Fence Installation in Livingston, NJ

Livingston is a large-lot Essex County suburb — wooded residential streets in neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill and Bel-Air, homes around the Riker Hill area, and long rear yards where deer, privacy and pool enclosures drive most fence projects. Its fence code runs on a tiered system that steps up as you move away from the street: no more than four feet tall and at least half open in the front yard, five feet in the side yard, and six feet in the rear — and every fence, whatever its height or size, needs a Township Zoning Permit and a survey before the first post hole is dug.

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

Livingston’s Fence Rules: § 170-91

Livingston regulates fences, walls and retaining walls in § 170-91 of its Land Use Code (Chapter 170). The Township requires a Zoning Permit before any fence is constructed, regardless of height or size (§ 170-91A — the only exemptions are for utilities, association-maintained townhouse condominiums, and Township, school and recreation uses), and the application must include an up-to-date sealed survey certified to the current property owners, with the proposed fence drawn to scale on copies of the survey showing its height and setbacks. The residential zoning permit fee for a fence is currently $75, confirmed at application; a separate construction (UCC) permit may also apply to some projects. A final zoning inspection is required when the fence is complete, and zoning permits expire within one year if the work is not completed. The main rules:

Front yard: four feet, and at least 50% open. A front yard fence — any fence forward of the plane of the front facade of the house — may not exceed 48 inches at its highest point and must be no less than 50% open, such as a picket or post-and-rail fence (§ 170-91B(2)). In no instance may a front yard fence be made of chain link or similar materials. When openness is measured, translucent, transparent or clear materials count as solid (§ 170-91B(7)).
Side yard: five feet. A side yard fence that does not face a street or public right-of-way may be no higher than 60 inches (§ 170-91B(3)).
Rear yard: six feet. A rear yard fence may not exceed 72 inches at its highest point (§ 170-91B(4)).
A yard that faces a street is treated as a front yard. A side yard facing a street or public right-of-way is treated as a front yard under § 170-91 (§ 170-91B(3)(c)) — so on a corner lot, the street-facing side yard is held to the 4-foot / 50%-open / no-chain-link rule. A rear yard fence that faces a street is likewise limited to 48 inches, at least 50% open, and no chain link — unless it sits no closer to the street than the plane of the house facade facing that street, in which case it may be up to 72 inches and of board-on-board construction (§ 170-91B(4)(c)).
Keep clear of the corner. No fence may be placed within 25 feet of the intersection of streets or roadway right-of-way lines, or in a manner that interferes with traffic visibility and lines of sight across a street corner (§ 170-91B(1)).
A fence enclosing a front yard sits well back. A front- or side-yard fence that encloses a front yard must be at least 25 feet from the street right-of-way, measured from the dwelling’s nearest corner (§ 170-91B).
Six inches off the property line. All fences separating adjacent residential properties must be installed not less than six inches from the property line (§ 170-91B(22)). The only exception is a common fence on the line itself, approved by both adjoining owners and documented by a jointly executed notarized letter from both owners setting out maintenance responsibility for the shared fence.
Taller street-facing fences need screening and a setback. Every fence facing a street or public right-of-way and taller than 48 inches must be screened from public view by evergreen plantings at least 50% of the fence’s height at planting, and may be no closer than the greater of three feet to a public sidewalk, pedestrian easement or right-of-way line, or 10 feet to the street (§ 170-91B(6)).
Decorative front fences sit five feet back. Decorative walls and fences no more than 18 inches high, built as part of a general landscaping plan, must be set back not less than five feet from the property line, public sidewalk or pedestrian easement (§ 170-91B(2)(c)).
Finished side faces out (§ 170-91B(8)): every fence that has only one finished side must have that side facing away from the property being fenced — toward the neighbors.
Chain link, where it is allowed at all, must be vinyl-clad in a single matching color — black, brown or green (§ 170-91B(9)). Chain link is barred in front yards and in street-facing rear yards (above).
Materials and color limits. No fence may contain sharp spikes or points, jagged or sharpened surfaces, or other components that may cause injury, and none may be built of nonstandard or makeshift materials (§ 170-91B(10)). Fence colors are limited to earth tones, green, black, grey, white or muted colors — bright or reflective colors may not be used (§ 170-91B(23)). Barbed wire and electric fences face additional restrictions along street lines next to the R-M and R-4 districts (§ 170-91B(18)).
Gates, easements and berms. A fence gate may not swing so as to intrude on a right-of-way, sidewalk or sidewalk easement (§ 170-91B(13)). No fence may be placed in a drainage or utility easement (§ 170-91B(12)); no fence post may be installed on an easement, and a fence that crosses or abuts an easement must have a gate allowing access to it (§ 170-91B(24)). If a fence is built on a berm, the berm’s height counts toward the fence’s total height (§ 170-91B(21)).
Repairs have their own thresholds (§ 170-91B(14)). Repairs of 10% or less of a fence’s surface area, in the same materials with no material change, need no permit at all. Less-than-substantial repairs to a conforming fence still need a zoning permit, but the fee is waived. And in the Historic Preservation Overlay District, a fence built of nonconforming materials may be repaired only in the same materials.
Deer fences are a narrow exception. A deer fence — black polypropylene mesh, openings between 1½ and 2½ inches, up to 96 inches high — may be installed parallel to a side or rear property line only where that line abuts undeveloped property of not less than two acres (§ 170-91B(5)).
Pools: every outdoor private swimming pool must be completely enclosed with a permanent, substantial fence with a gate or gates, no less than four feet high, with no opening in the fence or gate more than four inches wide, and all pool fencing must conform to § 170-91 (Township pool requirements; § 170-91B(19)–(20)).

