Fence Installation in Plainfield, NJ

Plainfield — the "Queen City" — is a city of Victorian-era neighborhoods and designated historic districts in western Union County, with deep lots and mature streets under the Watchung ridge. Its fence code is one of the most specific in the county: front fences must be low and at least half open, chain link is prohibited in front yards everywhere and in the side and rear yards of homes, and a pool must be fenced at a full six feet.

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

Plainfield's Fence Rules: § 17:9-29

Plainfield regulates fences in § 17:9-29 ("Fences and walls") of its Land Use Ordinance (Chapter 17, Article IX). Fences are structures that require an approved development permit (zoning permit) before construction, and the development permit fee is $50 (§ 17:13-11). The main rules:

Front yards: four feet and at least half open. A fence in a front yard may not exceed four feet and must be at least 50% nonsolid (open). Solid privacy fencing does not belong in a Plainfield front yard. Decorative and retaining walls in a front yard are capped lower, at 2½ feet, and fence posts, corners and gateways may not exceed five feet (§ 17:9-29A.1).
Side and rear yards: up to six feet, solid allowed. Fences in side and rear yards may reach six feet, and solid construction is permitted there — the six-foot privacy fence is a side-and-rear-yard fence in Plainfield.
Finished side faces out. The finished side of the fence faces the adjacent properties and the street.
Chain link is prohibited — front yards everywhere, side and rear yards at homes (§ 17:9-29A.3, B.3 and D). "Chain link fences shall be prohibited in front yards in all zone districts," and "Chain link fences shall be prohibited in side and rear yards of residential properties." The one grandfather clause: chain link fences existing in front yards when the chapter was passed may be continued and/or replaced — but no new chain link fences are allowed in front yards. (The materials paragraph otherwise allows durable stone, brick, block, wrought iron, wood, vinyl-clad stockade, vinyl and composite.)
Corner lots: no fences in the sight triangle (§ 17:11-10). Plainfield's zoning code prohibits fences within the sight triangle at a street intersection. (An older property-code rule, Ch. 16 § 16:25-2, separately caps anything within 25 feet of the intersection of the curb lines at 2½ feet above the sidewalk.)
Pools need a six-foot fence (§ 17:9-47D). "The entire swimming pool… shall be fenced. Said fence shall be a minimum of six (6) feet in height for swimming pools," and of a design that securely controls access to the area. (Tennis and racquetball courts are fenced at eight to twelve feet.) One corner-lot condition: where a pool on a corner lot has a nonsolid fence on the side facing the street, that portion must be screened with evergreen shrubs not less than four feet in height. Read the aluminum section below before planning a pool fence here.
Historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness (§ 17:10-4B.5). In Plainfield's designated historic districts, a new fence that will be visible to the public requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before the zoning approval — a step that comes ahead of the development permit (the certificate fee is $75, § 17:13-2).
Permit and survey. The development permit application requires a current property survey (less than 10 years old), with the fence's location drawn on it and the height and type of fence written at each location(City application form). Separately, the construction fee schedule sets a flat $80 fee for fences over six feet that are not part of a pool barrier system (§ 2:10-6C) — a conforming six-foot residential fence does not trigger it.

City reference: City of Plainfield Land Use Ordinance, § 17:9-29 — Fences and walls(ecode360 library PL4085); pool fencing at § 17:9-47D.

Fencing Plainfield Properties

A Plainfield project starts with the survey, because the permit does: the development permit application is built on a current survey with the fence drawn on it and its height and type noted at each location. The design then follows the city's simple geography — open and low in front (four feet, at least half open), full height behind the house (six feet, solid allowed) — with one material ruled out almost everywhere a homeowner would want it: chain link cannot be newly installed in a front yard in any district or in the side and rear yards of a residential property, and the only chain link that survives is a front-yard fence that already existed when the rule passed, which may be continued or replaced.

Two more checks shape the job. On a corner lot, the sight triangle at the intersection takes no fence at all under the zoning code. And in Plainfield's historic districts — a real consideration in a city with this many designated blocks — a fence visible to the public needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before the development permit, so the design has to be settled earlier than usual. A pool is its own design point: the whole pool must be fenced at a minimum of six feet, so pool enclosures are planned at six feet from the start. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, mark the front-yard line and any corner triangle, check whether the property sits in a historic district, and confirm whether a pool is involved before we talk about styles. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Plainfield Homes

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

White vinyl privacy fencing is a side-and-rear-yard fence in Plainfield: our standard panels — six feet high by eight feet wide with 2-inch by 7-inch rails — fit exactly at the six-foot cap, and solid construction is permitted in side and rear yards. In the front yard the same panel fails twice — over the four-foot cap and solid where the code requires at least 50% open — so a Plainfield vinyl layout is drawn behind the front-yard line, with an open picket design as the front-yard option. Vinyl presents a finished face on both sides, which makes meeting the finished-side rule straightforward.

