Find a licensed fence or deck builder in Southampton, NY

Who licenses fence and deck builders in Southampton

• Suffolk's home improvement law names fencing and also reaches other improvements to structures or land that are part of residential property. A business doing that work needs a county license unless an exemption applies.
• Fence and deck contractors who work in Suffolk without a license can face arrest and prosecution, according to Consumer Affairs.
• Southampton requires its own Home Improvement Contractor's License for home improvement work, and its licensing covers every village except the Village of Westhampton Dunes. A builder of a new home needs no town license for now, but the builder's subcontractors must be licensed.
• A Southampton home improvement license is valid for one year. A new application costs $250.00 by cash or check or $257.50 by credit, and an on-time renewal costs $175.00, or $180.25 by credit.

State rules and the lookup steps: how to check a fence or deck builder's license.

What the Town of Southampton requires

• Southampton requires a building permit for any fence over 4 feet tall and does not permit fences over 6 feet, or 6-foot fences in required front yards.
• If a property is on Southampton's wetlands inventory list, a fence of any size needs Conservation approval.
• Southampton's fee for a fence over 4 feet and up to 6 feet is $.10 per linear foot, with a $50 minimum.
• Southampton requires a building permit for every deck, even a wood deck built at grade.
• Southampton also requires a building permit to rebuild a deck, porch or steps exactly the way they were.
• Southampton's deck disclosure is completed by the contractor or person who built the deck under the permit.

The Town of Southampton Building and Zoning Department handles permits (631-287-5700). Our Town of Southampton permit guide covers how to apply, inspections and certificates.

Homes in Southampton: what the Census shows

Across the Town of Southampton, villages included, the median home was built in 1983, and 22% of homes were built before 1960, 10% before 1940. 89% of homes here are single-family detached houses, and 82% are owner-occupied.

What fence and deck work costs here

Labor is a large part of any price. Long Island carpenters earn a median $78,841 a year, from about $54,732 at entry level to $97,440 with experience. Fence erectors earn a median $35,717 a year, from about $35,360 at entry level to $54,150 with experience. (New York State Department of Labor, wages updated to the first quarter of 2026.) Prices come from written estimates; more in the fences and decks cost guide.

Before you hire in Southampton

• Ask for the license number the work needs here (see who licenses fence and deck builders above), and check it before you sign.
• Ask who files with the Town of Southampton Building and Zoning Department, and who books the inspections.
• Do you have a current survey of my lot, so the fence stays on my side of the line?
• For a pool: does the fence meet the pool barrier rules, gates included?