Bolthole Index

Bergen County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Ridgewood, NJ

The Village of Ridgewood, New Jersey requires a building permit for construction inside village limits, issued by its own Department of Building and Inspections12. Ridgewood adopts and enforces its own zoning, not Bergen County34. Septic approval comes from a board of health, which we could not pin down for Ridgewood5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required, issued by the Village Building Department21
Zoning
Village zoning by zone district; Bergen County does not zone34
Zoning permit decision
10 business days after a complete application6
Septic
Board of health certifies the plan before a building permit; which office serves Ridgewood is unconfirmed5
Owner-builder
Exempt from builder registration, not from permits; an affidavit is needed for the certificate of occupancy78
Floodplain
Flood hazard area development needs Floodplain Administrator approval9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Ridgewood Building Department

Building permits under the Uniform Construction Code and local zoning review inside Ridgewood

201-670-5500 Ext. 5506

131 N Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Septic permits

Bergen County Department of Health Services

Septic plan review for municipalities that contract with the county; confirm whether Ridgewood does

201-634-2600

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

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Do you need a building permit in Ridgewood, NJ?

Yes. Building permits are required for construction inside the Village of Ridgewood and are administered under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code2. A statewide rule says a permit is needed for new construction and for work on existing buildings, with ordinary maintenance excepted10.

Ridgewood adds local conditions. A grading and stormwater plan is required before a permit for development that increases impervious surface by 200 square feet or more, and flood-hazard-area or site-plan approvals may have to come first2. No permit issues until all required state, county and local approvals are in place11.

A new building needs a certificate of occupancy before anyone uses it12.

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

The Village of Ridgewood runs its own State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency, the Department of Building and Inspections, with a Construction Official and subcode officials1. The Building Department says it enforces the Uniform Construction Code and local zoning regulations13.

The office is at 131 N Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, and its listed phone is 201-670-5500 Ext. 550613. Bergen County does not issue Ridgewood's building permits; the county's role is limited to planning review of subdivisions and site plans that touch county roads or drainage14.

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

Yes. Ridgewood's land use chapter allows land and buildings to be used only for purposes the code permits in the zone district where they sit3. Bergen County does not zone; New Jersey leaves zoning to municipalities4.

Lot size, setbacks, height and lot coverage are set district by district under state law1516. We could not confirm the numbers for Ridgewood's residential districts, so ask the Ridgewood Building Department for the zone district and its dimensional standards before you buy13.

A zoning permit application needs the Village form, the fee set in the fee chapter, and plans; the Zoning Officer issues or denies it within 10 business days of receipt6. A new lot may not create a yard that fails the zone's requirements17.

How do septic permits work in Ridgewood?

New Jersey requires the board of health with jurisdiction to certify the sewerage facilities before any building permit issues5. A septic system also cannot be covered until a board of health representative inspects it and gives permission18.

Bergen County Health Services serves approximately 30 contracting towns, not every municipality19. We could not confirm which health department handles Ridgewood septic plans, or what the village's septic permit rules say, so ask the Ridgewood Building Department first and the county health department second1320.

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

We could not confirm. Ridgewood's code regulates storage of camping trailers and recreation vehicles, but we found no passage that settles whether anyone may live in one on a lot. We also found no Ridgewood rule that addresses tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the Ridgewood Building Department's zoning staff in writing before you plan on either13.

Building a home in Ridgewood: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Building Department which zone district the lot is in and what it allows13.
  2. Confirm zoning compliance; the Zoning Officer decides a zoning permit within 10 business days6.
  3. Get any site-plan, subdivision or flood-hazard approvals that must come first2.
  4. If the home uses septic, get board of health certification of the plan before the building permit5.
  5. File for the construction permit with the Building Department2.
  6. Build with the required inspections, including footing trenches and rough plumbing and electrical before framing is covered21.
  7. Obtain the certificate of occupancy; an owner who built the home must file an affidavit with the construction official8.

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

Outside Ridgewood's rules, the county's role is narrow: subdivisions go to the County Planning Board for review, with approval needed only when a county road or drainage facility is involved14. A driveway onto a county road carries a $250 road-access permit fee22. Land outside the village is covered on the Bergen County page.

Check flood status first: development in a flood hazard area needs an application to the Floodplain Administrator, possibly in addition to a building permit9. Bergen County's typical home value is about $791,116 and its effective property tax rate is 1.7%2324.

Watch-outs

  • Ridgewood's septic rules and the health department that serves the village could not be confirmed; ask before you rely on a septic plan5.
  • Living in an RV or tiny home, accessory dwellings and minimum home size inside Ridgewood are unconfirmed; ask the Building Department13.
  • Being an owner-builder exempts you from builder registration, not from building permits or inspections7.

