Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Edgewater, New Jersey

Building in the Borough of Edgewater, Bergen County, New Jersey requires a construction permit from the borough's construction official under the state Uniform Construction Code1. Edgewater adopts its own zoning, with its code dividing the borough into 18 zone districts2. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the borough; ask the borough Board of Health.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new construction and most alterations; ordinary maintenance is excepted1
Who issues it
Edgewater's own construction official, under the state code3
Zoning
Set by the borough, in 18 zone districts2
Subdivision
Apply to the borough Planning Board before conveying any part of the land4
RV or trailer living
Sleeping or living in a trailer or camp car on private property is barred5
Septic
State rules require health-department plan approval; Edgewater septic authority not confirmed6
Owner-builder
State builder-registration exception for a home built for your own use; permits still apply7

Who to call

Building permits

Edgewater Building Department (Construction Official)

Construction permits and code enforcement inside the Borough of Edgewater

201-943-1700

asopelsa@edgewaternj.org

55 River Road, Edgewater, NJ 07020

Health department

Edgewater Public Health Department (Bergen County Department of Health Services inspector)

Local health office; the first call for any septic or well question inside the borough

201-943-1700

916 River Road FL 2 Edgewater, NJ 07020

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 Edgewater means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Edgewater have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Borough of Edgewater sets its own zoning: its code divides the borough into 18 zone districts2. Bergen County does not zone land at all, because New Jersey gives that authority to municipalities8. The borough's district rules, not the county's, decide what you can build on a lot.

Living in a trailer is not an option on private land: Edgewater's code bars using a trailer or camp car as a dwelling or sleeping place, even while it is stored or under repair5. We could not confirm a specific Edgewater rule on tiny homes, so ask the borough Building Department before planning one9.

Do you need a building permit in Edgewater, and who issues it?

Yes. New Jersey requires a construction permit for new construction and for work on existing buildings, including structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work, with an exception for ordinary maintenance3. Applications are processed by the local enforcing agency, which in Edgewater is the borough's construction official109.

If the lot is in a flood hazard area, Edgewater also requires an application to the borough's Floodplain Administrator before any development, in addition to the building permit where the work involves a building or structure11.

Who do you call about building permits and zoning in Edgewater?

Call the Edgewater Building Department at 55 River Road, which lists a Construction Official and building sub-code official9. The borough also publishes its zoning maps and Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment pages on its own website.

Subdivisions go to the Planning Board, and site plans go to the Planning Board or the Board of Adjustment; site-plan approval comes before construction permits and certificates of occupancy where it applies12. Bergen County reviews subdivisions too, but its approval is limited to those touching a county road or county drainage facility13.

How do septic permits work in Edgewater?

We could not confirm who reviews septic systems inside Edgewater, or whether any lot in the borough is allowed to use one. State rules say the health department with jurisdiction must approve a septic plan before the construction official issues a building permit6. Bergen County's health department serves roughly 30 contracting towns, not every municipality14.

The borough's Public Health Department page lists a Bergen County Department of Health Services health inspector at 916 River Road15. Call that office before assuming public sewer or a septic system.

Building a home in Edgewater: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zone district with the borough Building Department and zoning maps29.
  2. If you are dividing land, apply to the Planning Board before conveying title to any part of it4.
  3. Check flood hazard status and, if needed, apply to the Floodplain Administrator11.
  4. Confirm sewer or septic with the health office15.
  5. File for a construction permit with the construction official3.
  6. Schedule the staged inspections the state code requires, such as footings, rough plumbing and electrical, and framing16.

What stays with Bergen County, and what to check before you buy

Bergen County's own rules cover its roads and drainage, not the borough's zoning. A driveway onto a county road may need a county road-access permit17. Inside Edgewater, a driveway serving off-street parking in a B-1 side yard must be at least 12 feet wide18.

Plan for cost: Bergen County's typical home value is about $791,11619 and its median property tax bill is about $10,001 a year20. For land outside the borough, see the Bergen County guide.

Watch-outs

  • Septic and well rules inside Edgewater were not confirmed; ask the borough Public Health Department before assuming a septic system or private well is allowed15.
  • A permit-free owner-builder path is not confirmed for Edgewater: the state's exception covers builder registration for a home you build for your own use, not construction permits7.
  • Minimum dwelling size, accessory dwelling units and short-term rental rules in Edgewater were not confirmed; ask the Building Department9.

