the height, the infill style, the posts and how they are set, every gate and its hardware, tearing out an old fence, cleanup, warranty terms and a start window. Where one bid leaves a line blank, ask that company to fill it in. Compare totals after each bid describes the same fence.