Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

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

The Borough of Fairview, New Jersey adopts its own zoning map and requires a zoning permit before building or changing a use12. Construction permits come from the Fairview Building Construction Enforcing Agency under the state Uniform Construction Code34. Septic permits are a board-of-health matter, and we could not confirm which health office covers Fairview5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new construction and most work on existing buildings; issued by the borough's construction official43
Zoning
Borough zoning with 10 districts; a zoning permit comes first12
Septic
Board of health approval required; which health office covers Fairview is unconfirmed5
Short-term rentals
Prohibited for stays of 30 days or less6
Owner-builder
Exempt from builder registration, not from permits; an owner affidavit is needed for the certificate of occupancy78
Construction permit fee
$0.025 per cubic foot of new construction, $75 minimum9

Who to call

Building permits

Fairview Building Construction Enforcing Agency (Construction Official)

Construction permits and certificates of occupancy inside Fairview

Zoning

Fairview Zoning Officer (administrative officer)

Zoning permits inside Fairview

Health department

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Reviews septic plans for towns that contract with the county; confirm whether Fairview does

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

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Does Fairview, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Fairview zones its own land. The borough divides itself into 10 zone districts, from low-density single-family R-A through multi-family, business and industry districts1. The zoning map and the district use and dimensional schedules are part of the borough code10.

Bergen County does not zone; New Jersey gives zoning power to municipalities11. Lot size, setbacks, height and lot coverage therefore depend on the district your parcel sits in12.

The published districts include no agricultural or rural-residential district, so Fairview is a built-out residential and commercial borough rather than a place for acreage. In the R-A and R-B zones, a driveway that does not lead to a garage or carport on a residential lot is prohibited13. Whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed we could not confirm; ask the borough Zoning Officer.

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

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for new construction and for work on existing buildings, including structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work; only ordinary maintenance is excepted4. Inside Fairview, the Fairview Building Construction Enforcing Agency, headed by the Construction Official, administers that code3.

Fairview publishes its fees: $0.025 per cubic foot for new construction, $25 per $1,000 of estimated cost for renovation, alteration or repair, and a $75 minimum permit fee, all paid before the permit is issued9. The Construction Official may also require an escrow of up to $5,000 for Borough Engineer review of plans9.

A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 business days14. Fairview's website was not reachable for us, so call the borough clerk's office for the construction office's phone and hours.

Does Fairview require a zoning permit and a certificate of occupancy?

A zoning permit is required before a use or occupancy change and before any building or structure is erected, altered, converted, relocated or installed2. The Zoning Officer generally issues or denies it within 7 days unless site-plan approval is needed2.

Fairview also requires an occupancy permit before a dwelling or structure is occupied, rented, leased or changed in use; transfers between immediate family members and purchases for demolition are exempt15. A temporary certificate may cover minor violations that are corrected within 45 days15. The one- or two-family certificate of occupancy fee is $759.

Fairview prohibits renting a dwelling unit for 30 days or less, while longer rentals are not barred by that chapter6.

How do septic permits work in Fairview?

New Jersey requires the board of health with jurisdiction to certify a septic or water supply plan before any building permit can issue, and it must inspect the system before it is covered516. Fairview's own code pages did not name the responsible septic authority, so we could not confirm whether the borough's health officer or Bergen County handles it.

Bergen County Department of Health Services reviews septic plans only for the towns that contract with it17. Call the department at 201-634-260018 and ask whether it serves Fairview. Sewer connection rules appear in Fairview's code, but we could not confirm when a property must connect.

Building a home in Fairview: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district with the Fairview Zoning Officer and obtain a zoning permit2.
  2. If the property uses septic, get the board of health's certification of the plan before the construction permit5.
  3. File the construction permit application with the Construction Official and pay the fees9.
  4. Build with the required inspections, which stop work at the footing, rough plumbing and electrical, and framing stages19.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in15; an owner who built or did work on the home files an affidavit with the construction official first8.

What stays with Bergen County (and what to check before you buy)?

Outside Fairview, Bergen County does not zone land and municipalities set the rules11. The county reviews subdivisions and site plans that touch county roads or drainage, and charges a $250 road-access fee for a residential driveway onto a county road20. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit21. For land beyond the borough line, see the Bergen County page.

Bergen County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%22 and its typical home value is about $791,00023. The county's population density is about 4,114 people per square mile24.

Watch-outs

  • Statewide, municipal or county health officials issue private-well construction permits after a DEP drilling permit25; Fairview's code pages did not state a well, RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule, so ask the Zoning Officer before relying on any of them1.
  • Fairview repealed its former floodplain chapter in 2025 and we could not confirm the replacement requirements; ask the Construction Official if the parcel is low-lying2.
  • Parts of ten Bergen County municipalities lie in the Meadowlands District where the NJSEA zones; confirm your parcel is not in it26.

