Building permits, zoning and land rules in Highlands, New Jersey

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction and covered work; issued locally under the state Uniform Construction Code¹

Zoning

Borough zoning with 18 districts²

Certificate of occupancy

Required for all new construction⁴

RV living

Prohibited outside a licensed trailer camp³

Sewer and water

Connection required within 30 days when service is within 600 feet⁵

Owner-builder

Registration exemption for building your own home; permit and affidavit still required⁶⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 13, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Highlands, NJ?

Yes. Inside the Borough of Highlands, a construction permit is required for new construction and for structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work on existing buildings; ordinary maintenance and routine repair are exceptions¹. The permit is issued by the borough's own enforcing agency under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code⁸. Once a complete application is filed, the agency must approve or deny it within 20 business days⁹.

Building your own home does not remove the permit. New Jersey exempts a person who builds a new home for personal use from builder registration, but a construction permit is still required, and a certificate of occupancy cannot be issued until the owner files a Department of Community Affairs affidavit⁶⁷.

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

The Highlands Department of Buildings & Housing issues construction permits and runs inspections for the borough¹⁰. Call 732-872-1224 or visit 151 Navesink Avenue, Highlands, NJ 07732¹⁰. Monmouth County does not issue the permit; the code is enforced by municipally employed, state-licensed officials¹¹.

New construction must pass inspections at set stages, and work must stop at specified points so inspectors can check footings, rough plumbing and electrical, and framing¹². A certificate of occupancy is required for all new construction⁴.

Does Highlands have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The borough divides itself into 18 zone districts, including single-family residential, multifamily residential, mobile-home, business and waterfront districts². The Zoning Department requires a zoning permit application, filed on the borough's construction portal, in addition to any construction permit¹³. Lot size, setbacks, height and lot coverage depend on the district, so ask the Zoning Officer which district a parcel is in before you buy¹⁴.

Parking a trailer coach anywhere other than a licensed trailer camp is prohibited, and a trailer camp needs a license from the mayor and council³¹⁵. Mobile homes fall under the same licensed-camp framework and applicable zoning districts¹⁶. We could not confirm a borough rule on tiny homes or accessory dwelling units; ask the Zoning Officer.

How do septic permits work in Highlands?

New Jersey requires the board of health with jurisdiction to certify a proposed septic system before a building permit issues, and to inspect it before it is covered¹⁷¹⁸. We could not confirm which health department handles septic approvals inside Highlands, so ask the borough's Department of Buildings & Housing or the Monmouth County Office of Public Health, which serves only its member municipalities¹⁹.

Sewer matters more here than septic: property within 600 feet of borough sewer or water must connect within 30 days after service is available, using a licensed borough plumber⁵. We could not confirm a borough rule for private wells.

Building a home in Highlands: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Zoning Officer which district the parcel is in and what it allows¹³.
2. File a zoning permit application on the borough's construction portal¹³.
3. Confirm sewer and water connection requirements for the lot⁵.
4. File a construction permit application with the Department of Buildings & Housing; a decision is due within 20 business days of a complete application⁹.
5. Schedule the required inspections as work proceeds¹².
6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in⁴.

What stays with Monmouth County, and what to check before you buy in Highlands

Monmouth County reviews subdivisions and some site plans that affect county roads or drainage; one- and two-family residential site plans are expressly exempt from that county review²⁰. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit²¹. For land outside the borough, see the Monmouth County page.

Before buying, confirm the zoning district, sewer availability and flood exposure with the borough's Department of Buildings & Housing, which also handles floodplain development permits¹⁰. Monmouth County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%²².

Watch-outs

• Trailer coaches may not be parked or occupied in Highlands outside a licensed trailer camp, so living in an RV on a lot is not allowed³.
• A zoning permit is separate from the construction permit, and work can need both¹³.
• We could not confirm the septic authority, private-well rules, short-term rental rules or driveway rules inside the borough; call the Department of Buildings & Housing before relying on any of them¹⁰.

Sources

1. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
2. Article XIV Establishment of Districts (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
3. Chapter 12 Trailers (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
4. ecode360.com (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
5. Chapter 9 Water and Sewer (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
6. N.J.A.C. 5:25 — Regulations Governing New Home Warranties and Builders' Registration, quoted and re-checked
7. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Chapter 10 Buildings and Housing (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
9. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
10. Highlands Department of Buildings & Housing (highlandsnj.gov)
11. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code — General Information, quoted and re-checked
12. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code information (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
13. Highlands Zoning Department (Zoning Officer) (highlandsnj.gov)
14. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Chapter 12 Trailers (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
16. Chapter 12 Trailers (Borough of Highlands), quoted and re-checked
17. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), 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. Office of Public Health Consumer Public Health/Inspection Services, quoted and re-checked
20. Monmouth County Development Regulations, Volume I — Application, Review and Approval Procedures, quoted and re-checked
21. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. 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.