Fence Installation in Bloomfield, NJ

Bloomfield is a large, varied Essex County township — the older streets around Bloomfield Green and the old Morris Canal corridor, the Watessing neighborhood in the south, Halcyon Park, and the bigger lots up in Brookdale near the Montclair line. Its fence code is stricter at the side line than almost anywhere else in the county: a six-foot privacy fence is a rear-yard-only fence in Bloomfield. Side yards cap at four feet, front yards cap at four feet and must stay mostly open, and in the R-1A Zone a front-yard fence is not permitted at all.

Solanos Fence installs vinyl, aluminum, WPC composite, wood, post-and-rail and chain link fencing in Bloomfield, NJ, and handles fence repair as well. We also sell fence materials for pickup at our Fairfield location. Bloomfield is part of our Essex County service area.

Bloomfield’s Fence Rules: § 315-43

Bloomfield regulates fences in § 315-43 of its Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 315). The section’s core rule, cited as § 315-43(B) in the Township’s own Board Engineer reports, is that fences in excess of four feet in height are permitted in the rear yard only. The main rules in § 315-43:

Rear yard: six feet. A fence in a rear yard may be up to 6 feet high — this is the only yard where a full-height privacy fence is permitted.
Side yard: four feet. A fence in a side yard may not exceed 4 feet in height. A six-foot fence along the side of a house is a variance situation in Bloomfield, not a standard install.
Front yard: four feet and at least 60% open. Where a front-yard fence is allowed at all, it may not exceed 4 feet and must be built with a minimum of 60% openings — an open picket or aluminum design, not a solid or privacy fence (§ 315-43(I)). Chain link, rail and wire mesh fences are not permitted in any front yard at all. A separate sight-line rule in the same section adds that a front-yard fence over four feet must be at least 75% open (§ 315-43(F)).
R-1A Zone: no front-yard fence. Fences are not permitted in the front yard setback of the R-1A Zone, whatever the height or style (§ 315-43(I)).
Corner lots: sight lines control the corner. Inside a sight triangle, no fence over 2½ feet above the top of the curb or pavement is permitted (§ 315-43(J)). The Township’s zoning guidance also treats both street frontages of a corner lot as front yards, so both street-facing sides carry the front-yard limits — 4 feet and 60% open outside the R-1A Zone, and no fence in an R-1A front yard.
Keep 10 feet off the front lot line. No fence along the front line may sit closer than 10 feet to the front lot line (split-rail fences excepted), and no fence may encroach in the front yard within 10 feet of the front lot line (§ 315-43(E), (K)).
Materials, upkeep and drainage. No fence may have protruding spikes, barbs or points that create a hazard, and nonstandard materials are not permitted (§ 315-43(G), (H)). Every fence must be built of durable materials and kept in good repair, and a fence may not block natural drainage (§ 315-43(C), (D)).
Placement is confirmed at permit time. Section 315-43 states no general property-line placement rule and no finished-side rule for an ordinary fence — exactly where the fence sits on your lot is confirmed per property when the zoning permit is reviewed, which is one reason the application requires a survey showing the fence against the property lines.
A zoning permit is required for any fence over 18 inches. Under § 315-43(A), a zoning permit is required for any fence exceeding 18 inches in height — a split-rail fence up to four feet is the stated exception. The application must be accompanied by a current property survey showing all property lines, easements and lot restrictions. The application fee on the Township’s Zoning Permit Application form is $40, non-refundable, confirmed at application; the zoning permit is valid for one year from issuance. A separate construction (UCC) permit may also apply to some projects, notably pool barriers.
Historic districts and Bloomfield Center add a step. If the property is within a historic district or within Bloomfield Center, the Township notes that additional steps are required before a zoning permit issues.
Pools: in-ground pools must be enclosed with a fence at least 4 feet high (Chapter 508), with gates or doors at least the height of the fence, built to prevent access beneath, through or over the enclosure, and kept securely locked when the pool is not in use; pools must also be built and maintained in accordance with § 315-36D(5).
Floodways are different. Under Chapter 250 (Flood Damage Prevention), a fence located in a floodway must have sufficiently large openings so as not to catch debris and obstruct floodwater — a fence with little or no open area does not meet that requirement — and foundations for fences over six feet must conform to the Uniform Construction Code.

Township reference: Township of Bloomfield Code, Chapter 315 — § 315-43 (fences) and Chapter 508 — Swimming Pools; permit steps and the Township’s own fence answers are in the Township Zoning FAQ.

Fencing Bloomfield Properties

Bloomfield’s rules split a typical backyard project into two heights. The rear yard takes the six-foot privacy run homeowners usually picture. But the side sections that carry that enclosure forward toward the street step down to four feet — so a Bloomfield layout is drawn with the step-down point marked, not assumed. Along the street, the fence becomes an open four-foot picket or aluminum run at 60% open or better, and on an R-1A lot there is no front-yard fence to draw at all.

