Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hillsdale, New Jersey

The Borough of Hillsdale, in Bergen County, New Jersey, adopts and enforces its own zoning chapter1. Building permits are required for new construction and most work on existing buildings, and they come from the borough's construction official23. Bergen County does not zone land4. Septic approval comes from the board of health having jurisdiction, which we could not confirm for Hillsdale5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough construction official under the state Uniform Construction Code23
Zoning
Yes, the Borough of Hillsdale adopts and enforces its own zoning districts; Bergen County does not zone164
Septic
Needs approval from the board of health having jurisdiction before a building permit issues; confirm which one with the borough5
Permit fee
$0.040 per cubic foot for residential buildings, plus plan review7
Building height (R-1)
35 feet in the R-1 Residential district8
RV or trailer stays
Visitors only, up to seven days, in the driveway of the home visited9
Owner-builder
Exempt from builder registration, not from permits or inspections10

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Hillsdale Building, Construction & Zoning Department

Building permits, construction inspections and zoning review for properties inside the Borough of Hillsdale

201-722-2612

380 Hillsdale Avenue Hillsdale, NJ 07642

Health department

Borough of Hillsdale Board of Health

The borough's board of health; call to confirm who reviews septic plans and well permits for a Hillsdale lot

201-666-4800

380 Hillsdale Avenue Hillsdale, New Jersey 07642

Septic permits

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Reviews septic engineering plans for municipalities that contract with the county; ask whether Hillsdale 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 Hillsdale means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Hillsdale, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, setbacks and RVs?

Yes. The Borough of Hillsdale has an adopted land-use and zoning chapter that applies to land inside the borough1, and the borough is divided into zoning districts shown on a zoning map6. Bergen County has no zoning of its own, because New Jersey gives that power to municipalities4.

Dimensions depend on the district. In the R-1 Residential district, building height is limited to 35 feet8. Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and minimum dwelling size are set district by district in the borough's Schedule of Uses and Requirements, which we could not confirm figures from1112. Ask the Hillsdale zoning official for the table covering your lot3. Tiny homes and accessory dwellings are also unconfirmed, so ask before you plan one.

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

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for any new construction and for work on existing buildings, including structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work; routine maintenance is excepted2. In Hillsdale, the application goes to the borough's construction official at the Building, Construction & Zoning Department3.

The borough charges $0.040 per cubic foot for residential buildings, and new residential structures also pay a certificate-of-occupancy fee7. A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 business days13. Work in a flood-hazard area needs a separate floodplain permit under the borough's floodplain chapter14.

How do septic permits work inside Hillsdale?

New Jersey law bars any building permit for a structure that needs septic until the board of health having jurisdiction certifies the sewerage plan5. The septic system must also be inspected by the board's representative before it is covered15.

We could not confirm whether Hillsdale's own board of health or the Bergen County Department of Health Services reviews septic plans for a Hillsdale lot. The county does septic plan review only for the towns that contract with it16. Call the Hillsdale Board of Health first17, then the county health department18. Note that much of Bergen County is on public sewer19, so many Hillsdale lots may connect to sewer instead.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Hillsdale?

Hillsdale limits trailers and camp cars to visitation: occupancy may not exceed seven days, the trailer must be parked off the street in the driveway of the improved lot of the home visited, and the Hillsdale Police Department must be notified beforehand9. That rule covers a guest's stay, not living in an RV on your own lot while you build.

We could not confirm any borough rule on tiny-home occupancy. A manufactured HUD home in New Jersey is limited to use group R-5, single-family dwellings20; ask the zoning official whether the district allows one.

Building a home in Hillsdale: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the zoning official which district your lot is in and what the Schedule of Uses and Requirements allows63.
  2. Get septic or sewer approval from the board of health having jurisdiction before a building permit can issue5.
  3. File the construction permit application with the borough construction official and pay the borough fee73.
  4. Schedule inspections as work proceeds, including footings and rough plumbing and electrical before framing is covered21.
  5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in22. An owner-builder must file an affidavit with the construction official first23.

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

Bergen County does not zone or issue building permits inside Hillsdale. The county reviews subdivisions that touch a County road or drainage facility24, and a driveway onto a County road carries a $250 road-access permit fee25. A driveway onto a State highway needs a state access permit26.

Building in New Jersey as your own home does not exempt you from permits; the owner-builder exception covers builder registration only10. For taxes, Bergen County's effective property tax rate is about 1.7%27. For land outside Hillsdale, see the Bergen County page.

Watch-outs

  • Hillsdale's own septic authority, well permits and zoning dimensions (minimum lot size, setbacks, dwelling size) are unconfirmed: call the Hillsdale Board of Health and zoning official before you plan173.
  • A building permit cannot issue until the board of health certifies the septic or water plan5.
  • Visitor trailers are limited to seven days and require police notice; that is not permission to live in an RV on your lot9.

Sources

  1. Chapter 310 Land Use - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  2. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  3. Borough of Hillsdale Building, Construction & Zoning Department (hillsdalenj.org)
  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. Article XII Zones Established - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 138 Fees - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article XIII Use Schedule - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 276 Trailers and Camp Cars - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  10. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders, quoted and re-checked
  11. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 154 Floodplain Management - Borough of Hillsdale, NJ (Borough of Hillsdale), quoted and re-checked
  15. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  17. Borough of Hillsdale Board of Health (hillsdalenj.org)
  18. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
  19. Bergen County Department of Health Services - Environmental Health (2026 county census)
  20. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  25. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  26. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. 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 Hillsdale

Borough of Hillsdale’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Uniform construction codes administered in Hillsdale borough.

    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Hillsdale 12-28-1976 as Ord. No. 76-19 (Ch. 7A of the Revised Ordinances of 1972). Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hillsdale borough; the Borough has an adopted land-use and zoning chapter.

    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Hillsdale 1-31-1977 by Ord. No. 77-1 (Ch. 12A of the Revised Ordinances of 1972). Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Hillsdale borough.

    • The zoning map is incorporated into Chapter 310 and district boundaries are governed by § 310-52.
    “For the purpose of this Part 4, the Borough of Hillsdale is divided into the following districts:”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Building height in the R-1 Residential zoning district inside Hillsdale borough.

    maximum building height: 35 feet

    “Building Height in all R-1 zone shall be 35 feet.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Temporary trailer or camp-car occupancy for visitation inside Hillsdale borough.

    • Temporary occupancy may not exceed seven days.
    • The trailer or camp car must be parked off the street and in the driveway of the improved lot of the home visited.
    • Prior notification must be provided to the Hillsdale Police Department.

    maximum temporary occupancy: <= 7 days (visitation purposes)

    “Temporary occupancy not to exceed seven (7) days of a trailer or camp car shall be permitted for visitation purposes”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in Hillsdale borough flood-hazard areas.

    • The floodplain chapter was adopted by Ordinance No. 25-20 on 2025-06-17.
    • The code contains an Article IV titled Permits and a section titled Permits required.
    “Article IV Permits § 154-29 Permits required.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Construction and occupancy permit fees inside Hillsdale borough.

    • Fees are paid before permit issuance.
    • Borough permit fees may not be less than the amounts in N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.20.

    residential building permit fee: 0.04 USD per cubic foot (new buildings and additions) · plan review fee: 20 percent (included in building subcode fee for new construction, additions or renovations) · new residential structure certificate-of-occupancy fee: 10 percent (minimum $150)

    “The building permit fee shall be $0.040 per cubic foot of volume for residential buildings and structures”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Hillsdale borough.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Hillsdale borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hillsdale borough.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Hillsdale borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Hillsdale borough.
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • 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
  • 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 Hillsdale publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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