Bolthole Index

Monmouth County, New Jersey

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Lake Como, New Jersey

The Borough of Lake Como, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, requires a construction permit for new building work, and its own construction office issues it12. The borough also adopts and enforces its own zoning3. We could not confirm which health office handles septic permits inside the borough; the borough code does require sewer connection on a public sewer line4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough's construction office under the state Uniform Construction Code12
Zoning
Borough zoning, five districts (R-60, R-50, R-40, MF, GB)35
Minimum lot (R-60)
6,000 sq ft, 60 ft frontage6
Lot coverage
40% of lot area in the single-family districts7
Building height
30 ft flat roof, 35 ft other roofs, 2 1/2 stories8
Sewer
Connection required on a public sewer line within 30 days of notice4
Septic permits
Not confirmed for the borough; ask the construction office9
Owner-builder
Exempt from builder registration only; permit and affidavit still required1011

Who to call

Building permits

Borough of Lake Como Building & Code Department (Construction and Zoning)

Construction permits and inspections, zoning approvals and code enforcement inside Lake Como borough

732-681-3232

1740 Main Street, Lake Como, NJ 07719

Septic permits

Monmouth County Office of Public Health

Septic and well approvals for its member municipalities; ask whether Lake Como is one

732-431-7456

3000 Kozloski Rd., Freehold, NJ 07728

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 Borough of Lake Como means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Lake Como, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Borough of Lake Como adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 17 of the borough code, and no building or premises may be used or altered except in conformity with the zone it sits in3. Monmouth County does not zone land; municipal zoning controls the type and intensity of land use12.

The borough has five districts: R-60, R-50 and R-40 residential, Multi-Family (MF) and General Business (GB)5. In the single-family districts, the minimum lot area is 6,000 square feet in R-60, 5,000 in R-50 and 4,000 in R-4061314. Buildings, including accessory buildings and decks, may cover at most 40% of the lot7. Height tops out at 30 feet for flat roofs and 35 feet for other roof types, within 2 1/2 stories8.

We could not confirm Lake Como's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the borough zoning officer before you plan any of them15.

Do you need a building permit in Lake Como, and who issues it?

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for new construction and for structural, plumbing, mechanical or electrical work on existing buildings; ordinary maintenance is the exception16. Inside Lake Como, the borough acts as the State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency, so the permit comes from the borough, not from Monmouth County216.

The Building & Code Department sits in Borough Hall at 1740 Main Street and takes inspection requests by phone at 732-681-3232 ext 212, at least 24 hours ahead15.

New structures or additions with a footprint of 400 square feet or more also need two copies of a grading and drainage plan sealed by a New Jersey licensed engineer and a $500 escrow fee; the Borough Engineer reviews the plans and conducts inspections17. Zoning approval is required for many projects, separately from the construction permit15.

How do septic permits work in Lake Como, NJ?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits or inspections inside the borough, and the borough code we reviewed does not name one. New Jersey law makes the board of health having jurisdiction certify the sewerage facilities before a building permit may issue, and requires its inspection before a septic system is covered1819.

Which health department that is varies by municipality across Monmouth County: some are served by the county Office of Public Health, others by a regional or municipal health department9. Ask the borough construction office first, then the Monmouth County Office of Public Health1520.

Sewer matters more here than septic. The borough requires the owner of an occupied building on a property along a public sewer to connect within 30 days after notice4. If your lot is on the sewer line, plan on a connection, not a septic field. County soil data also rates few soils as well suited to conventional drain fields, so any septic design would likely need a site evaluation21.

Building a home in Lake Como: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and the lot, frontage and coverage rules with the borough zoning officer, and get zoning approval where required515.
  2. Settle sewer or septic with the health authority having jurisdiction before the building permit can issue18.
  3. If the footprint is 400 square feet or more, prepare the engineer-sealed grading and drainage plan and the $500 escrow17.
  4. File the construction permit application with the borough; a complete application must be released or denied within 20 business days16.
  5. Call for inspections at least 24 hours ahead as work reaches each required stage22.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before anyone uses the new building23.

