Fence Installation in Ridgewood, NJ

Ridgewood is a four-foot fence village. Under § 190-124F(3)(a) of the Village code, a residential fence tops out at four feet — six feet is allowed only in a side or rear yard, and only where the fence abuts nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property, or serves as the required enclosure for a regulated pool. That single rule shapes almost every Ridgewood project: the six-foot privacy fence most homeowners picture between two houses is the exception here, not the rule, while pool enclosures and open front-yard fences are where the Village gives room. The fence itself may sit right on the property line, and the zoning permit review is $50 per lot.

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

Ridgewood's Fence Rules: § 190-124F

Ridgewood regulates fences in § 190-124F of its Land Use and Development Regulations (Chapter 190), with corner-lot yards defined in § 190-119, pool placement in § 190-124T, and floodway fences in § 154-76. The main rules:

  • Four feet is the cap (§ 190-124F(3)(a)). A residential fence may not exceed four feet in height. Six feet is permitted only in a side or rear yard, and only where the fence abuts nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property, or where it is the required enclosure for a regulated pool. A six-foot privacy fence between two single-family homes does not meet this rule.
  • On the property line (§ 190-124F(2)(a)). Fences may be built on the property line — the Village requires no setback for a fence.
  • Front-yard fences must stay mostly open (§ 190-124F(6)(c)). A fence in a front yard may not be more than 60% solid, and may not be more than six inches thick. A solid privacy panel is not a front-yard fence in Ridgewood; open picket and rail designs are — unless the Village requires the fence as a buffer or screen, in which case it may be completely solid (§ 190-124F(6)(c)).
  • Finished side out (§ 190-124F(6)(a)). The finished side of the fence faces the street and the abutting properties.
  • Posts and gates get one extra foot. Posts and gates may exceed the height cap by up to one foot — a cap or finial on a post, or a gate built slightly proud of the fence line, stays within the rule.
  • Corner lots: every street yard is a front yard (§ 190-119A(2)). On a corner lot, each yard facing a street is treated as a front yard, so the four-foot cap and the 60%-solid limit follow the fence around both street frontages. And at the corner itself, nothing over 30 inches may stand within 25 feet of the corner  (§ 190-119E(1)) — the sight triangle at the intersection stays clear.
  • Pools (§ 190-124F introduction; § 190-124T). A pool enclosure must also meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, and where the Village rule and the state code differ, the more restrictive governs. The pool itself must sit at least 10 feet from any side or rear property line, and pools are not permitted in a front yard. A six-foot fence is expressly permitted as the required enclosure for a regulated pool — but if the pool is removed, that six-foot enclosure must come down or be reduced to the height the Village otherwise allows.
  • Permits — zoning permit required, $50 review, survey required (§ 190-97B(3)(a); § 145-6; Village Fence Application). Fences require a zoning permit under § 190-97B(3)(a), and the codified fee schedule prices the review at $50 per lot  (§ 145-6). A property survey is required for the zoning review. The Village's fence application itself excludes pool and spa fences — those go through the construction-permit route instead.
  • Floodway fences (§ 154-76). In a regulated floodway, a fence with little or no open area does not meet the Village's floodway rule — the section names chain link, lattice and picket fences — because a tight fence catches debris and blocks floodwater. A pool enclosure that satisfies the barrier standard but not the floodway openness rule needs a variance.

Town reference: Village of Ridgewood Code, Ch. 190, § 190-124F (fences) and § 190-124T (pools); corner lots at § 190-119A(2) and § 190-119E(1); zoning permits at § 190-97B(3)(a); fees at Ch. 145, § 145-6; floodway fences at § 154-76.

Fencing Ridgewood Properties

Ridgewood design starts with the height map. The default answer almost everywhere on a residential lot is four feet — front, side and rear. Six feet opens up only in defined places: a side or rear run that abuts a nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property, and the enclosure around a regulated pool. Between two single-family homes, plan on four feet and an open or semi-open design, and expect a solid privacy run to be the layout the Village does not allow. Toward the street the design rules tighten further: a front-yard fence may be no more than 60% solid and no more than six inches thick, with the finished side facing out. Corner lots carry the front-yard rules along both streets, and the corner itself — 25 feet back from the intersection — stays under 30 inches.

