Fence Company / Williamsburg, VA

Fences Built for
Williamsburg
and the Historic Rules

Custom wood, ornamental aluminum, and chain-link fences across Williamsburg and James City County, built by a licensed family crew that knows the historic district, the architectural review board, and the gated-community rules.

Board-on-board wood privacy fence built by Crusberg Fence in Williamsburg, VA
Crusberg Fence crew building a fence near Williamsburg, VA
4.9 ★★★★★ 70 Google reviews
40+ YRS Combined experience
CLASS A DPOR #2705194192
2 FT DEEP Posts set in concrete
3% Military discount

Williamsburg is not a place you can fence the same way you would anywhere else. Between the historic districts, the architectural review board, the gated communities off Route 5 and Longhill Road, and the waterfront lots along the James, a fence here has to satisfy the look, the neighbors, and often a formal design review before a single post goes in the ground. Crusberg Fence is a family-owned, licensed Virginia Class A contractor based just down the road in Yorktown, and custom wood, the style Williamsburg is built on, is exactly what we are known for. When you call, a real person from the crew answers and comes out to look at the job in person.

4.9 ★ / 70 Google reviews
Virginia Class A Contractor #2705194192
Family-owned & operated
Free on-site estimates
3% military discount
Built for Williamsburg

Fences Built for Williamsburg, Not Just Anywhere

Drive from Colonial Williamsburg out to Ford's Colony, then down toward Governor's Land on the river, and you pass through three completely different fencing worlds in twenty minutes. The Historic Area and the streets around William & Mary answer to an architectural review board that treats a fence as part of the architecture. The big golf and estate communities answer to their own HOA design committees. And the waterfront lots along the James and its creeks fall under Chesapeake Bay Preservation rules that most homeowners have never heard of until a permit gets held up. A fence company that works in Williamsburg has to know all three, or the homeowner ends up rebuilding.

That is the part we take off your plate. We have spent years building fences across the Peninsula, and the styles Williamsburg leans on are our bread and butter: board-on-board privacy, classic wood picket, and clean ornamental aluminum. Custom wood is the work our family loves best and does day in and day out. We set our posts two feet deep in concrete and screw our framework and gates instead of nailing them, so the fence still stands straight and swings true years after the crew leaves. It costs us more hardware and more time, and it is the reason our fences last in this soil and climate.

Board-on-board privacy fence built by Crusberg Fence near Williamsburg
Ornamental aluminum fence installed by Crusberg Fence
Local rules

What You Need to Know About Fencing in Williamsburg

The first thing to sort out before you plan a fence in the Williamsburg area is which set of rules your property actually falls under, because the City of Williamsburg and James City County are two different jurisdictions with two different rulebooks, and the gated communities layer their own requirements on top. Here is how it breaks down in plain language, and it is the conversation we have with every Williamsburg homeowner before we quote a job.

There is also a special allowance in the Colonial Williamsburg historic area for fences built in a documented eighteenth-century style, which can be exempt from the standard height limits when the applicant shows the historical basis. If you own a historic home and want a period-correct fence, that is a real option, and it is the kind of custom wood work we enjoy most.

01

City of Williamsburg height limits

Inside the City of Williamsburg, a fence in a front yard may not exceed four feet, and a fence in a side or rear yard may not exceed six feet. Corner lots have an added catch: nothing can block a driver's clear sight line at the intersection, so the fence has to step down or set back where two streets meet. James City County handles height differently, which is one more reason the first question we ask is where exactly your property sits.
02

The Architectural Review Board and the historic districts

If your home is in the City's Architectural Preservation District or a Corridor Protection District, the Architectural Review Board treats your fence as an exterior architectural feature, which means it has to be approved before it is built. Those districts allow wood, aluminum, and wrought iron, and they specifically do not permit chain-link or vinyl. Salt-treated wood has to be painted or stained, and the finished side of the fence has to face the street and your neighbors. This is one place our shop lines up naturally with the rules: the two materials we build most, custom wood and ornamental aluminum, are exactly the two the board wants to see, so you are not fighting the guidelines to get the fence you want.
03

Waterfront lots and the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area

If your property backs onto the James, Powhatan Creek, or another tidal water, part of your yard is very likely inside a Resource Protection Area under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation framework. Digging post holes, clearing, or grading inside that buffer can trigger a separate review before the work is allowed. We plan the fence line and the dig with that buffer in mind so a waterfront job does not stall halfway through, and we tell you honestly when a section needs a closer look from the county or city first.
04

Permits, HOAs, and calling before you dig

A standard residential fence usually does not need a building permit in Virginia, with the important exception of a fence used as a pool barrier, which has its own code. Zoning height rules, architectural review, and Chesapeake Bay review can still apply even when no building permit does. On top of the public rules, communities like Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, Governor's Land, New Town, and Stonehouse run their own HOA design approval, and those covenants are often stricter than the city or county. We build to those guidelines and provide the material and design details your committee needs, including application drawings when it helps, so it goes in front of them complete rather than half-finished. You submit it, and we make sure you have what you need. And on every job, we call Virginia 811 to get the underground utilities marked before we put a shovel in the ground.
Neighborhoods

Williamsburg Neighborhoods and Areas We Serve

Williamsburg is really a collection of very different communities, and the right fence in one is the wrong fence in another. Here is how we approach the areas we work in.

