Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Washington Township, New Jersey

At a glance

Zoning

Township ordinance (Chapter 580) with Class AA, B and BB residential districts¹⁴

Building permit

Required; issued through the township's construction code enforcing agency²⁵

Septic

Health department approval is required before a building permit; which office handles it here is unconfirmed⁶

Sewer

Connection required where public sewer is installed in the street⁷

Owner-builder

Owner may build a home for personal use; the state requires an affidavit before a certificate of occupancy⁸

Minimum lot (Class B)

7,500 square feet, 95 feet deep⁹

Who to call

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

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

Yes. Washington Township adopts its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 580 of the township code, with a Zoning Board of Adjustment¹. Bergen County sets no zoning for the township; in New Jersey municipalities, not counties, zone land³.

Rules differ by district, so find your parcel's district first.

• Class B: minimum lot area 7,500 square feet and depth 95 feet⁹; front and rear yards of at least 20 feet and side yards of at least 10 feet¹⁰; buildings up to 20% of the lot and impervious cover up to 40%¹¹; principal buildings up to 28 feet and 2 1/2 stories¹².
• Class BB: minimum lot area 18,000 square feet and depth 150 feet¹³; front yard 40 feet, rear yard 50 feet and side yards 15 feet¹⁴; impervious cover up to 33%¹⁵; principal buildings up to 30 feet¹⁶.
• Class AA: minimum lot area 21,780 square feet and depth 150 feet¹⁷.

The township also has planned single-family and townhouse districts and affordable-housing overlays⁴. We could not confirm minimum dwelling size, accessory dwellings or tiny-home rules; ask the zoning officer.

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

Yes. New construction and work on existing buildings need a construction permit under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, with ordinary maintenance excepted⁵. Washington Township has its own State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency, with building, plumbing, electrical and fire protection subcode officials². Applications go to the township's construction official, not to Bergen County¹⁸.

A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 business days⁵. Fees are set by the township by ordinance⁵; we could not confirm the township's fee schedule. Call the township office on 201-664-4404¹⁹.

How do septic permits work in Washington Township?

Under state law, no building permit may be issued for a home using septic until the board of health with jurisdiction certifies the sewerage facilities⁶. The septic system must also be inspected before it is covered²⁰.

We could not confirm which health office handles septic plans inside Washington Township. Bergen County Health Services reviews septic plans only for the towns that contract with it²¹, so ask the township office and the county health department whether the township is one of them²².

Sewer matters too: where public sewer is installed in the street, occupied structures must connect at the owner's cost, and septic tanks are abandoned once sewer becomes available⁷. Check whether sewer reaches the lot you are looking at.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Washington Township?

We could not confirm. The township's RV, camping, tiny-home and accessory-dwelling rules were not found, and New Jersey leaves such use rules to municipal zoning²³. Manufactured HUD homes are limited statewide to single-family use²⁴. Ask the Washington Township zoning officer in writing before you plan on living in anything other than a permitted dwelling.

Building a home in Washington Township: the steps, in order

1. Find the parcel's zoning district and confirm lot size, setbacks and coverage with the township zoning officer¹.
2. Get septic or sewer approval from the health department with jurisdiction⁶.
3. File a construction permit application with the township's enforcing agency².
4. Expect inspections at the footing, rough plumbing and electrical, and framing stages²⁵.
5. If you build for your own use, file the owner-builder affidavit before a certificate of occupancy is issued⁸.

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

Bergen County does not zone land or issue building permits for the township³. The county reviews subdivisions and site plans that touch county roads or drainage²⁶, and charges a road-access permit fee for a driveway on a county road²⁷. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit²⁸.

The county page covers land outside the township: Bergen County. Floodplain rules in the township code were not reviewed, so ask about flood zones before closing.

Watch-outs

• Zoning dimensions vary by district, and the township amended its Class B, BB and AA standards in 2024⁹.
• We could not confirm who handles septic approval inside Washington Township; confirm with the township office and Bergen County Health Services before relying on a lot for a septic system²¹.
• Several Washington Townships exist in New Jersey (Bergen, Morris, Warren, Gloucester); make sure you are dealing with the Bergen County township, ZIP 07676¹⁹.

Sources

1. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 175 Construction Codes, Uniform (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
3. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Site Plans, quoted and re-checked
4. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
5. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
6. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 385 Sewers, Art. I Sewer Connections and Use (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
10. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
11. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
12. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
13. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
14. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
15. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
16. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Art. V Class B District (and Class BB, §§ 580-27.1 to 580-27.7) (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
17. Township of Washington NJ Code, Ch. 580 Zoning, Class AA District and overlay districts (Washington Township), quoted and re-checked
18. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
19. Township of Washington municipal offices (construction official and zoning officer) (twpofwashington.us)
20. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
22. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
23. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
25. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, New Home Warranty—Consumer Information (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
26. Bergen County Standards for Sustainable Land Development—Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
27. Fee Schedule for Site Plan Application, quoted and re-checked
28. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), 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.