Sources

  1. Chapter 125 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Ridgewood), quoted and re-checked
  2. ecode360.com (Village of Ridgewood), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 190 Land Use and Development (Village of Ridgewood), 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. Article X Zoning (Village of Ridgewood), 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. Article IV Permits, Floodplain Management (Village of Ridgewood), quoted and re-checked
  10. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  11. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Village of Ridgewood Building Department (ridgewoodnj.net)
  14. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
  15. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Article X Zoning (Village of Ridgewood), 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. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  24. 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 Village of Ridgewood

Village of Ridgewood’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building construction and development inside Ridgewood village.

    • Building permits are administered under N.J.A.C. 5:23-1 et seq.
    • Plans and intended uses must conform to Village requirements or be legally nonconforming or covered by a valid current variance.
    • A grading and stormwater plan is required before permits for development increasing impervious surface by at least 200 square feet.
    • Flood-hazard-area and site-plan or subdivision approvals may be required first.

    impervious surface increase threshold: >= 200 square feet (Before issuance of a building permit for applicable development)

    “Building permits shall be required and shall be administered in accordance with the requirements of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-1 et seq., adopted pursuant to the State Uniform Construction Code Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Ridgewood village through the Village's State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency.

    • The enforcing agency operates under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code and applicable state qualifications.
    “There is hereby established in the Village of Ridgewood a State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency to be known as the "Department of Building and Inspections," consisting of a Construction Official, Building Subcode Official, Plumbing Subcode Official, Electrical Subcode Official, Fire Protection Subcode Official and such other subcode officials for such additional subcodes as the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, State of New Jersey, shall hereafter adopt as part of the State Uniform Construction Code.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Use or occupancy of land or buildings inside Ridgewood village when the applicable provisions require a certificate of occupancy.

    • No permit may issue until applicable Village, state, board, council, and site-plan requirements are satisfied.
    “The use or occupancy of land or buildings shall require the issuance of building, zoning or other permits and/or certificates of occupancy in accordance with the following provisions:”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside the Village of Ridgewood.

    • Uses and construction must conform to the regulations for the applicable zone district and other applicable Village regulations.
    “No land or premises may be used and no building or structure may be erected, raised, moved, extended, enlarged, altered or used for any purpose other than a purpose permitted by this chapter for the zone district in which the land, premises, building or structure is located.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and new-lot formation inside Ridgewood village.

    • A subdivision may not impair applicable zoning requirements.
    • A new lot must not create front-, side-, or rear-yard noncompliance.
    “Whenever a new lot is formed from a part of any other lot or lots, the assembly or separation shall be effected in such a manner as not to impair any of the requirements of this article. No subdivision shall be permitted which results in a change in a front, side or rear yard that fails to comply in every respect with the required provisions of the zone in which it falls.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in a flood hazard area inside Ridgewood village.

    • Application must be written on the Floodplain Administrator's form.
    • The application must identify the development and land, state intended use and occupancy, include site and construction documents, state valuation, and be signed.
    • A floodplain development permit or approval may be required in addition to a building permit.

    permit commencement deadline: 180 days (Permit becomes invalid if development is not commenced; written extensions may be granted)

    “Any person, owner or authorized agent who intends to conduct any development in a flood hazard area shall first make application to the Floodplain Administrator and shall obtain the required permit. Depending on the nature and extent of proposed development that includes a building or structure, the Floodplain Administrator may determine that a floodplain development permit or approval is required in addition to a building permit.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Development and zoning applications inside Ridgewood village.

    • The applicable fee is specified in Chapter 145 or the applicable fee schedule; exact building and septic amounts were not extracted.
    “An application for a zoning permit shall include a completed application form obtained from the Zoning Officer, the application fee specified in Chapter 145 and all plans and other information necessary to determine compliance with the applicable zoning regulations.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning-permit applications inside Ridgewood village.

    • Applications require the Village form, fee, plans, and other information needed to determine compliance.
    • The Zoning Officer issues or denies a zoning permit within 10 business days after receipt.
    • Site-plan, subdivision, or conditional-use approval must precede issuance when required.

    zoning permit decision period: 10 business days (After receipt of the application)

    “An application for a zoning permit shall include a completed application form obtained from the Zoning Officer, the application fee specified in Chapter 145 and all plans and other information necessary to determine compliance with the applicable zoning regulations. Such plan information may, at the discretion of the Zoning Officer, be required to include a current survey. The Zoning Officer shall issue or deny a zoning permit within 10 business days of the receipt of an application therefor.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Ridgewood village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Ridgewood village.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Ridgewood village.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Ridgewood village.
  • Building height — Residential districts inside Ridgewood village.
11 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Village of Ridgewood publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bergen County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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