The Fence Man
Local business · 22 Thayer Rd, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
Their work
26 photosReach out
Call (617) 926-1407Visit websiteSee on GoogleYou reach them directly — we don’t take a cut.
Verified record
- A+ BBB ratingAccredited business
- 1 review in the last 6 monthsNo negatives
- 5 customer photosOf completed work
Highlights
- Repeat customers — one household had three fences built by them
- Owner on site — reviewers name John and his son doing the work
- BBB A+ and accredited — accredited since November 2016
- Custom gates — praised on both a vinyl and a wood fence
- Long tenure — BBB gives a 1996 business start date
- Wait times — a 2025 reviewer said they are in demand
- Rating gap — Google averages 4.4 across 16 ratings, all six written accounts five stars
- Small crew — the BBB lists three employees
One Waltham customer has now hired The Fence Man three times — three separate wooden fences, the most recent a custom build they called worth the wait. Repeat business from the same household is about the strongest thing a small fence company can put on the board. John Shields runs it out of 22 Thayer Road in Waltham with three employees, and the company says it is family owned and operated by a third-generation fence installer marking its 30th anniversary. The Better Business Bureau, which has had a file on the company since 2004, backs up the timeline with a 1996 start date and gives it an A+; it has been BBB accredited since November 2016. The work spans PVC, chain link, wood post-and-rail, ornamental and wrought iron, pool and sport fencing and netting, plus repairs, removals and bobcat and auger service, and the company says most of its fencing is fabricated on its own premises. The father-and-son pairing is what customers keep describing. A 2025 reviewer who had a vinyl fence with two gates installed thanked John and his son by name and said the price was the lowest they found. Another, writing in December 2021, said John came out for the estimate on a Sunday afternoon and built custom gates on a fence that came out sturdier than expected. In March this year, a homeowner whose storm door had sprung out said the two Johns came in as promised and fixed it. Worth knowing before you call: those six written accounts are all five stars, but Google's own average is 4.4 across 16 ratings — so a handful of people rated them lower without writing anything, and what bothered them is not on the record. The other recurring note is scheduling. That 2025 reviewer said plainly that the company is in demand and you wait for a slot. This is the right call for a homeowner who wants a fence built by the owners themselves rather than a subcontracted crew, and who can plan a few weeks ahead. Get the lead time in writing along with the quote, and confirm what the fabrication-on-site arrangement means for your particular material.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0Mar 7, 2026
The John Sr and John Jr are wonderful human beings and they listen and understand and pretty good at the work. My Storm door sprung out and they came right in as promised and had done a pretty good job. I would have zero hesitation to recommend them for any work you have. They both are knowledgeable and great craftsmanship and most importantly very kind too.
— veerla kalyanView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0May 27, 2025
Best fence installers in the Boston area by far we had a vinyl fence installed. It came up perfect with two gates. The price they offered was lowest around. No one can beat that quality and price. I want to say thank you to John and his son. We appreciate everything
— MossView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0May 27, 2025
Once again the Fence Man located in Waltham, has done a fantastic job. This is the 3rd wooden fence they have built for us. The quality and craftmanship of the custom fence they installed is incredible. Their prices are reasonable, they are in demand and definitely worth the wait.
— Cynthia ChaneView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Jul 23, 2022
April, 2022. Phone only. Great help. Gave me all the information I inquired about
— David PrevitiView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Dec 30, 2021
John and his crew came well recommended to me from my father-in-law. When we called him he was very receptive and very informative. He said he would swing by for an estimate and he actually did it on a Sunday afternoon. At that point I knew that he would probably be a good choice. When he and his guys showed they were very professional and very respectful of the property. The actual fence came out even better than I imagined. Very sturdy because of how he installs it and also on our fence he made custom gates and they are awesome!. They worked very hard the entire time they were here. They actually worked into the early evening to make sure that got it done. I will definitely use him for anything I need in the future. And I highly recommend him to anybody looking for someone to put in a high quality fence with excellent workmanship. Also very reasonable pricing, especially for the high quality materials he uses. The quality of the fence will definitely not only make the house look better but probably increase the value. Thank you very much to John and his crew!
— Stephen SawyerView on Google Reviews ↗
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Update history
Added 6 new comments, added 26 new photos, established rating 3.8
- behind the score: Wait times — a 2025 reviewer said they are in demand
What does a fence cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from The Fence Man. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Walk the line and pace it off — a pace is about 3 feet.
Estimated range
$4,050 – $7,950
Typical fencing project around $6,000