Ornamental aluminum fence on an estate lot by Crusberg Fence 01

Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, Governor's Land, and the gated communities

The large golf and estate communities want fences that read as refined and disappear into the landscape, which usually means ornamental black aluminum, often around a pool or the back of a wooded lot, and always to the HOA's design standard. These are big lots with long runs and a lot of mature trees, so the layout and the dig matter as much as the panel. Kingsmill and Governor's Land also carry the waterfront and Chesapeake Bay considerations along the James, which we plan for up front.
Custom fence at a historic Williamsburg home by Crusberg Fence 02

The Historic Area and the streets around William & Mary

Closer to Colonial Williamsburg and the college, the aesthetic is period wood, picket, and board fencing that fits homes with real historic character, built to the Architectural Review Board's material and finished-side rules. This is exactly the custom wood work our family is known for, and where the eighteenth-century-style allowance can come into play for the right home.
Board-on-board privacy fence in a newer subdivision by Crusberg Fence 03

New Town, Powhatan, and the newer subdivisions

The newer neighborhoods off Monticello and Ironbound lean toward clean privacy fencing for young families and pets, wood board-on-board or aluminum, balanced against the subdivision's covenants. Yards here are tighter, and the neighbors are close, so the finished-side-out rule and a straight, well-set line make all the difference in how the fence looks from both sides.
Chain-link enclosure on a rural upper-county lot by Crusberg Fence 04

Upper James City County: Toano, Norge, Lightfoot, and Stonehouse

Out in the upper county, the lots open up and get more rural, which brings chain-link back into play for larger enclosures, dog runs, and property lines where a historic-district material rule does not apply, alongside wood and aluminum. Stonehouse has its own HOA standards to build to. This is also deep deer country, which changes what a fence needs to do.
Our services

Our Fence Services in Williamsburg

Custom wood board-on-board fence by Crusberg Fence Custom wood fencing Board-on-board, classic picket, privacy, and period-correct historic styles. Custom wood is the heart of our shop, and it is the material the Historic Area and most Williamsburg HOAs prefer. We build with the finished side facing out, set posts two feet in concrete, and screw the framework so a long run stays straight through Williamsburg's wet-to-dry soil swings.
Powder-coated ornamental aluminum fence by Crusberg Fence Ornamental aluminum fencing The go-to for Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, Governor's Land, and pool enclosures, powder-coated aluminum gives you a clean, low-maintenance line that satisfies HOA design committees and the architectural review board alike. It is also the practical answer on wooded estate lots where you want security and a sight line without blocking the view.
Chain-link fence installed by Crusberg Fence Chain-link fencing Best suited to the upper county and rural James City properties, where it fences large areas, dog runs, and back property lines affordably. We are upfront that chain-link is not permitted inside the City's historic districts, so we steer you to wood or aluminum when that is where you live, rather than sell you a fence that will not pass review.
Custom wood gate built and hung by Crusberg Fence Gates, repair, and storm damage Custom wood and aluminum gates built and hung to swing true and stay that way, plus repair of leaning sections, broken posts, and storm damage after a nor'easter or a fallen limb, which Williamsburg's tree cover produces plenty of. We also build custom decks for existing fence customers who want the yard finished as one project.
Why Crusberg Fence

Why Williamsburg Homeowners Choose Crusberg Fence

6Six reasons a Williamsburg homeowner hires us over a general fence crew:

01

Custom wood is our specialty, and it is the material Williamsburg is built on, from the Historic Area to the newest subdivision covenant.

02

The two materials we build most, wood and ornamental aluminum, are the two the Architectural Review Board and the HOAs actually permit, so you are not fighting the rules to get the fence you want.

03

We know the difference between a City of Williamsburg lot, a James City County lot, and a Chesapeake Bay waterfront buffer, and we plan the job around it before we quote.

04

We set posts two feet deep in concrete and screw our framework and gates instead of nailing them, so the fence stays straight and the gates keep swinging.

05

We are a licensed Virginia Class A contractor carrying full insurance, which a lot of crews in this area skip. A license holds us accountable to you.

06

Either Clint or Cole is on your job, running the crew and standing behind the result. From the estimate to the final walkthrough, you deal with an owner, not a salesman who disappears once the contract is signed.

Cost

What Affects the Cost of a Williamsburg Fence

We do not quote fences over the phone or online, because an honest price in Williamsburg depends on things we have to see, and the area has a few cost drivers you will not run into everywhere. We come out, measure, and give you a free written estimate you can compare against any other bid on the same scope.

