About us
Rooted in Santa Barbara.
Located in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA, Lighthouse Fence was founded in 2020 with a passion for customer service, creativity, and design. Our vision is simple: a specialized construction company that removes the typical contractor headaches — the missed calls, the vague quotes, the mystery timelines — and replaces them with efficiency, craftsmanship, and service that feels like it's from another era. This is our home too, and we build like it.
Our founder
Meet Kevin.
Kevin Herlihy founded Lighthouse Fence with deep construction experience and a lifelong love of working with his hands — woodworking, sailing, camping; if it involves craft and the outdoors, he's in. Before starting the company, Kevin spent nearly a decade in the tech world managing partnerships and business development — which explains a lot about how Lighthouse runs: acute attention to detail, real customer relationships, and transparent communication from first call to final walkthrough.
His guiding philosophy — "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" — shows up in every post hole. This isn't a fallback career; it's the goal.
Why Lighthouse?
A guide home.
For centuries, lighthouses have been symbols of guidance and safety — the first welcome sign a sailor sees after dangerous water, the promise of comfort, sanctuary, and home. We believe a well-designed yard offers the same feeling: step into it and you know you've arrived somewhere safe, somewhere yours.
The name is also rooted right here: Santa Barbara was home to one of California's earliest lighthouses, first lit in 1856 and captured in a famous photograph in 1894 — guiding sailors along this coast decades before the harbor took its modern shape. We took the name as a promise: we'll guide your project home.
Our team
People who treat your property like their own.
We're a small but growing team of dedicated builders who take pride in exceeding expectations — the kind of crew that fixes the thing that wasn't in the scope because it needed fixing, and leaves your property cleaner than we found it. Every project gets an itemized quote, a realistic timeline, and updates when anything shifts. And if something can be repaired instead of replaced, we'll tell you — we won't sell you a fence you don't need.
Credentials
CA License #1082932 · Licensed, bonded & insured · Authorized Trex Fencing installer · QuickScreen Aluminum authorized installer · See everything we build →
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Lighthouse Fence?
Kevin Herlihy, who founded the company in Santa Barbara in 2020 and is still on jobsites today. When you work with Lighthouse, you're working with the owner's standards, not a franchise's.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes — CA License #1082932, licensed, bonded, and insured. We're also factory-authorized installers for Trex Fencing and QuickScreen Aluminum.
What makes Lighthouse different from other fence companies?
Three things clients mention most: communication (you always know what's happening and when), materials depth (we'll explain exactly what you're buying and why), and honesty — if something can be repaired instead of replaced, we'll tell you.
Where does the name come from?
Santa Barbara was home to one of California's earliest lighthouses, and lighthouses guide sailors safely home. We think a well-designed yard should feel the same way — the name is our promise to guide your project home.