Short answer
EPA's work in Ambler centers on two mapped Superfund sites: the Ambler Asbestos Piles, about 25 acres beside the Wissahickon that were cleaned up by 1993, and the BoRit site, listed in 2009 with a cleanup decision in 2017. If your lot borders either site, check with EPA or the borough before digging. Anywhere in town, if a post hole turns up fibrous gray or white debris, stop and ask before going further.
Why Ambler has an asbestos history
Ambler grew as a company town. Keasbey & Mattison made asbestos products here and built about 400 homes for its workers and managers, from rowhouses to Victorian executive houses. By World War I the borough was known as the asbestos capital of the world. The old factory and smokestack are now the Ambler Boiler House offices, and the waste the company left behind is what EPA has been dealing with since.
The two EPA sites
| Site | Where and what | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ambler Asbestos Piles | About 25 acres beside the Wissahickon Creek; Keasbey & Mattison waste | Cleanup completed by 1993 |
| BoRit | Asbestos waste site in Ambler | Listed in 2009; Record of Decision issued in 2017 |
From EPA's Ambler page. Check it for current status and contacts.
What we do before digging in Ambler
- Place a PA One Call ticket at least 3 business days before digging, as for any fence.
- Ask whether your lot borders one of the EPA sites. If it does, we want guidance from EPA or the borough before we dig.
- Watch the spoil. Old fill, broken pipe or shingle pieces, or fibrous gray or white material in a hole means we stop that hole.
- If something looks wrong, we cover the hole, leave the material in place and point you to EPA's Ambler contacts.
We're fence builders, not environmental testers. We can't tell you a yard is clean, and we won't guess. If you want certainty about your soil, ask a qualified environmental professional.
Ambler's fence rules while you plan
| Rule | What Ambler's zoning code says |
|---|---|
| Front yard | Up to 4 ft (§ 382-15) |
| Side and rear | Up to 6 ft |
| Corner lots | Between the curb and the building line on either street, nothing over 3 ft, and no plantings between 3 and 9 ft above curb level (§ 382-14) |
| Over 6 ft | Allowed outside front yards if the part above 4 ft is at least 50% open; the wording is ambiguous, so we confirm with the borough |
| Sidewalks | Walls, fences and hedges may not obstruct sidewalks |
| Permit | Not confirmed in our research; we check with the borough |
Checked October 2026 from the cited code. Codes change; we confirm with the zoning office before every install.
Old company-town lots
Ambler is a compact borough of 0.85 square miles, and the company-town housing Keasbey & Mattison built ran from rowhouses to large Victorians. On borough-sized lots, the corner-lot 3-ft rule and the 4-ft front-yard limit shape most fence layouts. If you're near the Wissahickon, flooding is the other ground-level question worth asking.
At the estimate we'll talk through where your posts go, what's been dug on your lot before, and anything you've noticed in the soil.
Common questions
Who do I call if I find suspicious material in a post hole?
Start with the contacts on EPA's Ambler page and the borough office. Leave the material where it is and keep kids and pets away from the hole.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Ambler?
Our research didn't confirm whether Ambler requires a zoning permit for fences. We check with the borough before every job.
Is the Wissahickon floodplain a concern in Ambler?
Along the creek, yes. See our guide to fencing near the Wissahickon.