Fence Installation in Nutley, NJ

Nutley is a township of older neighborhoods along the Third River in Essex County — brick Colonials and Capes on modest lots, close to the Garden State Parkway, with township jitney service to commuter rail at Delawanna Station in Clifton. Its fence rules start with the strictest front-yard rule in the county: in Nutley, no fence of any type is permitted in any front yard. The rules then work in segments — from the front of the house to the back of it, and from the back of the house to the rear line — and the segment decides the fence.

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

Nutley's Fence Rules: § 700-71

Nutley regulates fences in § 700-71 ("Fences and retaining walls") of its zoning code (Chapter 700, Article XI; amended August 1, 2023 by Ordinance No. 3521). Nutley has its own Application for Fence Permit — one per fence — and it must be accompanied by a property survey showing the fence's location, size and type. The main rules:

No fences in front yards (§ 700-71A). No fences of any type are permitted in any front yard in a residential zone. The fence rules below start at the front line of the house, not at the street.
Side segment: four feet and at least half open (§ 700-71B). Along the side lines, from the front line of the main structure to its rear line, a fence shall not exceed four feet in height, shall be not less than two feet high, and shall be of 50% open construction — the open spaces in the fence must be at least the same width as each picket, slat or other construction element. Its setback must be in line with the furthest setback of the adjacent property or the property the fence is set on, whichever is greater. The township has denied six-foot solid side-yard fences under this section repeatedly — in 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026.
Rear segment: six feet, and not solid (§ 700-71C). From the rear line of the main structure to the rear property line, and along the rear property line, a fence shall not exceed six feet in height and shall not be of solid construction. A stockade fence is expressly deemed to be of solid construction. (Where a common boundary line would restrict adjoining owners to two different maximum heights, all owners along that line may use the greater maximum height, with the fence of the kind the section requires.)
The neighbor-consent exception covers stockade only (§ 700-71H). Notwithstanding the rear-segment rule, a stockade fence with no open construction may be erected within the rear segment's location and height limits if the written consent of the adjoining property owner or owners is filed with the Construction Official. The exception names a stockade fence; it does not expressly name vinyl or any other solid fence. Read the vinyl section below for what that means for a privacy fence.
Finished side faces the neighbors. The finished side of the fence, as determined by the Construction Official, shall face toward the adjoining properties.
Four inches inside the line (§ 700-71J). All fences and retaining walls in a residential zone that require a foundation must be located a minimum of four inches in from the property lines, and a fence may never encroach on the adjacent property, above ground or below it. No fence may sit between a swimming pool and its filter or pump.
Corner lots (§ 700-71D and § 700-75). A fence on a corner lot must conform to the fence requirements for the adjoining properties — in practice the street-side yard gets front-yard treatment, where the ban applies. Inside the corner sight triangle, nothing may stand over 2½ feet above the curb level: the triangle is formed by points 20 feet from the corner along each street line where the interior angle is 90° or more, and 20 feet plus one foot for each complete degree less than 90° where the angle is sharper.
Prohibited fences. No permit is issued for a fence whose apparent purpose is to obstruct light and air for adjoining property — a "spite" fence — or for a fence that constitutes a hazard, including spike, barbed-wire and electrical fences.
Pools (§ 700-9D(3)). An approved fence at least four feet high shall surround a pool, with a gate capable of being securely fastened and locked by the owner. Above-grade pools are exempt from this township section if they comply with applicable state codes. The pool itself must sit on the rear half of the lot, no closer to a street line than 50 feet, and no closer than eight feet to any side or rear lot line. The township text sets no opening-size or self-closing rule — further barrier detail comes from the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
Nonresidential fences (§ 700-71I). In zones other than residential, fences may reach eight feet, and front-yard fences are permitted there (not including residential uses).
Keep it in good repair (§ 520-9C). The exterior of every structure or accessory structure, including fences, must be maintained in good repair, with all surfaces kept painted or otherwise provided with a protective coating sufficient to prevent structural deterioration and maintain appearance, free from broken glass, loose shingles, crumbling stone or brick, excessive peeling paint and other conditions indicative of deterioration.
Fees — confirmed at application. Nutley's code contains more than one fee figure for fences — a $10 residential zoning review fee (Chapter 700, Article XVIII) and construction-schedule fence fees in Chapter 272, while the township's own fence-permit letters show a $75 nonrefundable filing fee actually collected — so the fee for a given fence is confirmed at application, not stated here as a single number. Temporary fences (snow, silt, garden and construction fences) need no permit.

Township reference: Township of Nutley Code, § 700-71 — Fences and retaining walls(ecode360 library NU0665); pool fence rule at § 700-9D(3).

Fencing Nutley Properties

A Nutley project is drawn segment by segment, and the first question is where the house's front and rear lines fall. Nothing goes in the front yard. Along the sides of the house, the fence is four feet at most and at least half open — that is the segment Nutley enforces, and the township's own records show six-foot solid side fences denied again and again. Behind the rear line of the house the cap rises to six feet, but the fence still may not be of solid construction. The only written exception in the rear segment is for a stockade fence, and only with the neighbor's written consent filed with the Construction Official.

