Lakewood, NJ Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front-yard fence height
- 4 ft (6 ft on corner-lot side yard)
- General fence height
- 8 ft, +1 ft per 5 ft setback
- Sight-triangle height limit
- 30 inches above curb at intersections
- Corner-lot fence angle
- 45 degrees, 10 ft back from corner
- Enforcing office
- Lakewood Township Zoning Officer
- Governing law
- UDO § 18-803F, Article VIII Design Standards
Summary
Lakewood Township caps front-yard fences at 4 feet, or 6 feet on the street-side yard of a corner lot, under UDO § 18-803F5. Fences elsewhere on a residential lot top out at 8 feet, with a 1-foot height bonus for every 5 feet a fence sits back from the property line. At street intersections, nothing over 30 inches may block the sight triangle. Ocean County has no separate authority here; Lakewood's Zoning Officer enforces the limits.
A fence within the front yard setback area of any lot, except a corner lot, shall not exceed four feet in height. In the case of a corner lot, the fence in the front yard setback area designated by the property owner as a "side yard" may not exceed six feet in height. Unless more stringent regulations are provided by other provisions of this chapter, at the intersection of two or more streets, no hedge, fence, screening strip, planting, structure or wall higher than 30 inches above curb level and no obstruction to vision, other than a post not exceeding one foot in diameter, shall be permitted on any lot within the site triangle as defined by the Residential Site Improvement Standards. Trees shall be exempt from this section unless found specifically to present a traffic hazard. ... No fence may be installed which exceeds eight feet in height, however the height of the fence may be increased by one foot for every five feet that it is set back from the property line. Fences within the front yard setback shall be limited to the requirements identified in Subsection 5 above.
Full Breakdown
Article VIII, § 18-803F of Lakewood Township's Unified Development Ordinance sets the fence-height rules that apply to every residential lot in the township, not just Ocean County's unincorporated pockets nearby. A fence standing in the front-yard setback is limited to 4 feet, and on a corner lot the street-side yard the owner designates as a "side yard" can run up to 6 feet, per § 18-803F5. Outside the front-yard setback, § 18-803F8 lets a fence reach 8 feet as a baseline, and the code adds a foot of height for every 5 feet the fence is set back from the property line, so a fence pulled well off the line can legally exceed 8 feet without a variance.
Corner lots carry an extra geometry rule: § 18-803F6 requires any fence at the corner to angle at 45 degrees to each side line for 10 feet back from the intersection, and bars any fence from the public right-of-way outright. Layered on top of both rules is the sight-triangle standard in § 18-803F5's second paragraph: at the intersection of two or more streets, no fence, hedge, wall or planting over 30 inches above curb level, and no obstruction besides a post no wider than one foot, may stand within the site triangle defined by the state's Residential Site Improvement Standards; trees are exempt unless they are shown to be a traffic hazard.
No fence may sit closer than 8 feet to any street pavement or cartway under § 18-803F7. The Zoning Officer administers all of it and can order an unsafe or non-conforming fence repaired or removed.
Violations & Fines
If the Zoning Officer finds a fence unsafe, unsound, or out of conformance on inspection, § 18-803F14 requires written notice to the owner stating the defect, with 30 days to repair or remove it. Beyond that, any UDO violation, including a fence that ignores the height or sight-triangle limits, is punishable under § 18-1109A by a fine up to $1,000, up to 30 days in the county jail, or both, with each 30-day period of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my front-yard fence be in Lakewood Township?
What is the corner-lot sight-triangle rule?
Can I build a fence taller than 8 feet?
What happens if my fence violates the height rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
How Lakewood compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the New Jersey fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle height limits.