Township reference: Township of Livingston Code, Chapter 170 — § 170-91 (fences, walls and retaining walls); permit steps and fees through the Township’s Zoning Department and its Residential Zoning Permit application.

Fencing Livingston Properties

Livingston’s tiers draw the plan for you. At the street, the fence is open by law: four feet maximum, at least half open, no chain link — a picket or aluminum run that marks the yard without closing it. The side yard steps up to five feet, and only the rear yard gets the full six feet where a privacy enclosure works the way homeowners expect. Corner lots need the most care: the street-facing side yard is treated as a front yard, a street-facing rear fence is capped at four feet and half open unless it stays behind the plane of the house facade, and the 25-foot corner clearance keeps the intersection sight lines open, so the tall run starts well inside the lot.

Two Livingston details catch people out. The first is the six-inch rule: a fence between neighboring homes sits at least six inches inside your own line unless both owners file the joint notarized letter for a shared on-the-line fence — which is one more reason the permit starts from a sealed survey. The second is screening: a fence over four feet that faces a street needs evergreen screening planted at half the fence’s height and the three-foot / ten-foot setback from sidewalk and street. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, mark the facade planes that set the front, side and rear zones, check any corner and easement conditions, and flag what the survey needs to show. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Livingston Homes

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural front-yard fence in Livingston: an appropriately spaced aluminum picket design may meet the 50%-open standard, subject to the proposed model and approval, at the four-foot front-yard limit — and black is one of the colors § 170-91B(23) expressly allows. In the backyard, our 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier style is the standard choice around pools: it clears the Township’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 Livingston’s rear yard, where the six-foot limit applies. 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. Note the side-yard step-down: a privacy run along the side of the house is limited to five feet, so a six-foot rear enclosure transitions down where it passes the rear facade line. Vinyl is finished the same on both sides, which satisfies the finished-side-out rule automatically. It cannot be used in a front yard, where solid fences are barred by the 50%-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 limit. Wood picket and post-and-rail are the traditional matches for the four-foot, half-open front yard — the code names them as the examples of a 50%-open fence. Chain link is limited in Livingston: never in a front yard or a street-facing rear yard, and where it is permitted it must be vinyl-clad in black, brown or green — practical for interior rear boundaries and dog runs. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Livingston

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-yard open sections, five-foot side-yard runs, screening plantings and specialty styles are priced by individual estimate.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Livingston 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 sealed survey with the fence drawn to scale, showing its height and its six-inch offset from the property line, anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the four-foot front-yard limit, the five-foot side-yard limit and the six-foot rear cap. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Livingston

How tall can a fence be in Livingston?

It depends on the yard. A front yard fence — anything forward of the front facade of the house — is limited to 48 inches and must be at least 50% open (§ 170-91B(2)). A side yard fence that does not face a street is limited to 60 inches (§ 170-91B(3)), and a rear yard fence to 72 inches (§ 170-91B(4)). A yard that faces a street is generally treated under the front-yard limits.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

Livingston treats a side yard that faces a street or public right-of-way as a front yard (§ 170-91B(3)(c)), so that side is limited to four feet, at least 50% open, and no chain link. A rear yard fence facing a street carries the same four-foot / 50%-open limits unless it is set no closer to the street than the plane of the house facade facing that street, in which case it may be up to six feet and board-on-board (§ 170-91B(4)(c)). Separately, no fence may be placed within 25 feet of a street intersection or where it would interfere with traffic visibility across the corner (§ 170-91B(1)), and any street-facing fence over four feet needs evergreen screening and the setback in § 170-91B(6). The Zoning Officer should confirm the exact lines from your survey before installation.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Livingston?

Yes — for every fence. The Township requires an approved Zoning Permit for all fences, regardless of height or size, before any other permits can be issued. The application requires an up-to-date sealed survey certified to the current property owners, with the proposed fence drawn to scale on two copies showing its height and setbacks. The currently published residential zoning permit fee for a fence is $75 — confirm it when you apply. A final zoning inspection is required when the fence is complete, and the permit expires within one year if the work is not completed.

Can my fence sit right on the property line?

Generally, no. All fences separating adjacent residential properties must be installed not less than six inches from the property line (§ 170-91B(22)). A fence may sit on the line itself only as a common fence approved by both adjoining owners, documented by a jointly executed notarized letter from both owners setting out maintenance responsibility for the shared fence.

What are Livingston’s pool fence rules?

Every outdoor private swimming pool must be completely enclosed with a permanent, substantial fence with a gate or gates, no less than four feet high, and no opening in the fence or gate may be more than four inches wide; all pool fencing must also conform to § 170-91. 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 Livingston, 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 Livingston’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