Long Branch, NJ Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Long Branch's fence ordinance, City Code § 345-41, sets the baseline height limits that apply to any wall or fence in the city: three feet within 25 feet of a street corner, four feet in a front yard, and six feet elsewhere on a residential lot, with a five-foot corner-lot exception running toward the rear yard. Subsection E carves out retaining walls from those caps: a wall built to retain space is not held to the ordinary fence height limit, and any height restriction on it is measured from the highest adjacent grade rather than from the low side of the slope it holds back.

That does not make retaining walls unregulated. Subsection C requires every fence, including a retaining wall, to be maintained in a safe, sound, upright condition and built according to a plan on file with the Construction Code Official at City Hall, 344 Broadway. Subsection D bars any wall from crossing a property line or encroaching on a public right-of-way, and lets the Planning Board's Aesthetic Committee dictate which face must show outward. A construction permit and fee also apply separately from the zoning standard: under § 147-3A(15), a retaining wall of 500 square feet or less serving a one- or two-family home carries a flat $106 permit fee, a wall over 500 square feet on the same property carries a $210 flat fee, and a retaining wall tied to any other use group is priced on the estimated cost of construction under the general commercial fee schedule, which requires the applicant to submit cost data from an architect, engineer or contractor.