Fence Installation in Garfield, NJ

Garfield, a city in Bergen County, runs its fence rules off a single measuring line: fifty feet from the front property line. Inside that line, near the street, no solid fence may stand in the front yard at all, and any fence is capped at five feet with partly open construction. Beyond the line, a fence may rise to six feet — still partly open as the general rule, with a solid six-foot fence reserved for lots near the city's commercial and industrial districts or next to a permitted older commercial use. Height alone never settles a Garfield fence; distance from the street and openness decide it together.

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

Garfield's Fence Rules: § 341-34

Garfield regulates fences in § 341-34 of its zoning code (Chapter 341), with corner sight clearance in § 341-35, pool placement in § 341-36, and floodway rules in Chapter 146. The main rules:

No solid fence in the front yard (§ 341-34A(1)). "No solid fence shall be erected in the front yard." A fence within 50 feet of the front property line may not exceed five feet in height and must be "between twenty-five-percent and fifty-percent open construction, as defined in this section."
Six feet beyond the 50-foot line (§ 341-34A(2)). A fence not less than 50 feet from the front property line may rise to six feet, provided it is of " twenty-five-percent semi-open construction."
Solid six-foot fences are the exception (§ 341-34A(3)). A solid fence up to six feet, set at least 50 feet from the front property line, is permitted only if the lot is within 100 feet of a B-1, B-2, I or LM District, or is contiguous to a legally permitted preexisting nonconforming commercial or retained use — as determined and confirmed by the Zoning Official.
How openness is measured (§ 341-34A(6)). A determination of "open construction" is made "based upon the total area of solid elements divided by the total area of the fence being constructed or erected," calculated by the Construction Official from the information in your permit application.
Finished side out (§ 341-34A(4)). "The face or finished side of a fence shall face the adjacent property."
Corner sight clearance (§ 341-35). Within the triangle at a street corner — measured 20 feet along each street line on a corner of 90 degrees or more, and 20 feet plus one foot for every 10 degrees (or major fraction) under 90 degrees — no fence or wall may exceed three feet, and no other vision obstruction is allowed except a post, column or tree not over one foot in diameter between three and ten feet above grade.
Dangerous construction banned (§ 341-34C). No fence may be built "of barbed wire, topped with metal spikes, or constructed of any material or in any manner which may be dangerous to persons or animals" — the Zoning Official/Property Maintenance Officer decides what is dangerous.
Retaining walls (§ 341-34A(5)). A retaining wall or series of walls four feet or more in total height always requires a building permit.
Older fences (§ 341-34B). A fence installed before the section took effect is deemed compliant only if the Property Maintenance Officer certifies that it complies and issues a letter or certificate.
Pools: placement only (§ 341-36). Garfield's own pool text is one sentence — no permanently attached pool, above or below ground, within six feet of any rear lot line or six feet of any side lot line of a contiguous lot. Barrier height, openings and gates are state construction code matters (see Pools below).
Floodway fences (Ch. 146, § 146-76). In a floodway, a fence must have sufficiently large openings that it will not catch debris or obstruct floodwater, under N.J.A.C. 7:13 — the chapter names barbed-wire, split-rail and strand fences as designs that can meet the rule and a fence with little or no open area, such as chain link, lattice or picket, as one that does not.

Town reference: City of Garfield Code, Ch. 341, §§ 341-34, 341-35, 341-36; Ch. 146, §§ 146-76, 146-78; permit fees at Ch. 114, § 114-3.

Fencing Garfield Properties

Garfield design starts with a tape measure from the front property line. Inside 50 feet, the fence is a street fence: five feet at most, built partly open, never solid. Beyond 50 feet, six feet opens up — as a semi-open design on an ordinary lot, or as a true solid privacy fence on the lots § 341-34A(3) singles out: those within 100 feet of a B-1, B-2, I or LM district, and those touching a legally permitted older commercial use, with the Zoning Official confirming the case. Corner lots add the § 341-35 sight triangle on top, and a lot in a floodway swaps the whole design for the Chapter 146 openness rule. During a free estimate we measure the lot with you, fix where the 50-foot line falls, check the corner and district conditions, and settle whether your backyard run can be solid or must stay partly open, before we talk about styles. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Garfield Homes

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

White vinyl privacy fencing in Garfield comes in two builds, because the code does. The solid six-foot privacy panel is the fence for the lots § 341-34A(3) covers — at least 50 feet back from the front property line and within 100 feet of a commercial or industrial district, or adjoining a permitted older commercial use. Everywhere else, vinyl works as a partly open design: picket-style and semi-privacy vinyl at up to six feet beyond the 50-foot line (§ 341-34A(2)), or up to five feet inside it at 25 to 50 percent open construction (§ 341-34A(1)). Either way, vinyl's finished face on both sides satisfies the finished-side rule (§ 341-34A(4)), and nothing solid stands in the front yard.

