Temporary fencing rental for NYC sites: chain-link panels and solid construction fences in all five boroughs, with 24/7 emergency fencing and DOB filings.
We fence construction sites, vacant lots and damaged buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, for general contractors, site managers and building owners. The right fence depends on your building, site conditions and applicable DOB requirements. Don’t order chain-link panels until you’ve checked that they’re permitted for your site.
We rent the fence, install it and take it down when the job ends.
On many NYC construction sites, the DOB requires a solid fence. Chain link fits only a short list of buildings.
| Your Building | Fence the DOB Allows |
|---|---|
| One-, Two- or Three-Family Building | A solid fence, or galvanized chain-link fencing covered with opaque cloth. |
| Commercial Building Under 40 Feet | Galvanized chain-link fencing covered with opaque cloth and installed with the required setbacks, or a solid fence. |
| Stalled, Abandoned or Discontinued Site | Chain-link fencing may be approved once construction equipment and materials have been removed from the site. Confirm eligibility with the DOB. |
| Any Other Building | A solid fence made of wood, corrugated metal or another rigid material. |
Check your setbacks on the DOB’s construction fence page before you order chain link. Never assume it passes.
| Feature | DOB Rule |
|---|---|
| Height | At least 8 feet. |
| Material | Generally solid, using wood, corrugated metal or another rigid material. |
| Color | Solid fences are generally painted hunter green. |
| Viewing Panels | 12" × 12" panels, with at least one per 25 feet of frontage, positioned 3 to 6 feet above ground. |
| Information Panel | One panel positioned 4 feet above grade on each street frontage. |
| Placement | Along the inside edge of the sidewalk, without blocking pedestrian access or any exit. |
| Extension Into the Sidewalk | DOT approval is required when the fence extends more than 3 feet into the sidewalk. |
A 100-foot frontage, for example, needs at least four viewing panels. The rules sit in Building Code §3307.7. The DOB’s published guidance calls for solid fences painted hunter green. Where a sidewalk shed also stands, check the current code for matching the fence and shed colors before you specify a finish.
Not sure which fence your site needs? Send us the address.
Chain-link panels stand on bases, link together along the perimeter and take gates where the site needs an entry. They go up fast and come down fast, which suits the one- to three-family homes and low commercial buildings the table lists.
On most NYC construction sites a solid fence is required, so confirm the building type before you order panels. Where the DOB allows chain link, it must be galvanized and covered with opaque cloth.
A solid fence goes up in framed sections, and crews paint it hunter green to the DOB’s rule. We install it along the inside edge of the sidewalk and cut the viewing panels and mount the information panel at the heights the table lists.
The DOB’s design professional requirements show the fence on the drawings: EQ-100.00 (plot), EQ-101.00 (elevations and sections) and EQ-102.00 (connection to any sidewalk shed). A fence that reaches more than 3 feet into the sidewalk needs DOT approval. We handle DOB filings, and we take the fence down at the end of the job. For permits across the project, see DOB filings and permits.
A collapse, unsafe condition or damaged facade may require immediate protection. Under NYC Administrative Code §28-105.4.1, qualifying emergency work, including erecting a fence to protect the public, may begin without a permit to the extent necessary to relieve the emergency.
The permit application must be submitted within two business days after work begins and include a written description of the emergency and the measures taken to mitigate the hazard. Applicable contractor licensing and other requirements still apply.
Our line answers around the clock. Response and arrival times depend on the location, site conditions and crew availability. Give us the address, the borough and what happened.
Unsafe condition? Call (718) 581-4370 now.
Many jobs need more than a fence. Fence drawings include the connection to any sidewalk shed, so we plan the two together. Where vehicles threaten the work area, a jersey barrier with fence closes the gap. We set up the work zone across all five boroughs.
Five things set a fencing quote: linear feet, fence type, how long it stands, gates and any permit or drawing work. Send the details below and we price your site.
What to send us:
FAQs
Only on certain buildings. The DOB allows it on one-, two- and three-family homes, and on commercial buildings under 40 feet that meet the setback rules. Either way, the chain link has to be galvanized and covered with opaque cloth. Stalled, abandoned or discontinued sites get a narrow exception, and the DOB decides who qualifies, so ask before you order. Every other site needs a solid fence.
At least 8 feet. The viewing panels cut into it sit 3 to 6 feet above the ground.
Generally hunter green, which is what the DOB’s published guidance calls for on solid fences. If a sidewalk shed also stands on your site, look up the current code on matching fence and shed colors before you pick a finish.
It depends on the job. In a qualifying emergency, the fence can go up first, as far as the emergency requires, and the application follows within 2 business days. On other jobs, your design professional’s drawings show the fence, and any fence that reaches more than 3 feet into the sidewalk needs DOT approval. Send us your filing and we tell you what applies.
Yes, at any hour. Call (718) 581-4370, give us the address and tell us what happened.
Yes, in all five: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Our areas we serve page lists the DOB office for each.
Get Started
Tell us where the site is, what the building is and how many feet of frontage need fencing. We’ll review your building details, help identify the applicable fence requirements and provide a quote.
Barriers or a shed on the same job? Say so and we quote everything together.
ABC Sidewalk Shed & Scaffolding provides licensed, insured overhead protection and scaffolding systems across all five NYC boroughs. Serving building owners, property managers, and general contractors with DOB-compliant installations and 24/7 emergency dispatch since 2004.
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