Temporary Fencing in Richmond, Virginia

A city that is also its own county

Richmond is an independent city, which means the line between Richmond, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County matters more than it does in most places. A site on one side of a road might be inspected by the city, and the site across the road by a county. Permits and sidewalk rules can differ from one side of the line to the other. When you call for a fence quote, say exactly which jurisdiction the site is in, because the crew may need to plan around it.

That is also why fence providers here know the territory. A crew delivering to Scott's Addition in the morning and Short Pump in the afternoon deals with two sets of rules and does not expect the second to match the first.

Old buildings and tight streets

A lot of Richmond work is renovation. The former warehouses in Scott's Addition and the brick buildings in Shockoe Bottom get gutted and rebuilt. Rowhouse blocks near Carytown get the same treatment. Those sites are narrow, and the fence often has to hug a lot line with a sidewalk right outside it. Crews use shorter panels and braced stands that fit on a sidewalk, plus a pedestrian gate so deliveries can still come in. Shockoe Bottom sits low beside the river, and ground there stays wet longer than it does up the hill, so ask for mats or gravel under the stands.

Demolition fence is another regular job. When a building comes down near a public street, the fence needs to be strong enough to catch debris and tall enough to keep a curious person from walking in. Windscreen helps with dust, and in a dense neighborhood the neighbors will thank you for it.

Downtown, the state Capitol grounds and the government district host rallies and ceremonies that call for crowd control fence. VCU and the medical campus run steady construction as well, and those sites tend to need a long rental with a few moves as phases change.

Events along the river

The James River is Richmond's front yard. Brown's Island and Belle Isle host outdoor events, and the October folk festival fills the downtown streets. Crowd fence for these is set up in bike-rack style barricades and wider gated lines. Ask for a quote that includes the delivery truck window, because downtown streets close early and a late truck means a late setup.

River events also bring wet ground. A fence staked in soft ground near the water needs ballast, and the flood plain along the James is exactly where that comes up.

Hopewell and the industrial side

South of the city, Hopewell is a different kind of fence customer. It is an industrial port town on the James with chemical and manufacturing plants. Work there tends to be shutdown and maintenance fencing and laydown yards, plus construction on plant property that has its own site security requirements. A provider has to be comfortable with those rules. If your site is inside a plant, mention that at the start of the call.

Along I-95 and I-295 toward Petersburg, expect longer runs and more truck traffic through the gates. Wider swing gates are common, and so are double gates that two trucks can use.

The first call is easier with a plan

Richmond jobs often start with a small question. A contractor in the Fan wants a fence around a rear lot while a retaining wall is rebuilt. A developer in Manchester, across the river, needs a perimeter for a former industrial block. Either one is a few hundred feet of panel and a gate or two, quoted the same plain way: footage, ground, duration.

The only trouble is when the plan changes. Contractors move the fence line three times in a month, and each move is a crew visit. Ask whether the quote covers moves. Ask who is responsible if the fence is hit by a delivery truck, and whether the damage waiver applies. These are boring questions, and they are where the surprises on an invoice come from.

Hospital and university work near the Medical College campus and along Broad Street shows the downside of a tight site: when a delivery truck blocks a lane for twenty minutes, someone gets a ticket. Ask the crew about the delivery plan, how long the truck needs, and whether they can arrive before the morning rush.

Before you ring

• The street address and the jurisdiction.
• Linear feet, and how many corners the fence turns.
• Height, and screen or open chain-link.
• Gate widths, especially if trucks are going to enter.
• Ground type, since much of the region is red clay that turns slick after rain.
• Start date and rental length.

Red clay is worth a sentence by itself. Stands set in clay after a storm can slide and tilt, and a fence that leans is a fence that gets knocked over. Ask whether the crew uses extra bracing on wet ground.

Tropical remnants reach Central Virginia in late summer and fall, and a screen-wrapped fence is the first thing to fail in that wind. Agree ahead of time who takes it down. That one question can save your fence, and your neighbor's car.

Looking for a different city? Here are some nearby.

Other Richmond equipment topics.