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is open construction by design: a picket run is the natural candidate for Garfield's openness bands — up to five feet inside the 50-foot line and up to six feet beyond it (§ 341-34A(1)–(2)) — with the Construction Official making the open-construction calculation from your application (§ 341-34A(6)), so we confirm the design against your band at permit time. Around a pool, Garfield sets the placement — the pool itself at least six feet off the rear and side lot lines (§ 341-36) — and the barrier itself is judged under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, which Garfield's code points pool construction to (§ 146-78). Our standard pool panel is 54 inches with pickets spaced 3.75 inches apart, and compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier — height, openings, gates and latching hardware together — never on the panel alone.

Chain Link Fencing

Chain link is an open fence, so it is a candidate where Garfield's rules require open construction and a solid fence cannot go — inside the 50-foot line at up to five feet, and beyond it at up to six feet. Whether a given design lands inside the band is the Construction Official's call: the open-construction calculation is made from the information in your permit application (§ 341-34A(6)), so we confirm the design with the city before quoting. Two cautions: chain link is named in Chapter 146 as a fence that does not meet the floodway openness rule, so it does not belong in a Garfield floodway, and no chain link run may be built in a manner the Zoning Official finds dangerous (§ 341-34C). We price chain link work after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

WPC Composite Fencing

WPC composite fencing in black, teak or gray follows the same map as vinyl: solid WPC privacy panels for the § 341-34A(3) lots — 50 feet back and near a commercial or industrial district, or adjoining a permitted older commercial use — and open or semi-open WPC designs for the general bands, six feet beyond the 50-foot line and five feet inside it. WPC gives you the look of wood in a panel that never needs staining, with a finished face toward the neighbors.

Wood Fencing

Wood is the flexible Garfield material: open picket and spaced-board designs for the partly open bands, solid stockade or board-on-board for the lots that qualify for a solid six-foot fence under § 341-34A(3), and boards that can follow grade changes where a panel would step. Whatever the design, the finished side faces the adjacent property (§ 341-34A(4)) and nothing may be topped with metal spikes or built in a dangerous manner (§ 341-34C).

Fence Installation Prices in Garfield

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). In Garfield, read the specials against the code: the $23 six-foot solid vinyl price is for qualifying runs — in Garfield's residential districts a solid six-foot fence must sit at least 50 feet from the front property line and meet the district-proximity or adjoining-use conditions in § 341-34A(3), and no solid fence may stand in a front yard (§ 341-34A(1)). We check your property's eligibility before quoting a solid run; partly open designs are quoted against the band your lot falls in, with the Construction Official's open-construction calculation (§ 341-34A(6)) confirmed at permit time. The 54-inch aluminum pool fence is judged as a complete installed barrier under the state construction code, with gate hardware priced separately, and the pool itself must sit six feet off the rear and side lot lines (§ 341-36). Garfield publishes no flat fence permit fee — permit fees follow the state schedule (see Fence Permits below).

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Permits in Garfield

Garfield's Building Department publishes a fence-specific instruction sheet — "What Is Required for a Fence Permit" — and it is a short, exact list. You need: (1) the zoning permit application, which "consists of the jacket, small construction permit and zoning application filled out completely"; (2) a copy of your survey that "must be exact size — cannot be shrunk down or blown up," because resizing changes the scale; (3) that survey copy marked with where you would like to install the fence and how high the fence will be in the specified location; (4) a picture of the style of fence you would like to install; and (5) if a contractor is doing the work, the contractor fills out the permit application and includes a copy of their home improvement contractor's license from the state — a homeowner doing their own work writes "homeowner" where it says contractor and signs the inside of the permit jacket. The zoning application form itself asks for the fence's type, height and location and whether the lot is a corner or inside lot, and the zoning side answers quickly — under § 341-61, the Zoning Officer/Building Inspector grants or refuses a zoning permit within 10 days of the application. On fees, Garfield codifies no flat fence permit amount, and the fence instruction sheet states none: § 114-3 sets building permit and subcode fees in accordance with the state's fee schedule (N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.20(c)), with a minimum fee of $65 for any subcode — ask the Building Department for the fee and any additional documents for your property. One figure not to confuse with a permit fee: the $150 "Fences and parking" charge at § 188-41B is the filing fee for a Board of Adjustment application — the route for a fence the code does not allow as of right — not the cost of a routine permit. Solanos Fence submits the application and the copy of our state registration with your permit packet — our New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration is #13VH06388200.