Sources

  1. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Table of Contents - Borough of Edgewater, NJ (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  3. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article V: Administration, Enforcement and Fees - Borough of Edgewater, NJ (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  5. Borough of Edgewater, NJ Trailers (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  6. Bulletin 79-7: Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  7. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders, quoted and re-checked
  8. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  9. Edgewater Building Department (Construction Official) (edgewaternj.org)
  10. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Edgewater, NJ Permits (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article V: Administration, Enforcement and Fees - Borough of Edgewater, NJ (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  13. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  14. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  15. Edgewater Public Health Department (Bergen County Department of Health Services inspector) (edgewaternj.org)
  16. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  18. Schedule X-2 District Regulations (Borough of Edgewater), quoted and re-checked
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: 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 Edgewater

Borough of Edgewater’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Edgewater borough.

    • Chapter 240 contains Article IX Zoning Provisions and a zoning district schedule.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough of Edgewater is hereby divided into 18 zone districts as follows:”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Temporary camping or sleeping in a trailer or camp car on Edgewater private property.

    • Repairs or storage are exceptions to parking restrictions, but dwelling or sleeping use is expressly barred during that exception.
    “Any such trailer or camp car undergoing repairs or being stored shall not, during such period of repairs or storage, be used by any person as a dwelling or sleeping place.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision or resubdivision of land inside Edgewater borough.

    • Application must precede conveyance of legal or equitable title to the subdivision or any part thereof.
    “Any owner of land lying within the Borough shall, prior to subdividing or resubdividing of land as defined in this chapter, and before conveying legal or equitable title to such subdivision or any part thereof, apply to the Planning Board for review and approval of the subdivision plat pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in a flood hazard area inside Edgewater borough.

    • Depending on the nature and extent of development involving a building or structure, a floodplain development permit or approval may be required in addition to a building permit; applications must identify and describe the development and site, state intended use and occupancy, include site and construction documents, grading/filling plans and other requested information, state valuation, and be signed.

    permit commencement deadline: <= 180 days (Written extensions may be granted for periods no more than 180 days each.)

    “Any person, owner or authorized agent who intends to conduct any development in a flood hazard area shall first make application to the Floodplain Administrator and shall obtain the required permit.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Edgewater development applications, including subdivision, site-plan, variance, conditional-use, and related review applications.

    • Application charges are flat, cover direct administrative expenses, and are not refundable; additional professional, publication, resolution, transcript, and inspection fees may apply.

    sketch plat fee: 50 USD · minor subdivision plat fee: 100 USD · major subdivision preliminary fee: 100 plus 25 per lot USD · major subdivision final fee: 50 plus 25 per proposed lot USD · site-plan inspection fee: 2.5 percent of estimated improvement cost · subdivision inspection fee: 5 percent of estimated improvement cost

    “Sketch plat for classification/concept plan | $50 Minor subdivision plat | $100 Major subdivision/preliminary | $100 plus $25 per lot Major subdivision/final | $50 plus $25 per proposed lots”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Development applications and construction permits inside Edgewater borough.

    • Subdivision applications go to the Planning Board; site plans go to the Planning Board or Board of Adjustment as provided by statute; site-plan approval precedes applicable construction permits and certificates of occupancy.
    “Subdivisions. Any owner of land lying within the Borough shall, prior to subdividing or resubdividing of land as defined in this chapter, and before conveying legal or equitable title to such subdivision or any part thereof, apply to the Planning Board for review and approval of the subdivision plat pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Edgewater

Borough of Edgewater does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Driveway accessLimited

    A B-1 district side yard used as access to off-street parking in Edgewater borough.

    • No side yard is required except where it abuts a residential district or is used as access to off-street parking; in the latter case the driveway must be at least 12 feet wide.

    minimum driveway width: >= 12 feet (B-1 side yard used as access to off-street parking)

    “If such side yard is used as access to off-street parking, such driveway shall not be less than 12 feet in width.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders seeking exemption from construction permitting or code requirements in Edgewater borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Edgewater borough residential districts.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Edgewater borough.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Edgewater borough.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Edgewater borough.
8 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals

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 Edgewater publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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