Fence Installation in Millburn, NJ

Millburn Township is two places in one: the compact streets around downtown and the Paper Mill Playhouse, where the Rahway River bends past Taylor Park, and Short Hills, where lots get larger, the ground rolls and woods take over between houses. A fence that works on a flat downtown lot is a different project from one climbing a wooded Short Hills slope — and Millburn's fence code has more to say about both than most Essex County towns.

Solanos Fence installs vinyl, aluminum, WPC composite, wood, post-and-rail and chain link fencing in Millburn and Short Hills, NJ. We also sell fence materials for pickup at our Fairfield location.

Millburn is part of our Essex County service area.

Millburn's Fence Rules: § DRZ-609.6

Millburn regulates fences and walls in § DRZ-609.6 of its Development Regulations and Zoning Ordinance. A zoning permit is required for a fence — "Fence" is its own application type on the township's Zoning Permit Application, with a $50 fee for residential properties($100 non-residential). The application requires two copies of a current property survey (no more than 10 years old) — one clean, one marked with the proposed fence and its distances to the property lines. The township decides within 10 business days of a complete application, and the permit is valid for one year. The main rules:

Front-yard fences are prohibited. This is the rule that shapes most Millburn projects. The only exceptions are narrow: fences outlining landscaping 18 inches or less in height, temporary fences that protect landscaping from winter damage, and decorative fences up to 4 feet — and those only where the lot fronts on a County roadway, with the fence landscaped to maintain a natural quality.
No chain link or board-on-board in a front yard — with one exception written into the code: board-on-board is permitted for a lot fronting on South Orange Avenue. Walls, berms or solid mass in a front yard cap at 2 feet.
Six feet in side and rear yards. Fences and walls in side and rear yards — separately or combined — may not exceed 6 feet in height.
Fence plus retaining wall still caps at 6 feet. If the combination would exceed 6 feet, the fence must be set back at least 3 feet from the wall, and that setback must be landscaped so the two don't read as one visual mass from off the property.
Height is measured from the finished ground. Fence height is measured from the ground after the fence is built, without regard to topography — a downhill lot doesn't buy extra height. Retaining wall height is measured from the lowest grade at the base of the wall before construction.
Tall retaining walls need the Township Engineer. A retaining wall over 4 feet high built to correct a ground condition must address all drainage issues and be approved by the Township Engineer.
Nothing in a sight triangle, so fence lines have to preserve clear sight distance for drivers at corners.
Finished side faces out. A one-finished-side fence must show its finished side from off the property; a two-finished-side fence must look substantially the same from both sides.
Replacing an old front-yard fence is restricted: same material, design and color as the original, no added length or height, and replacement only when the existing fence is 4 feet or less.

Township reference: Millburn Township Development Regulations and Zoning Ordinance (ecode360), § DRZ-609.6 — Fences and Walls.

Fencing Millburn and Short Hills Properties

The practical side starts with the front-yard ban. Because the yard between your house and the street is essentially off-limits, most Millburn projects are backyard projects: the fence line starts at or behind the front of the house and encloses the side and rear yards. Corner lots take extra planning — under the ordinance's definitions (§301.69), a corner lot has two front yards, so both street frontages carry the restrictions, and the sight-triangle rule keeps fence lines clear of the corner.

Terrain is the second factor, especially in Short Hills. Lots slope, yards terrace behind retaining walls, and the wall-plus-fence 6-foot combined cap means a tall wall leaves less room for fence above it — or pushes the fence 3 feet back with landscaping in between. Because height is measured without regard to topography, we measure each run against the actual grade. Retaining walls over 4 feet built to fix a grade problem also pull the Township Engineer into the project for drainage review — worth knowing before a terraced backyard is designed.

Two more Millburn-specific checks: local historic landmarks and properties in local historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before a fence or wall is added or replaced(Development Regulations, Article 8) — a real consideration in Short Hills' older sections. And with deer pressure a fact of life on wooded lots, the 6-foot cap applies to deer fencing too; anything taller is a variance conversation, not a standard install. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, check the survey against the fence line you have in mind, and flag which rules your project touches before anything is priced.

Fence Styles for Millburn Homes

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural fit where Millburn allows a fence to be seen: its open picket profile is the style of "decorative" fence the code contemplates for the limited County-roadway front-yard exception (4 feet maximum, landscaped), and it keeps sight lines open near corners. In the backyard, our 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier style is the standard choice around pools — pool enclosures must also satisfy the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code's barrier requirements — and aluminum panels follow Millburn's rolling grades cleanly.

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

Behind the front line of the house, where Millburn allows up to six feet, white vinyl privacy fencing is the low-maintenance way to close in a backyard. Our standard panels are six feet high by eight feet wide with 2-inch by 7-inch rails — right at the side and rear yard maximum. Vinyl is finished the same on both sides, which satisfies Millburn's finished-side rule automatically, and on sloped runs we step or rack the panels so each section stays within the limit measured from the ground below it.

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

WPC composite fencing gives a modern privacy look in black, teak or gray and works well on terraced yards. Wood suits the township's wooded lots — just remember board-on-board is a side and rear yard style in Millburn, never a front-yard one. Post-and-rail fits the larger, open lots toward the edges of Short Hills, and chain link remains a practical option for side and rear boundaries and dog runs, where the front-yard restrictions don't apply. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Millburn

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. Both offers require a 150-linear-foot minimum project and are subject to service-area restrictions. Gates and removal of existing fencing are priced separately. Decorative front-yard aluminum where permitted, specialty styles and sloped or terraced layouts are priced by individual estimate.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Millburn 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 — Millburn's zoning permit application will ask for one anyway — and we can help build a materials list. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Millburn

Can I put a fence in my front yard in Millburn?

Almost never. § DRZ-609.6 prohibits front-yard fences, with narrow exceptions: landscaping outlines 18 inches or under, temporary winter-protection fencing, and decorative fences up to 4 feet on lots fronting a County roadway, landscaped to keep a natural look. Chain link and board-on-board are banned (board-on-board is allowed only on lots fronting South Orange Avenue), front-yard walls cap at 2 feet, and on a corner lot both street frontages count as front yards.

How tall can my fence be — and what if my yard slopes or has a retaining wall?

Six feet in side and rear yards, measured from the ground after the fence is built, without regard to topography — a slope doesn't earn extra height. If a fence sits on or behind a retaining wall, the wall and fence together still cap at 6 feet; go over that and the fence must step back at least 3 feet from the wall with landscaping in the setback. Retaining walls over 4 feet built to correct a grade also need Township Engineer approval for drainage.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Millburn?

Yes — a township zoning permit. "Fence" is its own type on Millburn's Zoning Permit Application: $50 for a residential property, plus two copies of a current survey (no more than 10 years old), one marked with the proposed fence and its distances to the property lines. The township decides within 10 business days of a complete application, and the permit is valid for one year. Historic landmark and historic district properties also need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before work starts.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Millburn, NJ

Call 973-220-7638 or contact Solanos Fence online. Tell us your approximate footage, the style you're considering and whether your lot slopes, terraces or sits on a corner — we'll plan the next steps around your property and Millburn's rules.

Solanos Fence, LLC| 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 3, Suite 51, Fairfield, NJ 07004 | NJ Home Improvement Contractor Lic. #13VH06388200

Add your custom HTML here