Building permits, zoning and septic rules in South Hackensack Township, New Jersey

At a glance

Building permit

Required; issued by the township's Building Department under the state Uniform Construction Code²⁶

Zoning

Yes, a township zoning ordinance with several districts¹⁷

A District minimum lot

5,000 sq ft with 50 ft of frontage⁸

A District setbacks

25 ft front, 25 ft rear, 5 ft per side⁹

Septic

Health department approval required; County Health Services serves contracting towns¹⁰⁴

Owner-builder

Exempt from builder registration, but still needs permits and an owner affidavit¹¹¹²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does South Hackensack Township, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. South Hackensack Township divides itself into districts under its own zoning chapter, and the township, not Bergen County, writes the rules¹. The districts are A, B, C, M, MII, SCR and an affordable-housing overlay, shown on a zoning map dated 1986⁷. New Jersey counties have no zoning power of their own, so the township ordinance is the one that decides your lot¹³.

In the A District (one- and two-family residential), the minimum residential lot is 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of frontage⁸. Required yards are 25 feet in front, 25 feet in the rear and 5 feet on each side, with 12.5 feet for both sides combined⁹. Buildings and accessory structures may cover 40% of the lot, and total lot coverage is capped at 60%¹⁴. Height is capped at 2.5 stories and 28 feet¹⁵.

Parts of the township sit inside the Hackensack Meadowlands District, where the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority handles regional planning and zoning, so check which regime your parcel falls under¹⁶.

Do you need a building permit in South Hackensack Township, and who issues it?

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a permit before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, renovation or demolition begins, and ordinary maintenance is the main exception². Bergen County does not issue these; the municipal construction official does⁶.

In South Hackensack, the township's own Building Department is the office to call, at (201) 440-1815³. Bring a zoning check with you: for an owner-occupied one- or two-family addition or alteration, zoning approval must be in place before plan review proceeds¹⁷. Inspections are periodic, and work must stop at set points such as footing trenches and rough plumbing and wiring so the inspector can see them¹⁸.

We could not confirm the township's own permit fee schedule; ask the Building Department. The state requires the plan-review fee to be between five and 25 percent of the construction-permit fee¹⁹.

How do septic permits work in South Hackensack Township?

Septic is handled by a board of health, not the building department. New Jersey requires the board of health having jurisdiction to certify the sewerage facilities before a building permit can issue and before construction begins¹⁰. The board of health must also inspect a septic system before it is covered²⁰.

Bergen County Department of Health Services reviews septic plans and oversees installations for municipalities that contract with it⁴. Call 201-634-2600 to confirm it covers your address²¹. Most of Bergen County is on public sewer, so a septic system is the exception here⁵. Where public sewer is available and an old septic or well is no longer suitable, local sewer-connection rules may require hooking up²². We could not confirm the township's own sewer-connection rules.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in South Hackensack Township?

We could not confirm a township rule on RV occupancy, camping or tiny homes, and the township's zoning ordinance for residential districts does not appear to address them. Do not assume they are allowed. Ask the township Zoning Officer through the Building Department at (201) 440-1815 before you park or place anything on a lot³.

If you are considering a manufactured home, New Jersey limits HUD homes to single-family dwellings and puts installation oversight with the federal government²³. The township's zoning ordinance still decides whether one can sit on your lot.

Building a home in South Hackensack Township: the steps, in order

1. Confirm your district and the lot, setback and coverage limits with the township Zoning Officer through the Building Department³.
2. If your parcel touches the Meadowlands District, ask whether regional zoning applies¹⁶.
3. Get septic or sewer sign-off from the health department having jurisdiction before the building permit is issued¹⁰.
4. Apply to the Building Department for the construction permit².
5. Schedule inspections at each required stage¹⁸.
6. If you are your own builder, file the owner affidavit with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy can issue¹².

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

The county does not zone or issue building permits inside the township¹³. Bergen County review applies only when a subdivision touches a county road, a county drainage facility or county property²⁴. A driveway onto a county road not covered by site-plan review carries a $250 road-access permit fee²⁵. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit²⁶. For the county's wider picture, see the Bergen County page.

Cost context, at the county level: Bergen County's effective property tax rate is 1.7% and the median bill is $10,001 a year²⁷²⁸. Home value is typically $791,116²⁹.

Watch-outs

• Parts of South Hackensack lie in the Hackensack Meadowlands District, where the NJSEA runs regional planning and zoning, so confirm which rules apply to your parcel¹⁶.
• The township's zoning chapter was last published through December 2022, and a 2026 amending ordinance was noticed but not confirmed as adopted, so ask the Zoning Officer for the current text¹.
• Owner-builder status exempts you from builder registration only; permits, inspections and code compliance still apply³⁰.
• We could not confirm the township's permit fees, RV or tiny-home rules, or flood-zone requirements; ask the Building Department at (201) 440-1815³.

Sources

1. Township of South Hackensack, NJ Code (eCode360) - table of contents (South Hackensack Township), 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. South Hackensack Township Building Department (southhackensacknj.org)
4. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
5. Bergen County Department of Health Services - Environmental Health (2026 county census)
6. City of Hackensack - Building, Housing & Land Use (2026 county census)
7. Chapter 208 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map - Township of South Hackensack (South Hackensack Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 208 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map - Township of South Hackensack (South Hackensack Township), quoted and re-checked
9. Chapter 208 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map - Township of South Hackensack (South Hackensack Township), quoted and re-checked
10. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders (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. P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Chapter 208 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map - Township of South Hackensack (South Hackensack Township), quoted and re-checked
15. Chapter 208 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts; Zoning Map - Township of South Hackensack (South Hackensack Township), quoted and re-checked
16. Bergen County Master Plan: Public Facilities and Services, quoted and re-checked
17. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
22. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Plumbing Subcode Regulations (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (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
28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
29. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
30. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 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.