Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Elmwood Park, New Jersey

The Borough of Elmwood Park, Bergen County, New Jersey issues its own construction permits through its Office of Code Enforcement1. The borough also publishes and administers its own zoning, Chapter 342. Bergen County does not zone land3. Septic and well approvals run through a board of health, and we could not confirm which one serves Elmwood Park.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough's Office of Code Enforcement under the State Uniform Construction Code14
Zoning
Borough zoning (Chapter 34); Bergen County has none23
Septic
A local or county board of health must certify sewerage facilities before a building permit issues; Elmwood Park's authority is unconfirmed56
Owner-builder
Allowed for your own new home with an affidavit filed with the construction official; permits and inspections still apply7
Certificate of occupancy
Required for new buildings before use or occupancy8
Wells
State drilling permit required; municipal or county health officials issue the well-construction permit9

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Elmwood Park Building Department (Office of Code Enforcement)

Construction permits and inspections inside Elmwood Park; call to find out whether a project needs a permit

201-796-1457 x8802

Municipal Building, 182 Market Street, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407

Health department

Borough of Elmwood Park Health Department & Registrar's Office

Local health department; first call for septic and well questions inside the borough

201-796-1457 x8809

Municipal Building, 182 Market Street, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407

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

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Do you need a building permit in Elmwood Park, NJ?

Yes. Construction, alteration, repair, enlargement or demolition of a structure, and a change of use, requires a permit under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, with limited exceptions such as ordinary maintenance4. In Elmwood Park the enforcing agency is the borough's own Office of Code Enforcement, headed by a Construction Official110. The borough's building department tells residents to call before starting any home improvement if they are unsure11. We could not confirm the borough's full application and review workflow, so ask the Building Department for its checklist.

Who issues building permits in Elmwood Park, and how do you reach them?

The Borough of Elmwood Park Building Department at Municipal Building, 182 Market Street handles construction permits inside the borough11. Do not go to the Bergen County planning offices for a building permit: New Jersey counties have no zoning authority12, and the borough, not the county, runs construction enforcement here1. New buildings also need a certificate of occupancy from the construction official before anyone uses or occupies them8.

Does Elmwood Park have zoning, and what does it mean for setbacks?

Elmwood Park has its own zoning: Chapter 34, Zoning and Site Plan Review, administered by the borough2. A use not expressly permitted in the applicable district is prohibited2. Structures must stay at least 10 feet from any right-of-way13. In R-9 and R-18 zones, corner lots need a 25-foot front setback and a 15-foot side setback13. We could not confirm district minimum lot sizes, height limits, accessory dwelling rules, tiny-home or RV rules; ask the borough zoning officer through the Building Department11.

How do septic permits work inside Elmwood Park?

New Jersey bars a building permit for a new building until the board of health having jurisdiction certifies that its water supply and sewerage facilities, including septic, meet State standards5. The borough may set higher standards than the State5. Municipal, consolidated or county boards of health can each hold that authority6. Bergen County Health Services serves only the municipalities that contract with it14, and we could not confirm Elmwood Park's arrangement. Start with the borough Health Department15.

Building a home in Elmwood Park: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Building Department to confirm the permit needed and the zoning district11.
  2. Confirm lot and setback rules under Chapter 342.
  3. Get board-of-health certification of water and sewerage before a building permit issues5; call the borough Health Department15.
  4. Obtain the construction permit from the borough's Office of Code Enforcement1.
  5. If you build for your own use, file the owner-builder affidavit with the construction official before the certificate of occupancy7.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy8.

What stays with Bergen County and the State?

Bergen County does not zone land3. A driveway or other access onto a State highway needs a New Jersey DOT access permit16. A well needs a State drilling permit, with the well-construction permit issued by municipal or county health officials9. For rules on land outside the borough, see the Bergen County page.

Watch-outs

  • Septic: we could not confirm which health authority reviews septic systems in Elmwood Park; ask the borough Health Department before relying on any plan15.
  • A builder's own-use affidavit does not replace construction permits, inspections or code compliance7.
  • Illegal two- and three-family conversions draw summonses, so confirm the legal dwelling count with the Building Department before you buy11.

Sources

  1. Chapter 10 Construction and Buildings (Borough of Elmwood Park), quoted and re-checked
  2. Borough of Elmwood Park, NJ Code of Ordinances (Borough of Elmwood Park), quoted and re-checked
  3. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  4. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 10 Construction and Buildings (Borough of Elmwood Park), quoted and re-checked
  11. Borough of Elmwood Park Building Department (Office of Code Enforcement) (elmwoodparknj.us)
  12. P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 34, Article IV General (Borough of Elmwood Park), quoted and re-checked
  14. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  15. Borough of Elmwood Park Health Department & Registrar's Office (elmwoodparknj.us)
  16. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Elmwood Park

Borough of Elmwood Park’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Elmwood Park borough through the borough's Office of Code Enforcement under the New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code.

    • The agency includes the listed municipal construction and subcode officials.
    • An on-site inspection agency may be retained by contract pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:23.
    “There is hereby established in the Borough of Elmwood Park a State Uniform Construction Code Enforcing Agency to be known as Office of Code Enforcement”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Elmwood Park borough; the borough publishes and administers Chapter 34, Zoning and Site Plan Review.

    • Uses must be permitted in the applicable zoning district.
    • Uses not expressly permitted in Chapter 34 are prohibited.
    “No structure shall be erected and no structure shall be altered nor shall any land or structure be used in any manner or for any purpose other than those included among the uses hereafter listed as permitted in the district in which such structure or land is located.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Structures and corner lots inside Elmwood Park borough, including the general right-of-way rule and specified R-3, R-9, and R-18 corner-lot rules.

    • No structure may be within 10 feet of any right-of-way.
    • For R-3 corner lots, the minimum front-yard setback is 25 feet from both streets.
    • For R-9 and R-18 corner lots, the minimum front-yard setback is 25 feet from the front lot line and the side-yard setback is 15 feet.
    • The source states that front, side, and rear yard provisions and minimum lot-width requirements also apply.

    general right-of-way setback: >= 10 feet · R-3 corner front-yard setback: >= 25 feet (from both streets) · R-9 and R-18 corner front-yard setback: >= 25 feet (from the front lot line) · R-9 and R-18 corner side-yard setback: >= 15 feet

    “In the R-9 and R-18 Zones have a minimum front yard setback of 25 feet from the front lot line and a side yard setback of 15 feet.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Construction-permit administration inside Elmwood Park borough.

    • The borough has an Office of Code Enforcement headed by a Construction Official.
    • The code identifies municipal building, plumbing, electrical, and fire subcode officials.
    • The opened material did not provide the complete application and review workflow.
    “The Construction Official shall be the chief administrator of the Enforcing Agency.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permit requirements for construction inside Elmwood Park borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from construction permitting or code requirements inside Elmwood Park borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Elmwood Park borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings and uses inside Elmwood Park borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Elmwood Park borough.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Building height
  • 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
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Elmwood Park publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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