Landscaping in Ridgewood, NJ
Ridgewood is older housing stock, mature trees, and a village that inspects everything. We design hardscape that fits the character of the house, protect tree roots during excavation, and manage the village permit process from application to final.
Working in Ridgewood
Ridgewood is a village of about 5.8 square miles, and much of it was built out early. The Heights neighborhood was developed between the 1890s and 1930, and the population grew from about 1,000 in 1890 to nearly 26,000 by 2020. Most of our work here is on older lots where the house, trees, and grading came long before the patio.
The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook runs through the village and joins the Saddle River at the Dunkerhook area of Saddle River County Park, on the Ridgewood line. Lots near these streams sit lower and take longer to dry out. The village zoning code adds a riparian zone overlay of at least 50 feet along regulated waters, where clearing, regrading, and new construction are restricted.
Mature shade trees are part of almost every Ridgewood property, and the village protects them. Any tree 8 inches or more in diameter at breast height needs a village permit to come down. We lay out patios, walks, and drain lines around the existing root zones so the project does not depend on losing a tree.
What we build in Ridgewood
Paver patio inside the village permit window
Ridgewood requires a zoning permit for patios and walkways, and at an existing home the work has to be substantially completed within six months of the permit date. We draw the patio on the survey, file the zoning application, and book the build so it finishes well inside that window. Low-voltage lighting cable goes in with the base so nothing gets trenched through a finished surface.
Hardscape & LightingStepped retaining walls on a sloped rear yard
Village code caps each retaining wall at 4 feet and requires the exposed face to sit back from side and rear lines one foot for every foot of height. On a sloped yard we step the grade with two or three short walls spaced so each is measured on its own. Walls over 2 feet need a retaining wall permit reviewed by the Engineering Department, and we prepare the construction details for that review.
Hardscape & LightingLeader lines and grading near the brook
Lower lots near the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook hold water after heavy rain, and older homes often have leaders that empty at the foundation. We pipe the leaders underground, pitch the soil away from the house, and send the water to a drywell or a surface outlet on the owner's side of the line.
Drainage & ExcavationFence that passes the 4 foot rule
Most single-family lots in Ridgewood are limited to a 4 foot fence, with 6 feet allowed only in side and rear yards along a line that abuts a nonresidential, multifamily, or attached-housing property, or as a required pool enclosure. We confirm which rule applies to each line before we quote. Where the owner wants more screening than 4 feet gives, we plant an evergreen buffer behind the fence.
Fencing & PrivacyFront walk, stoop, and planter wall
In the front yard the village allows only sitting walls and planter walls up to 24 inches, and live plantings on interior lots have to sit at least 3 feet behind the front property line. We rebuild the front walk and steps, keep any planter wall under that height, and set new beds back from the line.
Hardscape & LightingFall cleanup timed to your leaf area
Ridgewood collects leaves from about mid-October to early December by area, with leaves placed in the street or in leaf bags at the curb on the scheduled week. Brush is not collected at the curb during leaf season. We time the cleanup to your area's pickup, keep branches out of the leaf piles, and take the cut brush with us.
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 Ridgewood
Permits and rules in Ridgewood
Ridgewood splits outdoor review between the Zoning Officer and the Building Department, which works under the state Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23). The village code requires a zoning permit for regulated exterior improvements and names fences, freestanding walls, driveways, walkways, and patios as examples. When a building permit is also needed, zoning approval has to come first.
Retaining walls over 2 feet need a retaining wall permit from the Zoning Officer, referred to the Engineering Department, and the Village Engineer can ask for sealed details, soil reports, or a grading plan. Soil movement can need a separate soil permit under Chapter 246. Removing a tree 8 inches or more in diameter on private land needs a permit through the Public Works Department at Village Hall, and a healthy tree that comes out has to be replaced or paid for in lieu.
Work inside the riparian zone overlay along the brooks is held to stricter rules, and NJDEP approval can apply on top of the village's. The code also treats exterior site improvements as complete only after an as-built survey is given to the Zoning Officer and Village Engineer, so we build that step into the schedule. We pull the survey, check stream setbacks, prepare the zoning and wall applications, and give you a written scope and fixed price after the site visit.
When to schedule work in Ridgewood
The 2026 yard waste season in Ridgewood runs from April 6 to October 9, which covers spring cleanups, bed edging, mulching, and hedge trimming with curbside pickup for bundled trimmings. Leaf season follows from about mid-October into early December, so we plan fall cleanups by collection area and finish before the last pass.
Spring is wet in the low sections near the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, so we book drainage and grading there for late spring and summer, when the ground can carry equipment. Patios and walls go in from spring through late fall, and fences can go in whenever the ground is not frozen. We also plow and salt driveways and walks in winter.
All services in Ridgewood
Guides for Ridgewood homeowners
- 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.
- 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.
- Hudson Valley seasonal yard checklist. The lower Hudson Valley gets hard winters, wet springs, and a long leaf season, and a yard that is checked at the right times avoids most of the expensive repairs.
- Fall cleanup and town leaf pickup in Rockland and Bergen. A fall cleanup clears leaves and debris, puts beds to rest for winter, and sets the lawn up for spring.
Nearby
We also work in Midland Park, Ho-Ho-Kus, Glen Rock, Fair Lawn, Paramus, Wyckoff, Saddle River, Allendale, and across Bergen County.
Questions
How tall can my fence be in Ridgewood?
For most single-family homes, 4 feet. A 6 foot fence is allowed in side and rear yards only along a line that abuts a nonresidential, multifamily, or attached-housing property, or as a required pool enclosure, and posts and gates may run one foot above the limit.
Do I need a permit for a paver patio?
Yes. Ridgewood lists patios, walkways, and driveways among the improvements that need a zoning permit. We file it with the survey and a drawing of the layout.
How high can a retaining wall be?
Four feet per wall, with no more than 12 feet combined within 20 horizontal feet for stepped walls. Walls over 2 feet need a retaining wall permit, and every wall we build stays at 4 feet or under.
Can a tree come down to make room for the patio?
Trees 8 inches or more in diameter need a permit from the Public Works Department, and healthy trees must be replaced or paid for in lieu. We try to fit the design around the tree first. If one has to go, a tree service handles the removal and we build after.
When are leaves picked up in Ridgewood?
From about mid-October to early December, by yardwaste area. The village's My Services Lookup shows your area, and brush is not collected at the curb during leaf season.
How long do I have to finish once the permit is issued?
For improvements at an existing home, the village expects the work to be substantially completed within six months of the permit date. We set the build date before we file so the permit does not sit unused.
My yard is near the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook. Does that change anything?
It can. The village applies a riparian zone overlay of at least 50 feet along regulated waters, where regrading and new construction are restricted. We measure from the brook before drawing any patio, wall, or drain.
Have a project in Ridgewood? 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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If it is urgent, call or text (845) 367-4123.