That shape decides the whole project before any style is chosen: privacy in Nutley is a rear-yard, open-construction design, not a solid six-foot perimeter. The permit follows the same logic — Nutley's fence permit application is a dedicated form, one per fence, and it must be accompanied by a property survey showing the fence's location, size and type, so the segments have to be settled before the application goes in. On a corner lot the street-side yard takes front-yard treatment, and the 2½-foot sight-triangle rule applies at the corner. A pool adds its own rule: an approved fence of at least four feet around it, with a gate that can be securely fastened and locked by the owner, and the pool itself on the rear half of the lot. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, mark the front and rear lines of the house, check the corner condition, and classify every run — front, side or rear — before we talk about which fence fits where. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Nutley Homes

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural fit for Nutley's rules: an open picket fence is a non-solid construction, so it fits the side segment's 50%-open rule (where the four-foot cap applies — a 54-inch run would exceed it there) and the rear segment's not-solid rule, where the cap is six feet. Around pools it is the code's own shape: § 700-9D(3) requires an approved fence of at least four feet with a gate capable of being securely fastened and locked, and our 54-inch pool-barrier style clears that height for a rear-yard enclosure, with its 3.75-inch picket spacing inside the usual four-inch opening limit. The placement check matters — any part of a pool enclosure that comes forward of the house's rear line hits the side segment's four-foot cap — and as anywhere, compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, not on the panel alone.

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

Here is the honest answer about vinyl in Nutley: a standard six-foot white vinyl privacy fence is not available as-of-right in a residential zone. The rear segment bars fences of solid construction, the side segment caps at four feet and requires 50% open construction, and front yards take no fence at all — and the code's written exception for a solid fence covers stockade only, with the adjoining owner's written consent filed with the Construction Official. A vinyl privacy panel is solid construction, and the consent sentence as written does not expressly name it — so we confirm the township's interpretation with the Construction Official before ruling out a proposed design. That does not mean Nutley has no vinyl options: open vinyl styles — picket, spaced rails — fit the side and rear segments within their limits, and a privacy project in Nutley is planned as an open-construction design, a stockade with a neighbor's consent where that fits, or a question for the Construction Official before any quote is made. We will not quote a six-foot vinyl privacy fence in Nutley as if the code allows it.

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

WPC composite fencing is a solid panel fence, so it follows the vinyl rule — not of solid construction in the rear segment, and not a four-foot 50%-open fit in the side segment. Wood is where Nutley's rules open up: spaced wood picket is the classic way to meet the 50%-open side rule and the not-solid rear rule, and a wood stockade is the one solid fence the code's consent exception reaches — a stockade may be built in the rear segment if the adjoining owner's written consent is filed with the Construction Official. Post-and-rail suits larger rear yards within the six-foot cap. Chain link is never named in § 700-71 — it is not banned — and as an open construction it fits the side segment's 50%-open rule and the rear segment's not-solid rule. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Nutley

There are no per-foot specials for Nutley. Nutley's code bars solid fences in the rear segment, caps side-segment fences at four feet and at least 50% open, and permits no fence of any type in a front yard — so a standard per-foot price for six-foot vinyl privacy fencing does not fit this township, and we price every Nutley project by free estimate instead. Gates and removal of an existing fence are quoted with the estimate.

Fence Materials for Nutley 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 — Nutley's fence permit application needs a property survey showing the fence's location, size and type anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the township's segment rules: nothing in the front yard, four feet and at least half open along the house's side lines, and six feet non-solid behind the house's rear line. One caution before you buy: a standard six-foot vinyl privacy panel is solid construction, which the rear segment bars, so confirm your material and layout on the permit before you purchase. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Nutley

Can I put a fence in my front yard?

No. Section 700-71A states that no fences of any type shall be permitted in any front yard in a residential zone. The fence rules start at the front line of the house — everything forward of it is not fenced. (Nonresidential zones are different: front-yard fences are permitted there, up to eight feet.)

Can I install a six-foot vinyl privacy fence in Nutley?

Not as of right. The rear segment caps fences at six feet but requires that they be not of solid construction, the side segment caps at four feet and at least 50% open, and the code's written exception for a solid fence covers a stockade fence with the adjoining owner's written consent filed with the Construction Official — it does not expressly name vinyl, so we confirm the township's interpretation before ruling out a proposed design. Privacy in Nutley is planned as an open-construction design, a stockade with a neighbor's consent where that fits, or a question put to the Construction Official before any quote is made.

How tall can a fence be in Nutley?

It depends on the segment. Side lines from the front line of the house to its rear line: two to four feet, at least 50% open. From the rear line of the house to the rear property line and along the rear line: up to six feet, not solid. Front yards: no fence at all. Nonresidential fences may reach eight feet. Where a common boundary line would restrict neighbors to two different maximum heights, all owners along that line may use the greater one.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Nutley?

Yes. Nutley runs its own Application for Fence Permit — one per fence — and it must be accompanied by a property survey showing the fence's location, size and type. The application goes to the Construction Official / Zoning Official, and under the zoning-permit framework a complete application is granted or refused within 10 days. Temporary fences — snow, silt, garden and construction fences — need no permit. Fees are confirmed at application: the code lists more than one fee figure for fences, and the township's own letters show a $75 nonrefundable filing fee actually collected.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

A fence on a corner lot must conform to the fence requirements for the adjoining properties (§ 700-71D), which in practice puts the street-side yard under front-yard treatment — where the ban applies. Inside the corner sight triangle, nothing may stand over 2½ feet above the curb level: the triangle runs 20 feet along each street line where the interior angle is 90° or more, and 20 feet plus one foot for each complete degree less than 90° where the angle is sharper (§ 700-75).

What are Nutley's pool fence rules?

Section 700-9D(3): an approved fence at least four feet high shall surround the pool, with a gate capable of being securely fastened and locked by the owner. Above-grade pools are exempt from the township section if they comply with applicable state codes. The pool itself must sit on the rear half of the lot, no closer to a street line than 50 feet, and no closer than eight feet to any side or rear lot line. The township text sets no opening-size or self-closing rule — the remaining barrier detail comes from the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, and compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Nutley, NJ

Call 973-220-7638 or contact Solanos Fence online. 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 Nutley'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