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural open fence for Plainfield front yards — a picket design is well over 50% open, within the four-foot front cap — and a clean six-foot option in side and rear yards. Around pools, read the city's own rule first: § 17:9-47D requires the entire pool to be fenced at a minimum of six feet, of a design that securely controls access — and on a corner lot, a nonsolid pool fence on the street-facing side must be screened with evergreen shrubs at least four feet high. Our 54-inch pool-barrier style is four and a half feet — it does not meet Plainfield's six-foot pool minimum, so we do not present it as a Plainfield pool enclosure. Six-foot aluminum pool enclosures are quoted by free estimate. As anywhere, compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier, gates included.

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

WPC composite fencing in black, teak or gray is a solid panel fence, so it follows the vinyl pattern: six feet in side and rear yards, not a front-yard fence. Wood picket is the classic Plainfield front-yard fence — open construction within the four-foot cap — and six-foot wood board fences work behind the house. Post-and-rail suits larger rear yards. Chain link is the exception in Plainfield: it may not be newly installed in front yards in any district, nor in the side and rear yards of residential properties (§ 17:9-29A.3, B.3) — at a home, the only chain link the code lets stand is a front-yard fence that existed when the chapter passed, which may be continued and/or replaced. If your Plainfield project was planned around chain link, we will walk you through the closest permitted alternative at the estimate. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Plainfield

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 Plainfield, read the specials against the code: the six-foot vinyl price applies to side and rear yards — front yards are capped at four feet and at least 50% open. Plainfield requires a six-foot fence around a pool (§ 17:9-47D), so pool enclosures here are quoted at six feet by free estimate rather than at the 54-inch aluminum special. Every Plainfield fence also starts with the $50 development permit, on a current survey.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Plainfield 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 better, a copy of your survey, since the development permit application needs the fence drawn on it with heights and types noted anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the open front-yard rule and the six-foot side and rear caps. Two cautions before you buy: do not plan new chain link for a Plainfield home — it is prohibited in front yards and in residential side and rear yards — and if the fence is for a pool, plan on six feet, not the state minimum. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Plainfield

How tall can a fence be in Plainfield?

Four feet in a front yard, and at least 50% open there; up to six feet in side and rear yards, where solid construction is allowed (§ 17:9-29).

Can I install chain link in Plainfield?

Almost never as a new fence at a home. Section 17:9-29 prohibits chain link in front yards in all zone districts and in side and rear yards of residential properties. The single exception: a chain link fence that already existed in a front yard when the chapter passed may be continued and/or replaced. No new chain link is allowed in front yards. (The side-and-rear ban by its terms covers residential properties; front yards are covered in every district.)

Do I need a permit for a fence in Plainfield?

Yes — an approved development permit (the zoning permit) before construction; fences are treated as structures under § 17:9-29. The fee is $50 (§ 17:13-11). The application requires a current property survey (less than 10 years old) with the fence's location drawn on it and the height and type of fence written at each location. In a designated historic district, a fence visible to the public also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first ($75, § 17:13-2).

What are Plainfield's pool fence rules?

Section 17:9-47D: the entire swimming pool shall be fenced, at a minimum of six feet in height, of a design that securely controls access. That is stricter than the 48-inch barrier the state code alone would set — a 54-inch fence does not meet Plainfield's minimum, so pool enclosures here are planned and quoted at six feet. One corner-lot condition: if the pool fence on the street-facing side is nonsolid, that portion must be screened with evergreen shrubs not less than four feet in height.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

The zoning code prohibits fences within the sight triangle at the intersection (§ 17:11-10) — that corner area stays open. An older property-code rule (Ch. 16, § 16:25-2) separately provides that nothing within 25 feet of the intersection of the curb lines may stand more than 2½ feet above the sidewalk. The corner condition is confirmed on the survey at permit time.

My home is in a historic district — what changes?

A new fence that will be visible to the public requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before the Zoning Officer may issue the development permit (§ 17:10-4B.5); the certificate fee is $75 (§ 17:13-2). Plainfield has several designated historic districts, so this check is part of every Plainfield estimate.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Plainfield, 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 Plainfield's rules. You can also see everywhere we work on our Union County fence page.

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

Add your custom HTML here