Crusberg Fence crew measuring and building a fence on the Virginia Peninsula
01 Historic-district and HOA material rules.When chain-link and vinyl are off the table, and the fence has to be wood or aluminum to a design standard, the material floor is higher than a bare-bones yard fence elsewhere.
02 Long runs on big lots.Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, and Governor's Land properties often mean hundreds of linear feet and mature trees to work around, which drives both material and labor.
03 Waterfront and buffer work.A Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area can add review and careful planning on lots along the James and the creeks.
04 Custom wood detail.Period-correct picket, caps and trim, and finished-side-out construction take more time and better lumber than a builder-grade panel.

Two things we can tell you up front: we take a deposit to schedule the work, typically around twenty percent, or closer to fifty percent when a job needs special-order materials, with the balance due on completion, and we offer a three percent military discount, which comes up often across the Peninsula we serve. The estimate itself is always free.

Customer review

What a Williamsburg Customer Said

A From a verified Google review · Williamsburg · historic home, 268 linear feet ★★★★★

“Just yesterday the Crusberg Fence team finished a major fence project at our historic home in Williamsburg. Every aspect of the project, from initial quote to design discussions to demolition to the actual fence build was pleasant, professional, on time, and friendly. The end result is a fence (268 linear ft) that is beautiful, sturdy, functional, and one which draws compliments from neighbors. Highly recommended!”

— Anne H., verified Google review

That project, a large fence at a historic Williamsburg home, is exactly the kind of work we are built for: the design conversation up front, a clean demolition of what was there, and a finished fence the neighbors notice for the right reasons. Our Google rating sits at 4.9 stars, and the live review feed can run right here so you can read the rest.

Local conditions

Building for Williamsburg's Conditions

Williamsburg sits in coastal Virginia, and the weather and the wildlife both get a vote in what fence makes sense. Summers are hot and humid, winters swing above and below freezing, and nor'easters and the tail ends of tropical systems push hard wind and heavy rain through every year. Ground that is soggy in March can be bone dry in August, and that movement is what pulls a poorly set fence out of line. It is why we set posts two feet deep in concrete rather than tamped dirt, and why the screwed framework matters here more than in a milder climate.

The other Williamsburg factor is deer, and there are a lot of them. Ford's Colony, Kingsmill, Stonehouse, and the wooded lots throughout the area see steady deer traffic, and homeowners who garden quickly learn that a low decorative fence is just a suggestion to a deer. When keeping deer out of a garden or off the landscaping is the goal, we will talk through height and layout honestly rather than sell you a fence that looks nice and does not do the job.

Fence post set two feet deep in concrete by Crusberg Fence
FAQ

Williamsburg Fence Questions, Answered

01 Do I need Architectural Review Board approval for my fence? +
If your home is in the City of Williamsburg's Architectural Preservation District or a Corridor Protection District, then yes, the board reviews your fence before it is built, and there are rules on material and which side faces out. Outside those districts and out in James City County, the board does not apply, though your HOA still might. We help you figure out which bucket you are in before we quote.
02 Can I put up a chain-link or vinyl fence in the Historic Area? +
Not inside the City's architectural districts, which allow wood, aluminum, and wrought iron and specifically do not permit chain-link or vinyl. If that is where you live, we will steer you to a wood or aluminum design that both looks right and passes review. In the upper county and unrestricted lots, chain-link is fine.
03 How tall can my fence be? +
In the City of Williamsburg, four feet in a front yard and six feet in a side or rear yard, with corner-lot sight-line rules on top. James City County handles height on its own terms, and your HOA may be stricter than either. We confirm the limit for your exact address as part of the estimate.
04 Do you handle the HOA approval in Ford's Colony or Kingsmill? +
We build to the community's design guidelines and provide the material and design details the committee wants to see, including a drawing for your application when that helps. Some homeowners are proactive and handle the submission themselves; others ask us to prepare the drawing so it goes in complete. Either way you submit the application, we make sure you have everything you need to do it cleanly.
05 My lot is on the water. Does that change anything? +
It can. Waterfront and near-water lots along the James and the creeks often fall partly inside a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area, where digging and clearing in the buffer may need review first. We plan the fence line around that so the job does not get stopped partway through.
06 How soon can you start, and do you offer any discount? +
We respond the same day you reach out and set up the on-site estimate quickly; installs are usually booked about three to four weeks out. We also offer a three percent military discount, common across the Peninsula we serve.
Service area

Serving Williamsburg and the Surrounding Area

Crusberg Fence covers the City of Williamsburg and James City County, along with the communities around them. If your town is nearby and not listed, just ask.

Williamsburg Jamestown James City County Grove Toano Lanexa Norge Croaker Lightfoot Five Forks
Free estimate

Get a Free Williamsburg Fence Estimate

Call or text (757) 508-1782 or (757) 508-0538 for a free, on-site, written estimate anywhere in Williamsburg and James City County.

Yorktown, VA · Serving Williamsburg, James City County & the Virginia Peninsula · Mon–Sat 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM