Fence Installation in North Caldwell, NJ

North Caldwell is a small, quiet residential borough in western Essex County — tree-lined subdivisions, Walker Pond, and Notre Dame Church, just minutes from the Essex County Airport in neighboring Fairfield, where our shop is. Its fence code is one of the strictest in the county on height: a flat five-foot cap in residential districts, a one-color rule, and an openness rule that controls any fence facing the street.

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

North Caldwell's Fence Rules: § 107-32

North Caldwell regulates fences and retaining walls in § 107-32 ("Fences and retaining walls") of its Zoning and Land Use code (Chapter 107). Under § 107-32B, a building permit is required before erecting a fence. Fences also go through a zoning permit under § 107-6F: the Borough's Zoning Permit Application has a dedicated fence line and requires a copy of the property survey with the fence location drawn on it, plus the fence's height and material type. The zoning permit fee is currently $100, confirmed at application. The main rules:

Five feet is the residential limit — everywhere. In all residential districts, no fence shall be erected which shall exceed five feet in height (§ 107-32A(1)). Unlike most Essex County towns, North Caldwell states no taller side- or rear-yard allowance: five feet is the cap for the whole lot.
Finished side faces out (§ 107-32A(2)). All finished fences shall be installed so that their finished surface faces away from the lot of the property owner installing the fence — the good-looking side goes toward the neighbors and the street.
One color only (§ 107-32A(3)). Fences shall only be of one color — a two-tone fence design does not comply in North Caldwell.
Front yards stay open (§ 107-32A(4)). No fence may be erected in a front yard, in a facing yard on a corner lot, or along a public right-of-way unless it is uniformly less than 50% solid. A fence over 50% solid is permitted only in the rear portion of a facing yard — from the rear line of the principal building extended to the facing street and substantially perpendicular to that street.
Prohibited materials (§ 107-32A(5)). North Caldwell bars barbed wire, short-pointed, canvas, cloth, electrically charged, poultry wire and turkey wire fences, temporary snow fences, and expandable or collapsible fences (except during construction) — and chain-link fences are prohibited in a front yard. Where chain link is permitted, it must have a closed loop at the top (§ 107-32A(6)).
Keep fences out of the right-of-way, and let water and light through. No fence or wall may be built within the right-of-way of any public street (§ 107-32A(7)); fences must be constructed so as to permit the natural flow of drainage (§ 107-32A(8)); and no fence or wall may unduly cut off light or air to a residence (§ 107-32A(9)).
Intersections and pools sit outside § 107-32. Section 107-32 does not supersede § 107-18, which prohibits visual obstructions at intersections (§ 107-32D) — corner lots near an intersection need that checked too. The same subsection states that fences around swimming pools are covered by other ordinances and are not subject to § 107-32 — and the Borough's district provisions supply that rule: § 107-21B(2)(a)[4] and § 107-22B(2)(a)[4] require a private swimming pool containing more than 750 gallons of water to be enclosed with a wooden or wire-mesh fence, a minimum of four feet and a maximum of five feet high, preventing access except when the pool is in use under the resident's supervision or by his permission. Those subsections state no gate or latch rule; the complete barrier must also satisfy the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, confirmed at permit time.
Retaining walls have their own tiered rules (§ 107-32E). A building permit is required for a retaining wall; no retaining wall may be built within 25 feet of the street center line nor within 10 feet of the street right-of-way. A street-facing front- or side-yard wall is capped at 3 feet, with one additional tiered wall of up to 3 feet allowed if the two are separated by at least 4 feet horizontally. A wall perpendicular to the street at a driveway cut may reach 6 feet up to the building envelope line, with no height limit within the envelope. Rear-yard walls are capped at 5 feet, with additional tiered walls of up to 5 feet allowed at the same 4-foot separation. Any fence placed on top of a retaining wall must be set back 4 feet from the face of the wall, measured horizontally. Section 107-32E(8) also states a general rule that no fence or wall may exceed 6 feet in any residential district — for fences themselves, the fence-specific limit in § 107-32A(1) is the stricter five feet.
Deer fencing is a North Caldwell specialty (Chapter 37). Open deer fencing is allowed in rear and side yards only, up to 8 feet high, in black polypropylene mesh only on black posts, and it may not be visible from any street. A permit is required, and a sample of the fencing material must be submitted with the application.

Borough reference: Borough of North Caldwell Zoning Permit Application — with the dedicated fence line and survey requirement; fence and retaining-wall rules in Chapter 107, § 107-32(Borough of North Caldwell code, ecode360 library NO0390).

Fencing North Caldwell Properties

North Caldwell's rules shape a project around one number: five feet. In the side and rear yards, a fence up to five feet — including a solid privacy fence — is allowed, but there is no six-foot option anywhere on a residential lot, so every North Caldwell layout is planned to the borough's five-foot limit from the first measurement. The one-color rule is the second design constraint: the whole fence, gates included, is planned in a single color.

Toward the street, openness controls. In a front yard — and in the facing yard of a corner lot, which the code treats the same way — a fence must be uniformly less than 50% solid, so open picket, spaced wood and post-and-rail styles are the fits there, while a solid privacy panel belongs behind the house. The one exception runs the other way on corner lots: a fence over 50% solid is allowed in the rear portion of a facing yard, from the rear line of the house extended toward the facing street. Retaining walls come up often in North Caldwell fence planning: a fence on top of a wall must sit four feet back from the wall's face, and the wall tiers themselves are capped and spaced under § 107-32E, so wall-and-fence combinations are measured together, not separately. And for wooded rear lots, the borough's deer-fence rule in Chapter 37 — black polypropylene mesh up to eight feet in the rear and side yards, screened from street view, with a permit and a material sample — is a real option most towns don't offer.

The permit steps shape the schedule: a building permit is required before the fence goes up (§ 107-32B), and the zoning permit application is built around a copy of your survey with the fence location drawn on it, plus the height and material type. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, confirm the five-foot layout, check any facing-yard or retaining-wall conditions, and flag what the survey needs to show. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for North Caldwell Homes

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing fits North Caldwell's rules on every side of the lot: an open picket run is uniformly less than 50% solid, so it works in a front yard where a solid fence cannot; at up to five feet it closes the side and rear lines cleanly; black is a single color, satisfying the one-color rule in § 107-32A(3); and aluminum presents a finished face on both sides, which fits the finished-side-out rule in § 107-32A(2). Around pools, North Caldwell's own provision (§ 107-21B(2)(a)[4]; § 107-22B(2)(a)[4]) calls for a wooden or wire-mesh enclosure between four and five feet high for pools over 750 gallons. Our 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier style stands within that four-to-five-foot window on height — but because the Borough's text names wood or wire mesh, we confirm acceptable materials, the complete barrier and gate design, and the permit requirements with the Borough and under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code before recommending an aluminum barrier for a North Caldwell pool. As anywhere, compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier — height, picket spacing, ground clearance, and self-closing, self-latching gates — not on the panel alone.

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

White vinyl privacy fencing is North Caldwell's backyard privacy choice — planned to the borough's five-foot limit. A solid vinyl run belongs in the side and rear yards: in a front yard or a corner lot's facing yard, a fence over 50% solid does not meet § 107-32A(4), but behind the rear line of the house it is permitted at up to five feet. Vinyl is finished the same on both sides, which satisfies the finished-side-out rule automatically, and a single color — white — meets the one-color rule. Because North Caldwell caps residential fences at five feet (§ 107-32A(1)), North Caldwell vinyl installations are planned and built to that five-foot limit and priced by free estimate rather than at a six-foot specification.

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

WPC composite fencing in black, teak or gray is subject to the same North Caldwell rules — five feet maximum, one color, and solid panels only where the front-yard openness rule allows. Wood picket is the traditional match for North Caldwell's colonials, and spaced wood pickets are the classic way to meet the front yard's less-than-50%-solid rule. Post-and-rail is naturally open, suits larger rear yards, and also fits a front yard. Chain link remains practical for rear boundaries and dog runs within the five-foot cap — but it is prohibited in a front yard (§ 107-32A(5)), and where it is permitted it must have a closed loop at the top (§ 107-32A(6)). We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in North Caldwell

There are no per-foot installation specials for North Caldwell: the Borough caps residential fences at five feet (§ 107-32A(1)), so a six-foot installation cannot be built here. Every North Caldwell project — privacy fences planned to the borough's five-foot limit included — is priced by free estimate, with gates and removal of an existing fence quoted with the estimate. Tell us your footage and the style you have in mind, and we will price it to the five-foot limit from the start.

Fence Materials for North Caldwell 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 — North Caldwell's zoning permit application will ask for a survey with the fence location drawn on it, plus the height and material type, anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the five-foot cap, the one-color rule and the front-yard openness rule. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in North Caldwell

How tall can a fence be in North Caldwell?

Five feet. § 107-32A(1) states that in all residential districts, no fence shall be erected which shall exceed five feet in height — a flat cap with no taller side- or rear-yard allowance. (Section 107-32E(8) separately states that no fence or wall may exceed six feet in any residential district; for a fence itself, the fence-specific five-foot rule in § 107-32A(1) is the one that governs.) The one taller exception in the Borough's code is deer fencing under Chapter 37 — black polypropylene mesh up to eight feet, in rear and side yards only.

Can I put a privacy fence in my backyard?

Yes — at up to five feet. A solid privacy fence is permitted in the side and rear yards within the five-foot cap in § 107-32A(1); North Caldwell privacy installations are planned and built to that five-foot limit and priced by free estimate. What a privacy fence cannot do is stand in a front yard: under § 107-32A(4), a fence in a front yard — or in the facing yard of a corner lot — must be uniformly less than 50% solid.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

Your facing yard is treated like a front yard: a fence there must be uniformly less than 50% solid (§ 107-32A(4)). The code's one allowance runs the other way — a fence over 50% solid is permitted in the rear portion of a facing yard, from the rear line of the principal building extended to the facing street and substantially perpendicular to that street. Section 107-32 also does not override § 107-18, which prohibits visual obstructions at intersections, so a corner layout near an intersection gets that check as well.

Do I need a permit for a fence in North Caldwell?

Yes — two of them. Under § 107-32B, a building permit is required before erecting a fence. Fences also require a zoning permit under § 107-6F: the Borough's Zoning Permit Application has a dedicated fence line and requires a copy of the property survey with the fence location drawn on it, plus the fence's height and material type. The zoning permit fee is currently $100, confirmed at application.

Can my fence sit in my front yard?

Only an open one. § 107-32A(4) allows a front-yard fence — including along a public right-of-way and in a corner lot's facing yard — only if it is uniformly less than 50% solid, and § 107-32A(7) bars any fence within the right-of-way of a public street. Chain link is prohibited in a front yard altogether (§ 107-32A(5)). Open aluminum picket, spaced wood picket and post-and-rail are the styles that fit.

Are there fence materials or colors I can't use in North Caldwell?

Yes. Section 107-32A(3) requires fences to be of one color only, and § 107-32A(5) prohibits barbed wire, short-pointed, canvas, cloth, electrically charged, poultry wire and turkey wire fences, temporary snow fences, and expandable or collapsible fences except during construction — plus chain link in a front yard. Every fence must also be installed with its finished surface facing away from your lot (§ 107-32A(2)), be built to permit the natural flow of drainage (§ 107-32A(8)), and not unduly cut off light or air to a residence (§ 107-32A(9)).

What are North Caldwell's pool fence rules?

North Caldwell's district provisions state the rule directly: § 107-21B(2)(a)[4] and § 107-22B(2)(a)[4] require a private swimming pool containing more than 750 gallons of water to be enclosed with a wooden or wire-mesh fence, a minimum of four feet and a maximum of five feet high, preventing access except when the pool is in use under the resident's supervision or by his permission. (Section 107-32D leaves pool fences to those other ordinances rather than § 107-32 itself.) The borough text states no gate or latch rule; the installed barrier must also meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, confirmed at permit time. Our 54-inch aluminum style fits the four-to-five-foot height window, but because the Borough names wood or wire mesh, we confirm acceptable materials and the complete barrier and gate design with the Borough before recommending it for a pool here.

Can I install a deer fence in North Caldwell?

Yes — the Borough has a dedicated deer-fencing rule (Chapter 37). Open deer fencing may be installed in rear and side yards only, up to 8 feet high, in black polypropylene mesh only on black posts, and it may not be visible from any street. A permit is required, and a sample of the proposed fencing material must be submitted with the application.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in North Caldwell, NJ

Call 973-220-7638 or contact Solanos Fence online. Tell us your approximate footage, the style and single color you're considering, whether your lot is a corner lot, and whether a retaining wall or a pool is involved — we'll plan the next steps around your property and North Caldwell's five-foot 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