Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Galloway Township, New Jersey

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction and most alterations under the state Uniform Construction Code⁶

Zoning

Set by the township; Atlantic County has no zoning authority²³

Septic

Atlantic County Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Unit⁷

RV / trailer living

Prohibited on a lot outside an existing licensed trailer court⁵

Minimum dwelling size

150 square feet usable floor area for the first occupant, 100 more per additional occupant⁸

Owner-builder

Allowed with an owner-built affidavit before a certificate of occupancy⁹

Flood hazard areas

Floodplain Administrator application required before development¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 13, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Galloway Township, NJ?

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before construction, enlargement, alteration, demolition or a change of use begins⁶. A permit for a new home is issued by the local construction official, not by Atlantic County¹. Ordinary maintenance does not need a permit⁶.

No permit can issue until all required state, county and local approvals are in place¹¹. Zoning approval and, for a new home, the septic certification from the board of health come first¹². The township's own construction-code chapter should confirm local fees and procedures; we could not confirm its fee amounts, so ask the Galloway Township construction office before budgeting.

Does Galloway Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Zoning in Galloway Township is set by the township itself. Its Land Use Procedures chapter governs the township's subdivision of land and zoning applications under the Municipal Land Use Law²¹³. Atlantic County has no zoning power over its municipalities³.

Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and height limits all depend on the zoning district your parcel sits in¹⁴¹⁵. Find the district on the township zoning map before you buy, then read that district's table.

Inside the township, a dwelling unit needs at least 150 square feet of usable floor area for the first occupant and 100 square feet for each additional occupant⁸. Children under two are not counted⁸.

How do septic permits work in Galloway Township?

Atlantic County's Environmental Health Unit issues permits for new septic systems and inspects their design and installation⁴. State law bars any building permit until the board of health certifies that the proposed water supply and sewerage facilities comply¹². The septic system must be inspected before it is covered¹⁶.

Soils matter: only about 0.2% of Atlantic County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system¹⁷. If public sewer is available to your lot, the township's sewer chapter may require connection instead; we could not confirm the distance rule, so ask the township before assuming a septic field is allowed¹⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Galloway Township?

No for trailer coaches. Galloway Township prohibits occupying a trailer coach on any lot or tract of land except in an already existing licensed trailer court⁵. A coach that was occupied when the chapter took effect is excused only if the occupancy broke no state law or township or board of health ordinance⁵.

We could not confirm how the township treats tiny homes, other manufactured homes or temporary camping on private land. Statewide, HUD manufactured homes are limited to single-family residential use¹⁹. Ask the Galloway Township zoning office whether a specific unit qualifies as a dwelling before buying.

Building a home in Galloway Township: the steps, in order

1. Find your parcel's zoning district with the township and confirm lot size, setbacks and height limits¹⁵.
2. If the lot sits in a flood hazard area, apply to the Floodplain Administrator before any development²⁰.
3. Get a septic design approved and certified through the Atlantic County Environmental Health Unit⁴.
4. Apply for a construction permit from the township construction official; zoning approval must be in place first for owner-occupied additions and alterations¹¹.
5. Schedule the periodic inspections the code requires, such as footing trenches before concrete²¹.
6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in²². Owners who built their own home must file an affidavit with the construction official first⁹.

What stays with Atlantic County, and what to check before you buy in Galloway Township

Atlantic County handles septic permits, subdivision review at the county level and permits for driveways that touch county roads⁴²³²⁴. For land outside the township, see the Atlantic County page. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit²⁵.

Before buying, check flood hazard mapping, the zoning district and whether sewer is available. Atlantic County's effective property tax rate is 2.5%²⁶. Short-term rentals are largely a municipal matter, and we could not confirm Galloway's rule²⁷.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Galloway Township's construction fee schedule, certificate-of-occupancy procedure or owner-builder paperwork in its own code; ask the township construction office before you pay for plans; municipalities set their own fee schedules²⁸.
• Trailer coaches cannot be occupied on a lot in Galloway Township outside a licensed trailer court, so a camper on raw land is not a workable plan⁵.
• The septic permit comes from Atlantic County, not the township, and no building permit can issue before the board of health certification¹².
• Atlantic County is not a zoning authority, so a search for county zoning will not answer questions about a Galloway parcel³.

Sources

1. NJ Department of Community Affairs - Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
2. Chapter 59 Land Use Procedures - Township of Galloway, NJ (Galloway Township), quoted and re-checked
3. P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
4. Atlantic County Division of Public Health - Environmental Health Unit (atlanticcountynj.gov)
5. Chapter 313 Trailer Courts - Township of Galloway, NJ (Galloway Township), quoted and re-checked
6. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Atlantic County Sewage Disposal (Septic System) Program (2026 county census)
8. Chapter 177 Dwelling Units - Township of Galloway, NJ (Galloway Township), quoted and re-checked
9. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Chapter 203 Flood Hazard Areas - Township of Galloway, NJ (Galloway Township), quoted and re-checked
11. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Chapter 59 Land Use Procedures - Township of Galloway, NJ (Galloway Township), quoted and re-checked
14. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
18. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Plumbing Subcode Regulations (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Galloway Township Floodplain Administrator (ecode360.com)
21. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Site Plan and Subdivision Review, quoted and re-checked
24. 8-15-23 Public Packet A.pdf — Atlantic County Right Of Way Use And Occupancy, quoted and re-checked
25. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
27. Local Finance Notice 2026-09: Short-Term Transient Accommodations (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked

Written October 13, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.