Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Borough of Demarest, New Jersey

The Borough of Demarest, New Jersey requires a construction permit before new building or alteration work, issued through the borough's construction official under the state Uniform Construction Code1. Demarest has its own zoning chapter adopted by its Mayor and Council, and Bergen County does not zone23. Septic and well approvals come from the board of health having jurisdiction4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new construction and most work on existing buildings1
Who issues it
The municipal construction official1
Zoning
Set by the borough, by district25
Septic
Board of health approval before the building permit; which board covers Demarest is unconfirmed4
Owner-builder
Builder registration exception for your own home; permits still required6
Wells
State drilling permit plus a local health-official permit7

Who to call

Septic permits

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Reviews septic engineering plans and oversees septic installations for municipalities that contract with the county; confirm it covers Demarest

201-634-2600

healthdept@bergencountynj.gov

One Bergen County Plaza, 4th Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Demarest means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Demarest, NJ?

Yes. New Jersey requires a construction permit for any new construction and for work on existing buildings, including structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work8. Ordinary maintenance such as routine repair is excepted8.

Inside Demarest, the application goes to the borough's construction official, because permits under the state code are obtained through the municipal construction official1. Fees are set by the municipality by ordinance8.

Demarest is a built-out Bergen County borough, so expect to be fitting a project into an established neighborhood rather than clearing raw land.

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

Demarest has its own zoning chapter, adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Demarest2. Bergen County has no zoning authority of its own; New Jersey municipalities, not counties, zone land3.

Minimum lot area in Demarest depends on the zoning district, including Residence Districts A through D where they apply, so the answer for a given parcel is in the district's limiting schedule9. Front, rear and side yards are likewise set by the district regulations5.

We could not confirm a minimum dwelling size, lot-coverage percentage or height limit in the borough's code; ask the borough's zoning officer before you design.

How do septic permits work in Demarest?

New Jersey law bars any municipality from issuing a building permit until the board of health having jurisdiction certifies the water supply and sewerage facilities4. A septic system also has to be inspected, and permission to cover it given, before it is buried10.

Bergen County Health Services reviews septic plans for municipalities that contract with it, which the county describes as approximately 30 towns11. We could not confirm whether Demarest is one of them, so call the Bergen County Department of Health Services12 or the borough before planning a septic or well project.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Demarest?

We could not confirm a borough rule on living in an RV, trailer or tiny home in Demarest; the code has a trailers and camp cars chapter, but we did not capture an occupancy rule. Ask the borough's zoning officer before parking or occupying either.

Manufactured HUD homes in New Jersey are limited to use group R-5, single-family dwellings13. Whether a given Demarest district allows one is a zoning question for the borough2.

Building a home in Demarest: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and its lot-area and yard requirements with the borough9.
  2. Get board of health certification of the septic or water plans, if you will not be on public systems; the building permit cannot issue without it4.
  3. File the construction permit application with the borough's construction official1.
  4. Expect periodic inspections at set points such as footings, rough plumbing and electrical, and framing14.
  5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before using a new building15. An owner who builds their own home must file an affidavit with the construction official first16.

What stays with Bergen County and the state when you build in Demarest?

Septic review may sit with the county health department11, and a driveway onto a county road needs a county road-access permit, which carries a $250 fee17. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit18.

County planning review applies to subdivisions that abut a county road or drainage facility19. For land outside Demarest, see the Bergen County page.

Bergen County's typical home value is about $791,00020 and its effective property tax rate is 1.7%21.

Watch-outs

  • Starting a project before the board of health has certified septic or water plans can block the building permit4.
  • Owner-builders are excepted from builder registration only; construction permits and code compliance still apply6.
  • We could not confirm Demarest's rules on accessory apartments, short-term rentals, flood-hazard development or subdivision; ask the borough office, since zoning is set locally2.

Sources

  1. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 175: Zoning - Borough of Demarest, NJ (Borough of Demarest), quoted and re-checked
  3. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  4. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article III: Application of Regulations - Borough of Demarest, NJ (Borough of Demarest), quoted and re-checked
  6. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders, quoted and re-checked
  7. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  9. Article III: Application of Regulations - Borough of Demarest, NJ (Borough of Demarest), quoted and re-checked
  10. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  12. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
  13. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  18. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Demarest

Borough of Demarest’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Demarest borough limits.

    • The zoning chapter was adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Demarest.
    “HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Demarest 7-15-1985 by Ord. No. 596. Amendments noted where applicable.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in the applicable Demarest zoning district, including Residence Districts A through D where applicable.

    • The applicable area requirement is determined by the district Limiting Schedule.
    • A numeric district schedule was not captured in the available page text.
    “No lot shall be so reduced in area that it does not meet the area requirements or be so reduced that any required open space will be smaller than prescribed in the regulations for the district in which said lot is located.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in the Demarest zoning district where located.

    • Front, rear and side yards are controlled by the district regulations and Limiting Schedule.
    • Numeric ordinary-residential setback values were not captured in the available page text.
    “No building shall be designed, erected or altered to accommodate or house a greater number of families and/or to have a narrower or smaller front yard, rear yard or side yard than specified herein for the district in which such building is located.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Demarest or Bergen County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Demarest borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Demarest borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Demarest borough.
  • Lot coverage — Buildings and lots inside Demarest borough.
  • Building height — Buildings inside Demarest borough.
17 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Demarest publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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