Bordentown Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In the Township of Bordentown (not the separate City of Bordentown), UCC permits come from the Construction Office at the Municipal Building, 1 Municipal Drive (609-298-2800, ext. 3), where Bob Salmons is the Construction Official. A $35 zoning permit from the Community Development Office comes first. Construction fees are set by Ordinance 2023-15 (section 260-18 of the Township Code), in effect since January 1, 2024: alterations to a house cost $30 per $1,000 of construction cost up to $50,000 on the building subcode, plus any trade fees. Inspections must be called in by 3 p.m. for the next day.

What requires a building permit in Bordentown Township?

The township’s Construction page puts it simply: apply for a permit before any construction or remodeling begins, and expect one for anything other than ordinary maintenance as the Uniform Construction Code defines it. Minor work under the UCC still needs a permit but may start once the office has been notified. The office lists the jobs that typically need permits:

The Community Development Office also posts handouts for patios and impervious surfaces, sheds and private garages, and pools, plus separate applications for storage pods and trash containers, temporary signs, soil removal and telecommunications work in the right-of-way.

What Bordentown Township decides and what the state holds

The technical code is the state’s. Bordentown Township sets its own construction fees (Chapter 260), zoning and land development rules, fire prevention rules (Chapter 274), and the house-numbering rule for 9-1-1 addresses (section 200-7). Its Construction Office states that it also covers UCC permits for Bordentown City and Fieldsboro; DCA’s roster shows the same Construction Official for Fieldsboro but lists DCA itself in every Bordentown City post, so City owners should confirm the office before filing. In 2026 the township is re-examining its Master Plan.

Bordentown Township building department: who handles permitting

The Construction Office in the Municipal Building issues all UCC permits for the township. Bob Salmons is the Construction Official and also serves as building subcode official, plumbing subcode official and fire inspector; separate officials hold the electrical and fire protection subcodes, with a building inspector and two technical assistants. On DCA’s roster (as of September 2, 2026) the township holds every post except elevators, where the Department of Community Affairs is the elevator subcode official. Zoning permits come from the Community Development Office, whose Zoning Officer also handles code enforcement.

Bordentown Township permit types

Applications use the state’s UCC permit forms, linked from the Construction page: the construction permit jacket with a technical section for each trade. While the township’s online permit portal is down, applications are taken in person at the Construction Office, by mail to 1 Municipal Drive, or with help by phone at ext. 3.

Residential permits

• Decks and raised patios are priced by size: $100 up to 100 square feet, $200 from 101 to 200, $300 above that, counting stairs and landings; the schedule also lists covered porches and decks under volume-based new construction, so ask which rate applies to a roofed deck.
• Sheds, gazebos and carports from 200 to 300 square feet cost $65 and from 301 to 400 square feet $130; larger ones are priced as new construction or alteration.
• Pools: $105 above-ground, $225 in-ground, $65 for a hot tub or spa, and $75 for a pool-barrier fence; electrical bonding and equipment for a residential pool add $100.
• Roofs and siding: a flat $65 for townhouse and duplex roofing and for polypropylene siding; other roofing is priced as an alteration.
• Solar: $175 on the building side for a house, plus an electrical fee that starts at $100 for systems up to 12 kW.
• Rentals: the township’s Construction page tells landlords of pre-1978 rental units to have lead-safe visual inspections done (it gives a July 22, 2025 date) and points them to its partner inspection firm.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