An owner who builds a home for personal use is exempt from builder registration only; the permit, inspections and an owner affidavit for the certificate of occupancy still apply1011.

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

Zoning and building permits stay with the borough. The county's role is subdivision and site-plan review where county roads, drainage facilities or county property are affected, and subdivisions within Monmouth County must be submitted to its Development Review Committee24. Site plans for one- or two-family homes are expressly exempt from that committee's review25. Driveways onto a State highway need a state access permit26. Driveway and well rules inside the borough we could not confirm.

For the county's answers outside borough limits, see the Monmouth County page.

Costs and context are county-level: Monmouth County's effective property tax rate is 1.8% and the median property tax bill is $10,001 a year2728. Population density is 1,373 people per square mile29.

Watch-outs

  • The borough requires engineer-sealed grading and drainage plans and a $500 escrow for any new structure or addition of 400 square feet or more, which catches many garages and additions17.
  • A certificate of inspection is needed for property sales and rentals in the borough; ask the Building & Code Department before you list or lease15.
  • We could not confirm the septic authority, well permits, RV or tiny-home occupancy, or short-term rental rules inside Lake Como; call the borough office at 732-681-3232 before relying on any of them15.

Sources

  1. NJ DCA - The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code (2026 county census)
  2. Chapter 9: Building and Housing - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 14: Water and Sewers - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  9. Office of Public Health Consumer Public Health/Inspection Services, quoted and re-checked
  10. Builder Registration and New Home Warranty for Builders (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Monmouth County Development Regulations Volume I, quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 17: Development Regulations - Borough of Lake Como, NJ (Borough of Lake Como), quoted and re-checked
  15. Borough of Lake Como Building & Code Department (Construction and Zoning) (lakecomonj.org)
  16. The New Jersey State Uniform Construction Code — General Information, quoted and re-checked
  17. Building & Code Dept - Borough Of Lake Como (Borough of Lake Como), 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. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Monmouth County Office of Public Health (co.monmouth.nj.us)
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  22. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs consumer construction information, quoted and re-checked
  23. N.J.A.C. 5:23 Uniform Construction Code, quoted and re-checked
  24. Monmouth County Development Regulations Volume I, quoted and re-checked
  25. Monmouth County Development Regulations, Volume I — Application, Review and Approval Procedures, 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. Population density: 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 Borough of Lake Como

Borough of Lake Como’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction-code enforcement inside Lake Como borough.

    • The municipal enforcing agency administers the State Uniform Construction Code.
    “State Uniform Construction Code Enforcing Agency”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New structures or additions with a building footprint of 400 square feet or greater inside Lake Como borough.

    • Two copies of a grading and drainage plan prepared and sealed by a New Jersey licensed engineer are required.
    • A $500 escrow fee is required.
    • Plans are reviewed and inspections are conducted by the Borough Engineer.

    building footprint threshold: >= 400 square feet · escrow fee: 500 USD

    “inspections conducted by the Borough Engineer.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Lake Como borough; the borough adopts and administers zoning regulations in Chapter 17.

    • Uses and structures must conform to the regulations prescribed for the applicable zone.
    “No building or premises shall be used, and no building shall be erected or altered except in conformity with the regulations prescribed for the zone in which such buildings or premises are located.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Lake Como borough.

    • The zoning map is dated November 12, 2010 and is on file in the borough offices.
    • The code states that district standards apply to every structure, lot and use within each district.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough is hereby divided into five (5) districts as follows: 1. Residential R-60 2. Residential R-50 3. Residential R-40 4. Multi-Family MF 5. General Business: GB [...] The boundaries of these zoning districts are established on the map entitled "Zoning Map of the Borough of Lake Como, Monmouth County, New Jersey" dated November 12, 2010, which amends the zoning map dated July 21, 2009, prepared by Birdsall Engineering, Inc., accompanied by Ordinance No. 2009-832, and is hereby made part of this chapter and will also be made part of the Master Plan of the Borough of Lake Como. The map may be found on file in the Borough offices.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Off-grid sanitary disposal for occupied structures located along the line of a public sewer in Lake Como borough.