Corner lots need the most care: the Township treats both street sides as front yards, so the four-foot, 60%-open rule runs down both streets, the sight-triangle cap holds any fence near the corner itself to 2½ feet above the curb, and the six-foot run belongs behind the house in the rear yard only. The permit step shapes the schedule too — because any fence over 18 inches needs a zoning permit with a current survey showing the fence against the property lines, easements and lot restrictions, the layout is drawn from the survey first. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, mark where the side-yard step-down falls and any corner conditions, and flag what the survey needs to show. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Bloomfield Homes

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural street-facing fence in Bloomfield: an appropriately spaced aluminum picket design may meet the front yard’s 60%-open standard, subject to the proposed model and approval, at the four-foot front- and side-yard limits — and it keeps that open look along both street sides of a corner lot. Around a pool, our 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier style clears Bloomfield’s four-foot minimum pool enclosure height, and compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier — height, picket spacing, ground clearance, and self-closing, self-latching gates — under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, not on the panel alone.

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

White vinyl privacy fencing belongs in Bloomfield’s rear yard, the one place a six-foot fence is permitted as of right. Our standard panels are six feet high by eight feet wide with 2-inch by 7-inch rails — exactly at the township’s rear-yard cap. It cannot run at six feet through a side yard, and it cannot be used in a front yard, where solid fences fail the 60%-open requirement.

WPC Composite, Wood, Post-and-Rail and Chain Link

WPC composite fencing gives a modern solid look in black, teak or gray for rear-yard privacy runs inside the six-foot cap. Wood picket is the traditional match for the four-foot, 60%-open front yard — spaced pickets are how the openness rule is met in wood — and for the four-foot side-yard sections. Post-and-rail suits Bloomfield’s larger Brookdale lots, and chain link remains practical for rear boundaries and dog runs inside the six-foot rear-yard limit. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Bloomfield

Current installation specials start at $23 per linear foot for six-foot white vinyl privacy fencing and $28 per linear foot for 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier fencing. Minimum project is 150 ft, and both offers apply within our service area. Gates and removal of an existing fence are not included — they are priced separately (gates from $500 for a single gate and from $1,000 for a double gate). Front- and side-yard open sections, specialty styles and step-down layouts are priced by individual estimate.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Bloomfield DIY Projects

Installing it yourself? Our Fairfield shop stocks white vinyl panels and posts, black aluminum panels and posts, and WPC packages. Bring your measurements or a copy of your survey — the Township’s zoning permit application will ask for a current survey showing the fence location against your property lines anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the four-foot side- and front-yard limits and the six-foot rear-yard cap. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup. Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Bloomfield

How tall can a fence be in Bloomfield?

It depends on the yard (§ 315-43). Six feet in a rear yard — fences over four feet are permitted in the rear yard only (§ 315-43(B)). Four feet in a side yard. In a front yard, four feet and at least 60% open — and in the R-1A Zone, no front-yard fence is permitted at all.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

Under § 315-43(J), no fence inside a sight triangle may rise more than 2½ feet above the top of the curb or pavement. The Township’s zoning guidance also treats both street frontages of a corner lot as front yards, so both street-facing sides are held to the front-yard rules: no more than 4 feet and at least 60% open, or no fence at all on an R-1A lot. The six-foot privacy run belongs in the rear yard behind the house. The Zoning Officer should confirm the exact lines from your survey before installation.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Bloomfield?

Yes — for any fence over 18 inches. Under § 315-43(A), a zoning permit is required for any fence exceeding 18 inches in height; a split-rail fence up to four feet is the exception. You submit a Zoning Permit application with a current property survey showing all property lines, easements and lot restrictions, and the application fee is $40, non-refundable, confirmed at application. The permit is valid for one year from issuance.

Can my fence sit right on the property line?

Section 315-43 does not say. The section states no general placement rule for an ordinary fence — no property-line setback and no finished-side requirement — so placement is confirmed per property when the zoning permit is reviewed. One placement rule the section does state: no fence along the front line may sit closer than 10 feet to the front lot line (split-rail fences excepted). The permit requires a current survey showing the fence against the property lines before anyone digs, so the line is settled on paper first.

What are Bloomfield’s pool fence rules?

An in-ground pool must be enclosed with a fence at least 4 feet high (Chapter 508). The enclosure’s gates or doors must be at least the height of the fence, built to reasonably prevent access beneath, through or over the enclosure, and kept securely locked when the pool is not in use; pools must also comply with § 315-36D(5). Chapter 508 states that aboveground pools need not be enclosed under that chapter, but the installed barrier — gates, latches and spacing included — must also meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, and compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier, not on the panel alone.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don’t offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Bloomfield, NJ

Call 973-220-7638 or contact Solanos Fence online. Tell us your approximate footage, the style you’re considering and whether your lot is a corner lot — we’ll plan the next steps around your property and Bloomfield’s rules. You can also see everywhere we work on our Essex County fence page.

Solanos Fence| 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 3 Suite 51, Fairfield, NJ 07004 | 973-220-7638 | NJ Home Improvement Contractor Registration #13VH06388200