Pools are the one place the Village expressly welcomes a taller fence: the six-foot enclosure is written into the code as a pool exception, the barrier must also satisfy the state construction code with the more restrictive rule governing, and the pool sits at least 10 feet off the side and rear lines, never in a front yard. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, check what your side and rear lines abut, mark the corner conditions, and confirm the barrier spec for your property if a pool is involved, before we talk about styles. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Ridgewood Homes

Vinyl Fencing

Vinyl fencing in Ridgewood is a four-foot product for most homes. Our standard six-foot white vinyl privacy panels meet the Village cap only in the two situations § 190-124F(3)(a) allows — a side or rear yard abutting nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property — so between two single-family homes a six-foot privacy run is not a layout the Village permits, and vinyl privacy projects here are quoted by free estimate for the layout the Village allows. At four feet, vinyl works as a picket or semi-open design; toward the street, remember the front-yard fence may be no more than 60% solid  (§ 190-124F(6)(c)), which rules out a solid panel in the front yard. Vinyl's finished face on both sides makes the finished-side rule (§ 190-124F(6)(a)) straightforward wherever it runs.

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is the natural Ridgewood fence on two fronts. As a yard fence, an open picket design fits the front-yard rules — within the four-foot cap and comfortably inside the 60%-solid limit (§ 190-124F(6)(c)) — with the finished side facing the street. Around a pool, aluminum is the fence the Village's six-foot exception is written for: § 190-124F(3)(a) expressly permits six feet for the required enclosure of a regulated pool, and the enclosure must also meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, with the more restrictive rule governing. Our standard pool panel is 54 inches with pickets spaced 3.75 inches apart, and compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier — height, openings, and a self-closing, self-latching gate together — never on the panel alone. Gate hardware is priced separately. If the pool ever comes out, the six-foot enclosure has to come down or be reduced with it.

WPC Composite Fencing

WPC composite fencing in black, teak or gray follows the vinyl pattern, because the Village regulates the fence, not the material: a solid WPC privacy run is a six-foot fence, so it belongs only where § 190-124F(3)(a) allows six feet — a side or rear yard abutting nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property, or a pool enclosure. Between two single-family homes, and anywhere in a front yard (where the 60%-solid limit applies), plan WPC at four feet in an open or semi-open style. We price WPC projects after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain at a free estimate.

Wood Fencing

Wood is the traditional Ridgewood choice, and the open picket fence is its natural fit here: four feet tall, well within the front-yard 60%-solid limit, finished side out. Solid board styles follow the same map as vinyl and WPC — six feet only in a qualifying side or rear yard or around a pool, four feet elsewhere. One caution from the floodway rule: § 154-76 names the picket fence among the designs with too little open area for a regulated floodway, so a lot with floodway on it needs the style checked before a wood fence is chosen. Post-and-rail, an open design by nature, suits larger rear yards within the four-foot cap.

Chain Link Fencing

Chain link in Ridgewood is governed by the same § 190-124F framework as every other fence: four feet as the general cap, six feet only in a qualifying side or rear yard or as a pool enclosure, on the property line with the finished side out, and no more than 60% solid where the front-yard rule applies. The one place chain link is called out by name is the floodway: § 154-76 lists chain link among the fences with little or no open area that do not meet the floodway rule, so keep it out of a regulated floodway. We review chain link projects by free estimate, looking at your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Ridgewood

Current installation special: pool-code aluminum fencing starts at $28 per linear foot installed for 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier fencing. Minimum project is 150 ft, and the offer applies 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). Six-foot privacy fencing is the exception in Ridgewood, not the rule — the Village caps most residential fences at four feet, so vinyl privacy projects are quoted by free estimate for the layout the Village allows. The pool special sits squarely inside the code: a six-foot enclosure is expressly permitted for a regulated pool (§ 190-124F(3)(a)), our 54-inch panel stays under it, and the barrier is built and judged as a complete installation under the state construction code as well. Every Ridgewood fence starts with the permit — the zoning permit review is $50 per lot, and a property survey is required with the application.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Ridgewood DIY Projects