    • The property must be along the line of a public sewer.
    • After notice to connect and hook up, connection to the sewage system is required within 30 days.

    connection deadline after notice: 30 days

    “The owner of every existing house, building or structure, and the owner of every house, building or structure hereafter to be constructed or acquired, which may be occupied or used by human beings, located on a property along the line of any public sewer created pursuant to the provisions of the Sewerage Authority Law N.J.S.A. 40:14A, now or hereafter constructed or acquired in the Borough, shall, within 30 days after the date on which notice has been given to connect and hook-up, connect and hook-up the sewerage facilities emanating from such house, building or structure to the sewage system.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Houses, buildings and structures inside Lake Como borough located on a property along the line of a public sewer.

    • Connection is required within 30 days after notice to connect and hook up.
    • Industrial and commercial properties must follow rules and regulations on file with the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority.
    • The quoted provision establishes mandatory sewer connection; it does not establish a general mandatory public-water connection for every property.

    connection deadline after notice: 30 days

    “The owner of every existing house, building or structure, and the owner of every house, building or structure hereafter to be constructed or acquired, which may be occupied or used by human beings, located on a property along the line of any public sewer created pursuant to the provisions of the Sewerage Authority Law N.J.S.A. 40:14A, now or hereafter constructed or acquired in the Borough, shall, within 30 days after the date on which notice has been given to connect and hook-up, connect and hook-up the sewerage facilities emanating from such house, building or structure to the sewage system.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Lake Como

Borough of Lake Como does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-40 single-family residential district inside Lake Como borough.

    • The table also specifies 40-foot frontage, 40-foot width and 100-foot depth.

    minimum lot area: >= 4000 square feet

    “Principal Building | Minimum Requirements R-60 R-50 R-40 Lot Area | 6,000 sq. ft. 5,000 sq. ft. 4,000 sq. ft. Lot Frontage | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Width | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Depth | 100 feet 100 feet 100 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — R-60 single-family residential district inside Lake Como borough.
      “Principal Building | Minimum Requirements R-60 R-50 R-40 Lot Area | 6,000 sq. ft. 5,000 sq. ft. 4,000 sq. ft. Lot Frontage | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Width | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Depth | 100 feet 100 feet 100 feet”
    • Specified — R-50 single-family residential district inside Lake Como borough.
      “Principal Building | Minimum Requirements R-60 R-50 R-40 Lot Area | 6,000 sq. ft. 5,000 sq. ft. 4,000 sq. ft. Lot Frontage | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Width | 60 feet 50 feet 40 feet Lot Depth | 100 feet 100 feet 100 feet”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-60, R-50 and R-40 single-family residential districts inside Lake Como borough.

    • Coverage includes the principal building, accessory buildings and decks.

    maximum building area coverage: <= 40 percent of total lot area

    “Building area coverage shall be limited to a maximum of 40% of the total lot area for buildings, including the principal building, accessory buildings and decks.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in Lake Como borough, including the R-60, R-50 and R-40 residential districts.

    • Flat roofs have a maximum height of 30 feet.
    • Other roof types have a maximum height of 35 feet.
    • Buildings are generally limited to two and one-half stories.
    • For undersized-width lots, maximum height is reduced proportionally to the lot-width deficiency.

    maximum height flat roof: 30 feet · maximum height other roof: 35 feet · maximum stories: 2.5 stories (unless otherwise noted)

    “shall mean the vertical dimension of a building measured from curb grade at the center point of the street frontage or, in the absence of a curb, measured from the curb grade closest to the center point of the street frontage to the highest point of the roof. Maximum height for flat roofs shall be 30 feet and zero (0) inches and maximum height for all other roof types shall be thirty-five (35) feet and zero (0) inches. All buildings shall be a maximum of two and one-half (2 1/2) stories in height unless otherwise noted.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Lake Como or Monmouth County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders seeking an exemption from Lake Como borough construction requirements.
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles inside Lake Como borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Lake Como borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Lake Como borough.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Lake Como borough.
8 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Borough of Lake Como publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Monmouth County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Monmouth County: county rules, score and offices