Lakewood, NJ Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Section 18-803F of the Unified Development Ordinance treats fences as a permitted structure that still needs Township sign-off before it goes in the ground. Subsection F2 states that walls and fences are erected for privacy, screening, separation, security, or other necessary functions and must comply with the rest of the subsection, and F3 spells out what the permit application has to contain: a drawing of the proposed fence design, drawn neatly and to an appropriate scale, showing all dimensions and marked clearly, and showing every easement on the property.

Skipping the easement line is common; a fence built across a utility or drainage easement runs into § 18-803F22, which bars any fence or buffer landscaping inside a drainage easement outright. The definition in § 18-803F4 is broad: a fence is any wood, glass, resin, plastic, masonry, stone, or metal wall or hedge built on the front, side or rear yard to shield, screen or protect a lot. That means even a hedge intended as a living screen falls under the same permit and drawing requirements as a wood or vinyl fence.

Once built, the fence has to meet the construction rules elsewhere in F, including the face-out rule in F10 (the finished side faces the neighboring property, the structural side faces the interior of the lot) and the sight-triangle and setback limits. The Zoning Officer's office reviews the drawing as part of issuing the zoning permit; a separate construction permit may also be required depending on the fence's height and material under the Township's building permit schedule.