Sources

  1. Article XII Zoning Provisions - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article XII Zoning Provisions - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  3. Fairview Building Construction Enforcing Agency (Construction Official) (ecode360.com)
  4. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, 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. Chapter 30 Short-Term Rental Property - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  7. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders (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. Chapter 11 Building and Housing - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article XII Zoning Provisions - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  11. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  12. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article XII Zoning Provisions - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), quoted and re-checked
  14. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  15. Article XII Zoning Provisions - Borough of Fairview, NJ (Borough of Fairview), 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. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  18. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
  19. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  21. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  24. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Bergen County Master Plan: Public Facilities and Services, 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 Fairview

Borough of Fairview’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy, rental, lease, sale-related occupancy, or changed use of dwellings and structures inside Fairview borough.

    • The code provides exemptions for transfers between immediate family members and purchases specifically for demolition.
    • A temporary certificate may be issued for minor violations that are remedied within 45 days; it is unavailable when substantial violations exist.

    temporary certificate correction period: 45 days (minor violations only)

    “shall first obtain from the Borough of Fairview an occupancy permit”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Fairview borough; the Borough adopts and administers its own zoning districts and zoning map.

    • The zoning map is incorporated into Chapter 25 as Appendix C.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough of Fairview is hereby divided into 10 zone districts as follows: R-A | Low Density Single Family Residential District R-B | Moderate Density One and Two Family District R-C | Medium Density Three to Six Family District R-D | Medium Density Garden Apartment District R-E | Senior Housing R-F | High Density High Rise Residential District B | General Business B-1 | Central Business District B-2 | Business Residential I | Industry”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and district classifications inside Fairview borough.

    • The zoning map is incorporated into Chapter 25 Appendix C; district dimensional and use schedules are in Appendix D.
    “The location and boundaries of the districts are hereby established on the Zoning Map of the Borough of Fairview contained in Appendix C at the end of this chapter. The map or maps and all notations, reference and designations shown thereon shall be, as such, a part of this chapter as if the same were fully described and set forth herein.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Residential lots in Fairview borough's R-A and R-B zones.

    • Driveways that do not lead to a garage or carport are prohibited on residential lots in these zones.
    “Driveways that do not lead to a garage or carport on residential lots in the R-A and R-B zones are prohibited.”
  • Short-term rentalsProhibited

    Dwelling-unit rentals for 30 days or less inside Fairview borough.

    • Rentals for more than 30 days are not prohibited by this chapter.

    maximum prohibited rental period: <= 30 days (the chapter states that otherwise lawful occupancy for more than 30 days is not prevented)

    “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Borough Code, it shall be unlawful for an owner, lessor, sublessor, any other person(s) or entity(ies) with possessory or use right(s) in a dwelling unit, their principals, partner or shareholders, or their agents, employees, representatives and other person(s) or entity(ies), acting in concert or a combination thereof, to receive or obtain actual or anticipated consideration for soliciting, advertising, offering, and/or permitting, allowing, or failing to discontinue the use or occupancy of any dwelling unit, as defined herein, for a period of 30 days or less.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Construction permits and certificates of occupancy inside Fairview borough.

    • Fees are paid before issuance.
    • The Construction Official may require an escrow fee of up to $5,000 for Borough Engineer review of an application and plans.

    new construction fee: 0.025 USD per cubic foot of volume · renovation/alteration/repair fee: 25 USD per $1,000 estimated cost · minimum construction permit fee: 75 USD · one- or two-family residential certificate of occupancy fee: 75 USD · maximum possible Borough Engineer escrow: <= 5000 USD (application and plans review)

    “New construction (per cubic foot of volume) | $0.025”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning and construction-permit administration inside Fairview borough.

    • A zoning permit is required before specified uses, changes, construction, alteration, conversion, relocation, or installation.
    • The Zoning Officer generally issues or denies within seven days, unless site-plan approval is required.
    • Construction-permit fees must be paid before issuance.

    zoning permit decision period: 7 days (site-plan approval may extend timing)

    “Prior to the commencement of a use, change of use or change of occupancy, and prior to the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, relocation or installation of a building or structure, a zoning permit shall be obtained from the administrative officer.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permit requirement for new residential construction inside Fairview borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from construction permitting inside Fairview borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Fairview borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Fairview borough residential districts.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on land inside Fairview borough.
13 more unanswered
  • 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
  • Building in a floodplain

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

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