When starting a fence project in Jersey City, contact the city hall Zoning Department, describe your project, and ask them for their specific fence codes (more info below). Most Fences will require a Zoning Permit (application below) which you can bring in to them for approval. Academy Fence Company, a leading fence service contractor in Jersey City since the 1960’s, has installed hundreds of residential and commercial fences through out Hudson County.
Home owners and fence contractors can look below where we have provided much necessary information for installing a fence in Jersey City, as well as photos of completed jobs for your reference.
Feel free to contact us to speak with a fence industry expert with any questions or to get an installation price quote or material estimate.
Jersey City has regular codes that are relevant to fencing as well as redevelopment codes which may be necessary to be familiar with. It is recommended to contact the Zoning Official to determine if your fence project meets requirements.
Jersey City Fence Codes and Ordinances
Zoning Standards.
a. Residential Districts Maximum Height.
i. Front Yard. Four (4) feet except for parking areas of six (6) spaces or more developed in accordance with the ordinance, then the maximum height shall be six (6) feet;
ii. Side Yard. Six (6) feet maximum height;
iii. Rear Yard. Eight (8) feet maximum height.
b. Commercial Districts Maximum Height.
i. Front Yard. Four (4) feet except for parking areas of six (6) spaces or more developed in accordance with the ordinance, then the maximum height shall be six (6) feet;
ii. Side Yard. Six (6) feet maximum height;
iii. Rear Yard. Eight (8) feet maximum height.
c. Industrial Districts Maximum Height.
i. All yards. Twelve (12) feet.
d. Corner Lots. Fences on corners shall maintain clear lines of sight for vehicular traffic and shall be subject to the requirements of sight triangles. On corner lots, the fencing shall have matching fence heights on both frontages.
2. Chain link fences shall not be permitted in the front yard.
3. Vacant Lots shall be exempt from the standards listed above. Vacant lots shall be permitted to have six-foot high chain link fence along the front and side yard and eight (8) feet along the rear yard. All chain link fencing is to be removed upon development of the property.
4. Barbed wire/razor wire fencing is prohibited.
B. Design Standards.
2. A finished side of all fences shall face “out” from the property. All structural supporting members of the fence must face the interior portion of the lot and no portion of any at-grade fence may extend beyond or across the property line.
3. For fences on roof deck, a finished side of all fences shall face “out” from the area which it is enclosing.
4. Fence height shall be measured from finished grade. Up to an additional ten (10) percent of height may be added to the maximum permitted fence height in order to accommodate lots with irregular grade.
5. All fences shall be consistent in appearance. Posts are to be separated by equal distances and constructed of fencing material conforming to a definite pattern in size.
6. All gates within any given type of fence shall be of the same material, design, type, height and color as the fence (e.g., a chain link gate may not be attached to a tubular metal fence).
7. No fence shall permanently preclude access to abutting properties for maintenance of the abutting properties. Gates or openings shall be required to be placed in locations where adjoining property owners may require access to the rear of their properties.
8. Gates shall not swing outward into the public right-of-way. Gates may only swing outward if they are set back far enough from a property line so as not to extend into the right-of-way at any point.
9. Where chain link is permitted in industrial zones, one-inch non climbable vinyl clad fencing shall be used.
10. Wooden board-on-board fencing is recommended for screening and privacy in the rear and side yards, but may not be located between the building line and street line.
11. Solid or perforated, corrugated, or flat sheet metal is prohibited for use as fencing material.
12. Single ply, vinyl slats which are inserted diagonally are prohibited as screening material for fences.
13. Mechanical gates with overhead bars are prohibited.
14. Decorative front yard fences defining a front yard private space shall be provided if the predominant character of the block contains such fencing. The front yard fence must line up with the predominant fence line on the street. No encroachment beyond the predominant fenceline shall be permitted.
15. Fences shall only be permitted within the public right-of-way provided such fences are consistent with the established fence line on the street. No fencing shall be permitted in the right-of-way solely for purposes of providing for off-street parking. Such fences must comply with the design standards outlined below.
16. If the fence application is part of any application in front of either Board, the reviewing Board shall review and approve or deny. If the threshold for Board review is not met, the City Planning staff shall review the application and report its findings to the Office of the Construction Code Official, whereupon a construction permit may be issued.
a. All proposed fences in the public right-of-way must be either wrought iron, mild steel, tubular steel or aluminum, or a combination of brick columns and steel/iron fences. Fences shall be painted and maintained with a dark color to reduce visibility of rust.
b. Height Restrictions. The height of bars and columns of fences constructed in the public right-of-way shall not exceed forty-eight (48) inches, as measured from finished grade to the top of the bars or columns.
c. Size and Spacing Material.
i. Minimum width of vertical bars—one-half (½) inch.
ii. Maximum spacing of bars—four (4) inches.
d. Freestanding Gates. All freestanding gates must swing into the fenced area, not into the public right-of-way.
e. No fence in a right-of-way shall disturb any existing sidewalk.
f. The right-of-way inside the fence shall be landscaped.
Phone(201) 547-5055
Fax(201) 547-5270
30 Montgomery Street
Room 412
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Jersey City, NJ Official Building Department Website
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