Landscaping in Midland Park, NJ
Midland Park is compact lots with close neighbors, so privacy fencing, screening, and small paver patios are the most common requests. We build to the property line correctly and handle the borough permit.
Working in Midland Park
Midland Park is 1.58 square miles, bordered by Ridgewood, Waldwick, and Wyckoff. About 70 percent of its housing units are single-family detached homes, and the housing is old: roughly 48 percent was built between 1940 and 1969 and another 28 percent before 1939. On a compact lot with an older house, most of our planning is measured in feet from the property line.
Goffle Brook runs through the south-central part of the borough, which is mostly industrial with fewer homes. For most residential yards the water problem is at the scale of the lot: roof runoff with nowhere to go, a low corner, or water coming from the house next door. Those problems are fixed with leader lines, grading, and a place for the water to go, not with large excavation.
Two borough numbers shape almost every job here. Fences behind the front of the house are limited to 5 feet, and moving, importing, or removing 50 cubic yards of soil or more needs a permit. We keep both in mind from the first visit so the design does not have to change after it is filed.
What we build in Midland Park
5 foot privacy fence on a close lot line
Midland Park's fence permit limits fences between the front of the house and the rear line to 5 feet, lower than many people expect. We build a solid 5 foot fence on your side of the line with the good side facing out, as the borough requires, and set the posts from the survey so the fence and its footings stay off the neighbor's property.
Fencing & PrivacyFront yard fence that meets the open area rule
Between the front building line and the street, fences are limited to 4 feet, must be at least 50 percent open, and the grade under them cannot be changed more than 12 inches. On corner lots, anything within 25 feet of the intersection is held to 2 and a half feet above the curb, so we measure that radius before choosing the fence.
Fencing & PrivacySmall paver patio kept under the soil permit line
A patio on a compact Midland Park yard is usually a few hundred square feet. We lay it out on the survey, keep the excavation under 50 cubic yards where the design allows so a soil permit is not triggered, pitch the surface away from both houses, and add low-voltage path lights with the transformer connection handled by a licensed electrician.
Hardscape & LightingLeader lines and a drywell for a shared low corner
When two houses sit close together, their roof water often ends up in the same corner of the yard. We run your downspouts underground to a drywell or other approved outlet, reshape the corner so water moves away from the line, and add a catch basin at the low point if the grade cannot be changed enough.
Drainage & ExcavationDigging near a borough street tree
A drainage line or new walk toward the street often passes a borough tree. Midland Park requires a permit from the Department of Public Works Foreman for any excavation within 4 feet of a tree on a public street, so we route around the tree or get that permit before we dig.
Drainage & ExcavationCleanups that match Wednesday yard waste pickup
Midland Park picks up vegetative waste on Wednesdays, only in paper yard bags, barrels up to 30 gallons and 50 pounds, or tied bundles under 4 feet, and nothing over 5 inches in diameter. We do spring and fall cleanups, bag and bundle what the borough will take, and haul the rest ourselves.
Seasonal & SpecialtyText a few photos of the area or send the form. We come out, walk it with you, and send a written scope and a fixed price.
Before you build in Midland Park
Permits and rules in Midland Park
Fence permits come from the Building Department at Borough Hall, 280 Godwin Avenue. A fence needs a zoning permit only, with a $50 fee and a current property survey showing where the fence goes and how tall each section is. A fence around a pool also needs a UCC building permit. The good side faces outward from your property.
Soil is covered by the borough's soil removal and importation chapter. Moving or disturbing 50 cubic yards or more on site, importing 50 cubic yards or more, or removing that much all require a permit through the Construction Code Official, with the Borough Engineer reviewing the grades. We calculate volumes early so you know whether a permit applies.
In 2023 the Planning Board reviewed a draft fence and retaining wall ordinance that would add a zoning permit for walls over 2 feet and require an engineer's design for walls over 4 feet. We keep every wall at 4 feet or under in any case, and we confirm the current wall and fence rules with the Building Department when we file.
When to schedule work in Midland Park
Leaves go to the curb October through December on a zone schedule the borough publishes. The 2026 calendar starts zone pickups in mid-October, so we time fall cleanups to your zone date. Grass, brush, and other yard waste follow the Wednesday schedule the rest of the year.
On small lots, patio and fence work is best done in spring or early fall when the lawn can recover quickly after equipment has been on it. We repair and reseed the strip along the fence or patio edge at the end of the job so the yard is usable again that season.
All services in Midland Park
Guides for Midland Park homeowners
- Fence permits and property lines. A fence is one of the few projects where a few inches of placement can start a legal dispute.
- Downspout drainage options: where roof water should go. Most wet basements and soggy foundation beds we look at in Rockland and Bergen start at a downspout that empties within a foot or two of the wall.
- What drives paver patio cost. A paver patio is typically priced by the square foot and by the base work under it.
- Regrading a yard to slope away from the house. When the ground next to a house is flat or tilts toward the foundation, rain runs to the wall and soaks in beside it.
Nearby
We also work in Ridgewood, Ho-Ho-Kus, Glen Rock, Wyckoff, Saddle River, Allendale, Fair Lawn, Franklin Lakes, and across Bergen County.
Questions
How high can a backyard fence be in Midland Park?
The borough's fence permit allows up to 5 feet from the front of the house to the rear property line. Anything taller needs zoning relief, so we build to 5 feet unless you have it.
Do I need a building permit for a fence?
No, a zoning permit only, at $50 with a survey. A fence enclosing a pool also needs a UCC building permit.
Which way does the finished side go?
Outward, away from your property. We build it that way by default.
I am on a corner lot. What changes?
Fences within 25 feet of the intersection are limited to 2 and a half feet above the curb, and front yard fences on corner lots are limited to 4 feet and must be at least 50 percent open.
When does a patio or grading job need a soil permit?
When 50 cubic yards or more of soil are moved, imported, or removed. Most small patios stay under that line, and we calculate it before we quote.
Can you run my downspouts to the street?
Often, yes. If the line passes within 4 feet of a street tree, the borough requires a DPW permit first, and we handle that.
Will the borough take my yard waste?
On Wednesdays, in paper bags, barrels, or tied bundles under 4 feet, with nothing over 5 inches thick. We haul what does not fit those rules.
Can you add privacy above a 5 foot fence?
We can plant a narrow evergreen row inside the fence line, chosen so it stays on your side as it grows.
Have a project in Midland Park? Tell us about it.
Three quick steps. We call you back to set up a free on-site estimate, usually the same day.
- Call or text(845) 367-4123
- Emailgeneral@landtechenterprise.com
- Based inPomona, NY
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