Edison, NJ Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Edison's land-use ordinance treats every fence as the responsibility of a single property owner. A fence must be erected entirely within the applicant's own lot lines, which is why the zoning permit application requires a survey or accurate plot plan: the Zoning Officer needs to confirm the fence is on the applicant's property, not on the neighbor's land or on the shared boundary. Chapter 37 does not codify a 'good side out' requirement (the convention that the finished side of a stockade or board fence faces neighboring properties), so finished-side orientation is a matter of neighborly practice rather than enforceable code in Edison; some practitioners apply New Jersey common-law and case-law guidance to recommend the smooth side outward. The Township will not mediate boundary-line disputes - if a neighbor believes the fence is on or across the property line, the proper remedies are (1) commissioning an independent licensed land surveyor, (2) a private civil action in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex Vicinage, for trespass or ejectment, or (3) negotiating a written boundary-line agreement and recording it in the Middlesex County Clerk's office. Spite-fence claims (fences built solely to annoy a neighbor with no legitimate use) are governed by New Jersey common law and may also be brought in civil court. Encroachment onto a Township right-of-way is enforced by the Edison Zoning Officer.