Pool Fences in Garfield

Garfield's own pool text sets placement, not the barrier: under § 341-36, no permanently attached swimming pool, whether below or above the ground, may be constructed within six feet of any rear lot line or within six feet of any side lot line of a contiguous lot. For the barrier itself, Garfield points to the state: pools are "designed and constructed in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code" (§ 146-78), enforced by the city's Department of Inspections under Chapter 114. Solanos Fence builds the enclosure as a complete barrier: our standard pool panel is 54 inches with pickets spaced 3.75 inches apart, and compliance is judged on the whole installation — panel height, picket openings, a self-closing and self-latching gate, and the latching hardware together — never on the panel alone. Gate hardware is priced separately. One floodplain caution: a pool-enclosure fence in a floodway that meets the construction code but not Chapter 146's openness rule needs a flood variance (§ 146-76), so we check the lot's flood status at the estimate.

Fence Materials for Garfield DIY Projects

Installing it yourself? Our Fairfield shop stocks white vinyl panels and posts, black aluminum panels and posts, and WPC packages. The paperwork comes first either way — the fence permit packet: the zoning permit application filled out completely, an exact-size copy of your survey marked with the fence's location and height, and a picture of the style you want; a homeowner doing their own work writes "homeowner" where the form says contractor and signs the inside of the permit jacket. Two cautions before you buy: measure from your front property line before choosing a height or a solid design, because Garfield's bands turn on the 50-foot line (§ 341-34A), and keep solid fencing out of the front yard entirely. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Garfield

How tall can a fence be in Garfield?

It depends on the distance from the front property line. Within 50 feet of the front line, a fence may not exceed five feet, and it must be between 25 and 50 percent open construction (§ 341-34A(1)). At 50 feet or more from the front line, a fence may reach six feet — of 25 percent semi-open construction as the general rule (§ 341-34A(2)), or solid in the cases § 341-34A(3) allows.

Can I put a solid privacy fence in my Garfield backyard?

Only in the cases the code names. A solid fence up to six feet is permitted at least 50 feet from the front property line if your lot is within 100 feet of a B-1, B-2, I or LM District, or is contiguous to a legally permitted preexisting nonconforming commercial or retained use, as determined and confirmed by the Zoning Official (§ 341-34A(3)). On other lots, the six-foot fence beyond the 50-foot line is a partly open design — and in the front yard, no solid fence is permitted at all (§ 341-34A(1)).

Can I put a fence in my front yard?

Yes — a short, open one. A front yard fence inside the 50-foot line may not exceed five feet and must be between 25 and 50 percent open construction, and it may not be solid (§ 341-34A(1)). The finished side must face the adjacent property (§ 341-34A(4)).

I have a corner lot — what changes?

The sight triangle at the corner. Under § 341-35, within the triangle formed by the street lines and a line joining points 20 feet from the intersection (longer on corners sharper than 90 degrees), no fence or wall may exceed three feet, and the only permitted obstruction between three and ten feet above grade is a post, column or tree not over one foot in diameter. The zoning application also asks you to identify the lot as a corner lot.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Garfield?

Yes. Garfield's fence permit packet is the zoning permit application (the jacket, small construction permit and zoning application, filled out completely), an exact-size copy of your survey marked with the fence's location and height, and a picture of the style of fence you want to install; a contractor submits the application with a copy of their state home improvement contractor's license. The Zoning Officer/Building Inspector grants or refuses a zoning permit within 10 days (§ 341-61). There is no flat codified fence fee — building and subcode fees follow the state schedule (N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.20(c)) with a $65 minimum per subcode (§ 114-3), so ask the Building Department for the fee on your property.

What are Garfield's pool fence rules?

Garfield's own text is placement: the pool — permanently attached, above or below ground — must sit at least six feet from any rear lot line and six feet from any side lot line of a contiguous lot (§ 341-36). The barrier standard itself comes from the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, which Garfield's code adopts for pool construction (§ 146-78). Solanos Fence builds the enclosure as a complete barrier — panel height, picket openings, self-closing gates and latching hardware together — and confirms the spec for your property at the estimate; our standard pool panel is 54 inches with 3.75-inch picket spacing, and gate hardware is priced separately.

Can I install a chain link fence at my Garfield home?

Chain link is an open fence, so it is a candidate for the bands where Garfield requires open construction — but the borough does not approve materials in the abstract: the Construction Official makes the open-construction calculation from the information in your permit application (§ 341-34A(6)), and we confirm the design against your lot's band before quoting. The exception is a floodway: Chapter 146 names chain link among fences that do not meet the floodway openness rule. We price chain link work after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Garfield, NJ

Call or text 973-220-7638 for a free estimate. Tell us your approximate footage, the style you're considering, whether your lot is a corner lot, and whether a pool is involved — we'll plan the next steps around your property and Garfield's rules. Garfield is part of our Bergen County service area, and you can see everywhere we work there.

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