Installing it yourself? Our Fairfield shop stocks white vinyl panels and posts, black aluminum panels and posts, and WPC packages. The permit comes first either way — the zoning permit with its $50 review, and a property survey for the zoning review; pool and spa fences are not on the Village's fence application at all and go through the construction-permit route. Two cautions before you buy: most Ridgewood fences cap at four feet  (six feet only in the situations § 190-124F(3)(a) names), and a front-yard fence may be no more than 60% solid — and if any part of your lot sits in a regulated floodway, chain link, lattice and picket fences do not meet the Village's floodway openness rule (§ 154-76). Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Ridgewood

How tall can a fence be in Ridgewood?

Four feet for most residential fences (§ 190-124F(3)(a)). Six feet is allowed only in a side or rear yard, and only where the fence abuts nonresidential, multifamily or single-family-attached property, or where it is the required enclosure for a regulated pool. A six-foot privacy fence between two single-family homes is not permitted. Posts and gates may exceed the cap by up to one foot.

Can I put a fence in my front yard?

Yes, within the front-yard rules: the four-foot cap (§ 190-124F(3)(a)), no more than 60% solid and no more than six inches thick (§ 190-124F(6)(c)), the finished side facing the street (§ 190-124F(6)(a)), and the fence may sit on the property line (§ 190-124F(2)(a)). An open picket or aluminum fence at four feet is the straightforward front-yard choice; a solid privacy panel is not. On a corner lot, every street yard is a front yard (§ 190-119A(2)).

Do I need a permit for a fence in Ridgewood?

Yes. Fences require a zoning permit  (§ 190-97B(3)(a)), and the Village's codified fee schedule prices the zoning permit review at $50 per lot  (§ 145-6). A property survey is required for the zoning review. Pool and spa fences are the exception to the paperwork: the Village fence application excludes them, and they go through the construction-permit route instead.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

Two things. First, yards: on a corner lot every street yard is a front yard  (§ 190-119A(2)), so the four-foot cap and the 60%-solid limit apply along both street frontages, not just the one your house faces. Second, the corner itself: nothing over 30 inches may stand within 25 feet of the corner  (§ 190-119E(1)), keeping the sight triangle at the intersection clear. Away from the streets, the side and rear yard rules apply as usual.

What are Ridgewood's pool fence rules?

The Village expressly permits a six-foot fence as the required enclosure for a regulated pool (§ 190-124F(3)(a)) — one of only two ways a Ridgewood fence may reach six feet. The enclosure must also meet the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, and where the Village rule and the state code differ, the more restrictive governs  (§ 190-124F). The pool itself must sit at least 10 feet from any side or rear property line, and pools are not permitted in a front yard (§ 190-124T). If the pool is removed, the six-foot enclosure must come down or be reduced. Solanos Fence builds the enclosure as a complete barrier — panel height, picket openings, a self-closing and self-latching gate, and latching hardware together — and confirms the spec for your property at the estimate; our standard pool panel is 54 inches with 3.75-inch picket spacing, and gate hardware is priced separately.

My lot is in a flood-prone area — what changes?

In a regulated floodway, § 154-76 requires a fence to let floodwater through: a fence with little or no open area does not meet the rule, and the section names chain link, lattice and picket fences. A solid privacy fence fails there for the same reason. A pool enclosure that meets the construction-code barrier standard but not the floodway openness rule needs a variance — so on a floodway lot, the enclosure design and the variance question come before any style is chosen.

Do you offer payment plans?

No — we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Ridgewood, NJ

Call or text 973-220-7638 for a free estimate, 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 Ridgewood's rules. Ridgewood is part of our Bergen County service area, and you can see everywhere we work there.

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