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

Trenton Code § 42-12I(2) sets the fee for a fence construction permit at $45 per $1,000 of the estimated cost of the work, and requires that a plot plan, survey, and/or other documentation detailing the fence's location accompany every application. That paperwork requirement matters because the zoning code layers on its own placement rules: under § 315-9.4.H, a fence or wall, including its posts and base, must sit entirely within the lot's boundaries, and in general must be located on the lot line or within five feet of it. The zoning section also bans certain materials outright: scrap metal, corrugated metal, sheet metal, spiked posts, razor wire, barbed wire, and chicken wire may not be used in a Trenton fence or wall, regardless of district.

Height is tied to district and yard. In residential districts, a fence up to six feet is allowed in rear and interior side yards, while front and corner side yards are limited to a four-foot open fence in most residential districts (and no fence at all in the RL-1 and RL-2 Districts). Commercial, mixed-use, and special-purpose districts largely mirror that six-foot rear/interior and four-foot front/corner side pattern; the Downtown (DT) District instead requires a wall built to specific opacity and material standards, and the I-L and I-G industrial districts allow up to 10 feet in any yard. The property owner is responsible for maintaining both sides of the fence unless denied access to the neighboring property.