Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

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

Building in the Borough of Harrington Park, Bergen County, New Jersey starts with a construction permit from the borough's own Construction Department, which enforces the State Uniform Construction Code12. The borough, not Bergen County, writes and enforces zoning34. Septic and well approvals come from the board of health having jurisdiction, which we could not confirm for the borough5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required: construction permit from the borough Construction Department under the State Uniform Construction Code12
Zoning
Set by the borough, in published zoning districts; Bergen County does not zone34
Septic
Board of health certification required before a building permit; which health office serves the borough is unconfirmed5
Subdivision
Regulated by the borough, with a county planning board review67
Owner-builder
Exempt from builder registration only; permits and code still apply8
Flood areas
Development permit required in designated flood-hazard areas9

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Harrington Park Construction Department

Construction permits, plan review and inspections under the State Uniform Construction Code inside the borough

Health department

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Septic plan review for towns that contract with the county; ask whether the borough is one of them

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 Harrington 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 Harrington Park, NJ?

Yes. New Jersey requires a construction permit before new construction or work on existing buildings, covering structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work, and ordinary maintenance is excepted210.

Inside the Borough of Harrington Park, the borough's Construction Department is the local enforcement agency for the State Uniform Construction Code1. A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 business days11. We could not confirm the borough's own permit forms or counter hours, so ask the Construction Department before you file.

Building yourself does not remove the permit: the owner-builder exception covers builder registration only8.

Who issues building permits in Harrington Park, and what do they cost?

The borough Construction Department issues them. The borough's code names a construction code official as chief administrator, with building, plumbing, electrical and fire protection subcode officials1.

The code says the current fee schedule is at the Borough Clerk's office and on the borough website12. We did not find fee amounts. State rules cap plan-review fees at between five percent and 25 percent of the construction-permit fee13.

A certificate of occupancy is required before a new building is used14. Commercial or industrial premises that are sold or re-let need a certificate of continued occupancy15.

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

Yes. Harrington Park publishes its own zoning chapter with designated districts and a zoning map3. Bergen County does not zone land: municipalities, not counties, have that authority in New Jersey4.

Lot size, setbacks, height and lot coverage vary by district under state law1617. We could not extract Harrington Park's numeric limits for each district, and we found no confirmed borough rule on RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the borough zoning officer, and name your lot's district.

Subdivisions and site plans need borough approval under its subdivision chapter6.

How do septic permits and wells work in Harrington Park?

New Jersey will not let a municipality issue a building permit until the board of health having jurisdiction certifies the water supply and sewerage plans5. The septic system must also be inspected before it is covered18.

We could not confirm which health office handles septic for the borough. Bergen County Health Services serves only the towns that contract with it19; call the Bergen County Department of Health Services at 201-634-260020 to ask whether it covers Harrington Park.

Wells need a state drilling permit, and municipal or county health officials issue the construction permit21.

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

Bergen County's own rules apply to outside-the-borough land and to county roads. A driveway onto a county road that is not under site plan review carries a $250 road-access permit fee22. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit23. The county's answers for the rest of the county are on the Bergen County page.

Check whether the lot lies in a designated flood-hazard area, where the borough requires a development permit9. Confirm sewer connection with the borough, since we could not find a connection rule24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the borough's septic authority, RV or tiny-home rules, or numeric zoning limits; ask the Construction Department and zoning officer before you buy3.
  • Owner-builders must file an affidavit with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy is issued25.
  • Bergen County's septic service covers only contracting towns, so do not assume the county health office handles Harrington Park19.

Sources

  1. Chapter 131 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  2. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 350 Zoning - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  4. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, 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 303 Subdivision and Site Plan Review - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  7. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  8. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 179 Flood Damage Prevention - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  10. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  11. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 131 Construction Codes, Uniform - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  13. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 118 Certificates of Continued Occupancy - Borough of Harrington Park, NJ (Borough of Harrington Park), quoted and re-checked
  16. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  20. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
  21. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  23. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Plumbing Subcode Regulations (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (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 Harrington Park

Borough of Harrington Park’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Harrington Park borough under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code administered by the borough Construction Department.

    • The ordinance establishes the local enforcement agency; the substantive construction standards are the State Uniform Construction Code and its regulations.
    “a State Uniform Construction Code enforcement agency”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Commercial or industrial premises inside Harrington Park borough that are sold, re-let, re-rented, or thereafter occupied by a new owner, tenant, or subtenant.

    • The quoted rule applies to commercial or industrial premises, including nonconforming uses.
    • An application must be submitted to the Construction Code Official.
    • The official reviews the application with the Fire Protection Subcode Official, Health Officer, and other subcode officials as necessary.
    “no commercial or industrial premises [...] shall be sold, re-let or re-rented and thereafter occupied [...] without [...] a certificate of continued occupancy.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and zoning-map administration inside Harrington Park borough.

    • The zoning chapter contains an article titled Zoning Districts; Zoning Map and a section designating districts and the zoning map.
    “Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map § 350-4 Designation of districts; Zoning Map.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and site-plan activity inside Harrington Park borough.

    • The chapter separately identifies approval requirements for subdivisions and site plans.
    • Detailed procedures, standards, and fees are contained in Chapter 303.
    “Article II Approval Required § 303-7 Subdivisions.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in designated flood-hazard areas inside Harrington Park borough.

    • Chapter 179 contains a dedicated permits article and a section titled permits required.
    • Applicability depends on whether the property is within a regulated flood-hazard area; the numeric flood-zone conditions were not extracted.
    “Article 104 Permits § 179-104.1 Permits required.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Construction-code permit fees for work inside Harrington Park borough.

    • The current fee schedule is maintained at the Borough Clerk's office and on the borough website.
    • No fee amount was stated in the opened code text.
    “The current fee schedule is available [...] on the Borough's website”
  • Permit processPartial

    Uniform Construction Code business and administration inside Harrington Park borough.

    • The borough may establish written day-to-day office procedures, but those procedures must comply with the Uniform Construction Code and related regulations.
    • The public generally has the right to conduct Uniform Construction Code business at one location in the borough, subject to emergencies or unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances.
    “Irrespective of any dispersal of personnel as mentioned above, the public shall have the right, unless in the case of emergencies or unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances, to do business with respect to the Uniform Construction Code at one location in the Borough of Harrington Park.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for land inside Harrington Park borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders undertaking construction inside Harrington Park borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for land inside Harrington Park borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Harrington Park borough zoning districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in Harrington Park borough zoning districts.
17 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • 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
  • 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 Harrington 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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