All permanent fence installs are regulated by the Borough codes and ordinances (provided below) but an application for a Building Permit is not always necessary. If the fence is less than 8ft high, then only a zoning review is necessary. For this you can print and fill out the Zoning Application (below) and bring it to Borough Hall with a description (photo) of the fence style and a copy of your property survey with the proposed fence location marked in red. Also you can see recent Jobs that we have installed in Madison where we have been a professional fence contractor since the 1960’s. Take notice, when a fence has a signature “Academy Fence” sign, you can be assured it is well planned, structurally substantial, and provides many years of purpose and longevity.
Application for Zoning Permit – Borough of Madison
Print and fill out this Zoning Application and bring it to Borough Hall with a description (and photo) of the fence style and a copy of your property survey with the proposed fence location marked in red.
Is a permit required for a fence?
All permanent fences are regulated by the Borough ordinance (provided below) but application for permit is not always necessary. Application for permit is required only when the fence does not comply with Ordinance requirements, in which case a variance and plan review will be necessary at the Zoning Board of Adjustment at a public hearing. For more information, please contact Engineering by phone at 973-593-3060.
These are the areas in the town ordinance (code) that mostly pertain to fence:
Fence and walls, including retaining walls
A. Maximum height and location in residential zones. All fences and walls in residential zones shall comply with the standards in Schedule A: Fence and Wall Diagram.[1]
[1] Editor’s Note: Schedule A is included at the end of this chapter.
B. General regulations for fences and walls, including retaining walls.
(1) No fence or wall shall be constructed or installed so as to constitute a hazard to traffic or safety.
(2) No fence or wall in a residential zone shall be greater than six feet in height except in the case of tennis court and similar sports court facilities.
(3) In all nonresidential zones no fence shall exceed six feet in height. On properties with nonresidential uses which abut residential uses, any open fencing shall be buffered with evergreen landscaping.
(4) Except for locations within sight triangles, hedges and other landscaping shall be exempt from the height limitations of this subsection but shall not be located so as to constitute a hazard to traffic or safety.
(5) The face or finished side of a fence or wall shall face the adjacent property or street.
(6) No fence or wall shall be constructed with barbed wire, metal spikes or other such dangerous material or constructed in such manner as to be dangerous to animals or humans.
(7) No fence or wall shall be constructed without the issuance of a zoning permit or a building permit.
(8) All fences and walls shall be contained within the property lines of the parcel containing the principal use.
(9) Retaining walls over 18 inches in height shall be set back from any property line by at least two feet or set back a distance equal to the height of the retaining wall or retaining wall series, whichever is greater.
C. Swimming pool fences. Every private swimming pool shall have a fence enclosure which complies with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
Fence and Gates (regarding Pools)
A structure made of posts or stakes, joined together by boards, wire or rails, serving as an enclosure, a barrier or as a boundary. The height of a fence shall be measured from the ground surface at the base of the fence to the highest part of the structure above the base except that posts shall be permitted to extend up to six inches above the height limit. An open fence shall be considered a structure having voids comprising 45% or more of the fence facade area. Typical open fence styles include post and rail, chain link, spaced picket, and ornamental rigid metal. All other fences and walls shall be considered solid fences. Typical solid fence styles include stockade, board-on-board, and solid picket.
Madison Borough Hall
Hartley Dodge Memorial Building
50 Kings Road
Madison, NJ 07940
Phone: 973-593-3042
Madison Borough Official Website
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