Old Bridge, NJ Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Fences are capped at heights of four, six or ten feet depending on the yard and zone under Section 250-53, but that section carves out retaining walls entirely: Section 250-53B(3) states that nothing in the fence rules prohibits building a retaining wall of any height once it has been approved through site plan or subdivision review before the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment. That approval substitutes for a fence height cap, but it does not replace the construction permit the Uniform Construction Code still requires.

Township Code Section 108-4 sets the fee for that construction permit as the sum of the applicable subcode charges, due before the permit issues, and Section 108-4.B(4) prices retaining walls on a sliding scale tied to size and use: $210 for a wall larger than 550 square feet serving a Class 3 residential structure, $106 for 550 square feet or less on the same use, and, for any other size or use, $30 per $1,000 of estimated cost for the first $50,000, $26 per $1,000 on the next $50,000, and $22 per $1,000 above $100,000, all prorated.

The Construction Official's Division of Code Enforcement reviews the application, and taller or larger walls typically need an engineer's design and a Municipal Engineer sign-off given the drainage and soil-retention function the Code's definition of a retaining wall describes as protecting against erosion between lands of different elevation.