Landscaping in Ramsey, NJ

Working in Ramsey

Ramsey covers about 5.6 square miles and is almost fully developed. Its single-family zones range widely: the R-1 zone requires at least 40,250 square feet per lot, R-2 requires 25,000, and R-3 requires 14,000. Because of that spread, the layout, equipment access, and permit path for a Ramsey job depend heavily on which zone the house is in.

About 42 percent of Ramsey's housing was built between 1940 and 1969 and another 39 percent between 1970 and 1999. Houses from those decades often still have their original walks and steps, downspouts that empty onto the lawn, and backfill around the foundation that has settled over time. We check the grade at the foundation on every visit because it decides whether a patio or walk will shed water or hold it against the house.

Ramsey also caps impervious coverage: 30 percent of the lot in R-1 and R-2, 35 percent on R-3 lots of 10,000 square feet or more, and 40 percent on smaller R-3 lots. Patios, walks, and driveways all count toward that number. On a lot that is already close to the cap, we size new paving to fit or plan it together with removing old paving somewhere else.

What we build in Ramsey

Before you build in Ramsey

Permits and rules in Ramsey

Fences in Ramsey go through the Zoning Office at 33 North Central Avenue. A building permit is required only for a fence around a pool; every other fence needs an approved fence zoning application. Fences over 6 feet in the rear or side yards, or over 4 feet in the front yard or front-facing side yards, need a variance from the Board of Adjustment, so we design within those heights.

Soil work falls under Chapter 26. A lot may move up to 25 cubic yards once in any 12-month period, as long as a soil movement application is filed with the Borough Engineer before work starts. Beyond that a permit is required. Residential applications of 100 cubic yards or less carry a $25 application fee, and larger jobs are charged by the cubic yard with a higher minimum. Projects that disturb more than 5,000 square feet can also need certification from the Bergen County Soil Conservation District.

Removing more than six trees over 4 inches in diameter, measured 4 feet above the ground, within 12 months needs a borough tree removal permit under Ordinance 30-2000. Tree removal is not work we take on, so we lay out patios, walls, and drainage around the trees you keep, and if a design would require removing trees we tell you before anything is filed.

When to schedule work in Ramsey

Ramsey's leaf season runs October through December, and the borough posts the route schedule each October. We book fall cleanups to finish just before your street's pickup so the leaves are raked loose to the curb on time. Brush and grass are never collected at the curb, so our cleanups include hauling them away.

We build patios, walls, and fences from early spring through late fall, when the base can be compacted on dry ground. Jobs that need a soil movement application or a fence approval are best filed in winter so the paperwork is done by the time the ground is workable.

All services in Ramsey

Guides for Ramsey homeowners

• Retaining wall permits and engineering. In most New York and New Jersey towns, a retaining wall over 4 feet needs an engineered design and a permit, and walls under that limit can still need one if they hold up a driveway or a slope.
• 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.
• 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.

Nearby

We also work in Allendale, Mahwah, Upper Saddle River, Saddle River, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, and across Bergen County.

Questions