Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Montvale, New Jersey

Building in the Borough of Montvale, Bergen County, New Jersey takes a construction permit from the borough's construction official under the state Uniform Construction Code1. Montvale adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance2. Septic systems and water supply are certified by the borough's Board of Health, not the county3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough construction official1
Zoning
Borough zoning ordinance, Chapter 400 of the borough code2
Septic
Borough Board of Health certifies sewage facilities3
New R-5 construction fee
$0.060 per cubic foot, $250 minimum4
Certificate of occupancy
Needs written Board of Health sewage approval first5

Who to call

Building permits

Montvale Building and Construction (Construction Official)

Building permits, subcode permits and inspections inside Montvale

(201) 391-5732

12 DePiero Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645

Zoning

Montvale Zoning and Land Use (Zoning Officer)

Zoning permits, the zoning map and the limiting schedule

(201) 391-5732

12 DePiero Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645

Septic permits

Borough of Montvale (Board of Health)

Main borough line; ask for the Board of Health Sanitary Inspector about septic and water-supply certification

201-391-5700

12 DePiero Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645

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

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Does Montvale, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Borough of Montvale zones its own land: structures and improvements must conform to the restrictions in the Limiting Schedule of the borough's zoning chapter2. The borough's zoning page says Chapter 400 of the Borough Code contains its zoning regulations6. Bergen County does not zone for its municipalities7.

Lot size, setbacks, home size and height are set district by district, so the answer for a given parcel depends on its zone in the limiting schedule8. We could not confirm borough rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwelling units or short-term rentals; ask the Montvale Zoning Officer before you plan any of them.

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

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair and demolition1. In Bergen County those permits are obtained through the municipal construction official, so inside Montvale the borough's Building and Construction office issues them9.

New Jersey's code applies statewide, and the borough's fees are due before a permit is issued4. For new Residential Use Group R-5 construction the building subcode fee is $0.060 per cubic foot, with a $250 minimum4. The borough's forms page lists a zoning permit application alongside the construction permit application.

How do septic permits work inside Montvale?

Montvale's Board of Health enforces the borough's sewage and water-supply chapter3. A written application with plans, sewage-facility locations and potable-water sources must be filed for a realty improvement10.

The order matters: the Board of Health must certify the proposed water supply and sewage facilities before a construction permit issues and before construction begins11. At the end, no certificate of occupancy issues for a new dwelling until the Sanitary Inspector approves the sewage disposal system in writing5.

Bergen County Health Services handles septic plan review only for municipalities that contract with it, so confirm with Montvale which office reviews your plans12.

Building a home in Montvale: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Montvale Zoning Officer which zoning district the parcel is in and what the limiting schedule allows2.
  2. File the written sewage and water-supply certification with the Board of Health10.
  3. Get Board of Health certification before applying for or starting construction11.
  4. Pay fees and obtain the construction permit from the construction official4.
  5. Pass the required inspections at each construction stage13.
  6. Obtain written Board of Health sewage approval, then the certificate of occupancy5.

What stays with Bergen County and the state in Montvale?

The county's role in Montvale is narrow. A subdivision must be submitted to the County Planning Board for review, though approval is required only when it affects a county road, drainage facility or county-owned property14. A driveway onto a State highway needs a state access permit15.

For land outside the borough, see the Bergen County page. Bergen County's median property tax bill is $10,001 a year, an effective rate of 1.7%1617.

Watch-outs

  • Montvale zoning is set by its own ordinance and limiting schedule, and we could not confirm rules on owner-builders, accessory dwelling units, RV or tiny-home occupancy; ask the Zoning Officer before you buy2.
  • The Board of Health must certify sewage and water supply before construction starts, and we could not confirm a separate well-permit or mandatory public-sewer rule; ask the Board of Health11.
  • A driveway onto a State highway needs a state permit, which is separate from any borough approval15.

Sources

  1. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 400 Zoning, Article I General Provisions (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 461 Sewage Disposal and Water Supply (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 170, Article III Permits and Fees (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 461 Sewage Disposal and Water Supply (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  6. Montvale Zoning and Land Use (Zoning Officer) (montvalenj.gov)
  7. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
  8. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 461 Sewage Disposal and Water Supply (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 170, Article III Permits and Fees (Borough of Montvale), quoted and re-checked
  12. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
  13. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  15. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  17. 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 Montvale

Borough of Montvale’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    A completed dwelling or place of business inside Montvale borough using a new sewage disposal system.

    • The sewage disposal system must be approved by the Sanitary Inspector of the Board of Health.
    • Written approval must be obtained before the certificate of occupancy is issued.
    “No certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the office of the Building Subcode Official for any completed dwelling or place of business until such time as the sewage disposal system of such new dwelling or place of business shall have been approved by the Sanitary Inspector of the Board of Health and his written approval obtained.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Montvale borough.

    • The ordinance is titled the Comprehensive Revised Montvale Zoning Ordinance, Revision of 1975.
    “Structures and improvements erected, constructed or altered within the Borough of Montvale shall be located on the lot, designated and constructed in conformity with the restrictions set forth in the Limiting Schedule of this chapter of the Borough of Montvale.”
  • Who permits septicLocal

    Sewage disposal and water-supply certification inside Montvale borough.

    • The Borough Board of Health enforces the chapter.
    • The Sanitary Inspector of the Board of Health approves sewage disposal systems for certificates of occupancy.
    “Authority for the enforcement of this chapter shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 199, Public Laws 1954, and the whole or any part thereof may be enforced at any time should it be deemed necessary by the Board of Health.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    A realty improvement inside Montvale borough requiring sewage facilities.

    • A written certification application is required.
    • The application must include plans, sewage-facility locations, potable-water sources, percolation/test-pit information when required, and other listed engineering data.
    • Commercial and industrial realty improvements receive special Board of Health consideration.
    “The application for certification for one or more realty improvements fronting on any street, existing or proposed, shall be made in writing”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Construction permits and related building-code fees inside Montvale borough.

    • Fees are paid before permit issuance.
    • Fees are rounded to the nearest dollar.
    • For new Residential Use Group R-5 construction, the building subcode fee is $0.060 per cubic foot, with a $250 minimum.

    new R-5 construction fee: 0.06 USD per cubic foot (minimum fee $250) · new R-5 construction minimum fee: 250 USD

    “New construction for Residential Use Group R-5: $0.060 per cubic foot of building or structure volume.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Construction and realty-improvement permit processing inside Montvale borough.

    • Construction-permit fees must be paid before permit issuance.
    • For a realty improvement, Board of Health certification of proposed water-supply systems and sewage facilities is required before permit issuance and before construction begins.
    • The sewage certification application is written and must include the listed plans and engineering information.
    “nor shall construction of any realty improvement be begun until the Board of Health of this Borough shall have certified that the proposed water supply systems and sewage facilities for said realty improvement or improvements are in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Montvale borough.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Montvale borough.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Montvale borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Montvale borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Montvale borough.
7 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Montvale publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Bergen County: county rules, score and offices