Expert: Stephen Major (Owner--Major Design Group) - 4/26/2007

Question
I live in South Jersey (camden county) and i was just curious about a fence im having replaced on my house. I wasnt sure if i needed to get a building permit or not. Before i made the call, i figured i would ask in here. If you are simply replacing an existing structure, i dont think you need a permit,does that sound correct to you ?

Answer
Richard,

Unfortunately, while your logic is sensible, many communities today have strict code enforcement that goes beyond plain old fire and structural safety.  Depending on your community there may be architectural restrictions in place.

Fences are a unique issue.  Often the local regulations stipulate that the fence must be 1' onto your own property, and if the fence has a "front" and a "back" then the front must face the neighbor.

Make the call to your code office.  You don't want to be forced into a legal battle later on, or worse, be ordered to take the fence down.

Good luck,  

Steve Major