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

Willingboro Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Rear and side yard fences built in Willingboro township.

  • The permit is issued by the township department of inspections after payment of the permit fee and submission of a scaled sketch of the property with fence plans.
  • Applies only to fences; general building permit requirements for other construction were not located.

  “fences shall be erected or constructed in the rear and/or side yard only as hereinafter provided and only after a permit for same has been obtained from the township department of inspections.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Willingboro township's limits: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 370 Zoning) with zone districts, a zoning map and a schedule of area, yard and height requirements.

  • Zone districts listed in § 370-4 are R-1, R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-2, R-3, A-1, B-1, B-2, B-3 and I-1 residential, business and industrial districts.
  • The zoning map is dated July 13, 2009 under § 370-5 and is on file in the township offices.
  • The eCode360 index lists zoning amendments Ord. No. 2026-14 (2026-05-05) and Ord. No. 2026-20 (2026-07-07) to Chapter 370; the text of those amendments was not opened.
  • Dimensional limits are set by the schedule attached at the end of Chapter 370 (§ 370-7), which was not located on the pages opened.

  “for the purpose of this chapter, the township of willingboro is divided into the following zone districts: r-1 residential district”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zone districts for land inside Willingboro township's limits under Chapter 370 Zoning, § 370-4.

  • The district list is published in § 370-4; the zoning map is referenced in § 370-5 and an interactive zoning map is linked from the eCode360 page.
  • District dimensional limits are in the schedule attached to Chapter 370 (§ 370-7), not located on the pages opened.

  “for the purpose of this chapter, the township of willingboro is divided into the following zone districts: r-1 residential district r-1a restricted residential district r-1b planned unit residential development district”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Willingboro township on a street where a municipal sanitary sewer is constructed after June 7, 1965 (in that street or in an easement on or adjacent to the lot), when the building is used for human habitation or occupancy, or for commercial, industrial or institutional purposes.

  • Connection is required within 60 days after completion of the sewer and upon proper notification as required by law; the owner must make the connection and install the toilet.
  • Connections must use transite pipe up to five feet from the building and cast-iron pipe from that point into the building, per the township plumbing code.
  • If the owner fails to connect, the township may make the connection and assess the cost against the property (§ 291-3 d).

  connection deadline after sewer completion: 60 days (after completion of a sewer built after June 7, 1965 and upon proper notification as required by law)

  “shall be connected with and thereafter remain connected to the sewer within 60 days after completion of the sewer and upon proper notification thereof as required by law”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Sewer (with conditions) — Buildings inside Willingboro township on a street where a municipal sanitary sewer was constructed (in that street or in an easement on or adjacent to the lot) before June 7, 1965, when the building is used for human habitation or occupancy on a permanent or temporary basis.

    “shall, within 30 days after june 7, 1965, be connected with and remain connected to the sewer by the owner of the building”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Willingboro Township or Burlington County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Willingboro township.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Willingboro township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Willingboro township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the R-1 Residential District inside Willingboro township.
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the R-1 Residential District inside Willingboro township.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Willingboro Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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