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Mount Laurel caps residential fences at six feet, requires a permit from the Zoning Officer before you construct, enlarge or even alter one, and keeps fences out of the front yard setback entirely. Those rules apply inside the planned communities too, which is where most Mount Laurel homeowners are surprised. Liberi Fence is a third-generation, family-owned fence company based in Turnersville, and we install, replace and repair fences across Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Marlton and the rest of Burlington County.
Fence regulations live in Chapter 154 of the Township zoning code, Article XIX. The parts that decide most residential projects are these.
Six feet is the maximum in all residential districts, measured from the ground on which the fence stands, at right angles. Post caps and ornaments do not count toward that measurement. Crucially, the ordinance names Planned Unit Development and Planned Adult Retirement Community residential areas explicitly — living inside a planned community does not exempt you from the Township limit, and it does not raise it either.
Fences are not permitted in the front yard setback, or in the side yard setback where that side runs along a street — which makes corner lots the most constrained properties in the township. On top of that, no fence may be positioned where it would interfere with sight distance at an intersection, and no fence may go into a landscaped or buffer easement unless the Township Council approves it.
That last point matters more in Mount Laurel than almost anywhere else nearby. The township is built largely on subdivisions and planned communities, and those developments routinely carry drainage, utility and landscape buffer easements along rear and side lot lines. Homeowners often assume the property line is the fence line. In a Mount Laurel subdivision it frequently is not, and finding that out after the posts are set is expensive.
The ordinance requires a permit from the Zoning Officer before any fence is constructed, enlarged or altered. Note the third word — altering an existing fence is covered, not just building a new one.
A fence that was already standing when the current article took effect can remain as it is, provided it is kept in good repair and painted where painting applies. But the ordinance sets a threshold: if 25% or more of the total fence is destroyed or removed, it cannot simply be put back the way it was — the replacement has to comply with the current article. After a serious wind event that is a meaningful distinction, and it is the reason we assess the full run rather than just the section that came down. Our guide to fence replacement in South Jersey covers how storm damage and insurance claims work in practice.
Summarised from the Township of Mount Laurel zoning code, Chapter 154, Article XIX (Fences), current as of August 2026. Ordinances change and this is a summary, not legal advice — confirm with the Township zoning office, and we will confirm it with you as part of the estimate.
A large share of Mount Laurel housing sits inside homeowners' associations, and many of them run architectural review on fences — height, material, color, and where the fence may run. Two things are worth being clear about.
In practice this changes the order of operations. We identify which approvals apply before ordering material, because a vinyl color that fails architectural review after delivery is a problem nobody enjoys solving.
| Property type | What usually fits |
|---|---|
| Townhouse and planned community | Vinyl or aluminum in an HOA-approved color and profile. Shorter runs, tight tolerances, and architectural review driving the specification more than personal preference. |
| Single-family subdivision | Six-foot wood or vinyl privacy in the rear yard, set clear of rear-line easements. The most common Mount Laurel job. |
| Corner lot | The most constrained. Front and street-side setbacks both apply, plus intersection sight distance — placement matters more than material here. |
| Pool enclosure | Aluminum or ornamental, meeting state pool barrier requirements including self-closing and self-latching gate hardware under the NJ Uniform Construction Code. |
| Office park and commercial | Chain link, ornamental steel, gates and access control along the Route 73, Route 38 and I-295 corridors. See commercial fence installation. |
If you are weighing materials, our comparison of vinyl versus wood for a South Jersey home covers the trade-off, and how long a South Jersey fence lasts sets realistic expectations by material.
We cover Burlington County from Turnersville, including Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Marlton and Evesham, Medford, Maple Shade and Cinnaminson. We handle residential fence installation, decks and railings, gates and gate automation. If you would rather build it yourself, we sell materials direct with DIY fence kits and free delivery within 200 miles.
Yes. The township zoning ordinance requires a permit from the Zoning Officer before a fence is constructed, enlarged or altered. Altering an existing fence is included, which surprises people who assume permits only apply to new builds. We confirm the requirement for your address before scheduling.
Six feet is the maximum in residential districts, measured from ground level at right angles to the fence, excluding post ornaments. That limit applies inside Planned Unit Development and Planned Adult Retirement Community areas as well — the ordinance names them specifically.
Not within the front yard setback. The ordinance also excludes the side yard setback where that side runs along a street, which makes corner lots the most restricted properties in the township. Sight distance at intersections is a separate restriction on top of the setbacks.
It depends how much came down. An older fence predating the current ordinance can remain in place as-is, but once 25% or more of the total fence is destroyed or removed, the replacement must comply with the current article rather than the rules it was built under. That is why we assess the whole run after storm damage instead of pricing only the visible failure.
Yes. They are separate approvals with separate criteria. HOA architectural review governs what the association will accept; the Zoning Officer governs what is legal. An HOA can be stricter than the township but never looser, so you need to satisfy whichever is tighter — and you need both.
Often not. Many Mount Laurel developments carry drainage, utility or landscape buffer easements along rear and side lot lines, and the ordinance prohibits fencing in a landscaped or buffer easement without Township Council approval. The property line and the buildable fence line are frequently different. Check your survey or plot plan before planning the run.
The install is usually short for a residential run, but the schedule is set by what happens first: the New Jersey One Call utility markout requires three full business days' notice, and the township permit and any HOA review run on their own timelines. We give you a realistic window at the estimate rather than a best case.
We walk the property line with you, check your survey for easements and setbacks, confirm what the township requires and flag anything your HOA will want to see, then give you an itemized estimate covering removal, materials and labor — at no cost and with no obligation.
Liberi Fence, LLC
141 Ganttown Road, Suite B2, Turnersville, NJ 08012
(856) 212-1330 · phone lines open 24/7 · office visits by appointment
Family-owned and operated, third generation. Serving Mount Laurel and Burlington County.