New buildings are priced by volume ($0.038 per cubic foot for most use groups, $0.032 for single-story storage and factory buildings), and alterations at $35, $30 and $25 per $1,000 across the same cost bands used for houses. Before a business moves into space, the Zoning Officer must confirm the use is permitted (Proposed Business in Bordentown Worksheet), then the Construction Official inspects the space for a Commercial Tenancy Change Approval: $180 for 5,000 square feet or less, $250 above that, under Ordinance 2020-06. Sprinklers, alarms, hood systems and commercial kitchen exhaust have their own fire protection fees.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning permit. Bring two scaled copies of the property survey and details of the work to the Community Development Office with the $35 fee (check or money order). Appeals of the Zoning Officer’s decision use the township’s appeal form.
• Planning Board. Variances, site plans and subdivisions go to the Planning Board, which generally meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays at the Municipal Building; call ext. 2002 for forms and dates.
• County review. County roads in the township include Bordentown-Chesterfield Road (528), Burlington-Bordentown Road (662), Farnsworth Avenue and Georgetown Road (545) and Old York Road (660); the Burlington County Engineer’s office in Mount Laurel (856-642-3700) maintains them, and the County Planning Board, which reviews development under its Land Development Review Resolution, meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays.
• Soil. Soil removal needs the township’s own application, and disturbing more than 5,000 square feet needs a soil erosion plan certified by the county soil conservation district.

Bordentown Township permit costs and fees

Construction fees are set by Ordinance 2023-15, which amended section 260-18 of the Township Code; it was adopted on December 4, 2023 and took effect on January 1, 2024. The minimum fee is $65 for each subcode, and the state surcharge under N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19 is added.

Worked example from the schedule: a $40,000 kitchen and bath renovation in a single-family house falls in the first band, so the building subcode fee is 40 × $30, or $1,200; plumbing, electrical and mechanical fees for the same job are added per fixture or device, along with the state surcharge. The schedule’s plan review note sets a prototype plan review fee at 20% of a new construction permit fee. The certificate of occupancy fee is paid before the certificate is issued, on top of the permit fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Trade work goes on the technical sections of the same UCC application. In Bordentown Township the Construction Official also acts as plumbing subcode official, and separate officials review electrical and fire protection work; DCA handles elevators. Each trade has its own inspections: electrical (rough, trench, slab, bonding, service, above-ceiling and final), plumbing (rough, slab, gas pressure test, fuel oil or LPG piping, water service, sewer, fuel-fired appliances, pool drain, backflow and final) and fire (rough, hydrostatic tests, fire pump, fireplace venting, hood wet tests and final alarm and suppression tests).

• State licenses: electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors are licensed by the state.
• Contractor registration: New Jersey has no general-contractor license; home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs and new-home builders with DCA. Owners doing work on their own home are exempt from registration.
• Changing contractors: a new contractor on an open permit costs $65 per subcode.

How to apply for a Bordentown Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each subcode official reviews their section, and under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 the office must approve or deny a complete application within 20 business days. Revisions to plans already released are billed at $95 an hour on non-residential jobs. With the online portal down, a mailed package that is missing a survey, a trade section or a zoning approval has to make another round trip, so call ext. 3 before mailing. A permit that lapses can be reinstated for $50 per subcode.

Inspections and certificates in Bordentown Township

Call ext. 2121 (or ext. 3) with the permit number, address and type of inspection; calls must come in by 3 p.m. to be scheduled for the next day, and no inspection is done without the released plans on site. Building inspections follow the township’s list: footings and forms before concrete, block walls at mid-point, the foundation before backfill, open deck framing before decking, sheathing, framing after the electrical, plumbing and fire roughs are approved, trusses, insulation, pool steel or collar, and the final. A house certificate of occupancy costs $75.

Resale and change of occupancy. Before a house is sold or rented, or an apartment changes tenants, the owner requests a Certificate of Conformity from the Construction Department at least 10 business days ahead. A fire inspector from the fire district (District 1, Mission, for blocks 1 to 61; District 2, Derby, for block 62 and up) checks smoke alarms on every floor, carbon monoxide alarms within 10 feet of sleeping areas, a 2A:10BC extinguisher within 10 feet of the kitchen, and the 9-1-1 house number. Open permits and violations must be closed first, and certificates are valid for 60 days. The form lists $100 for a house resale or rental ($65 re-inspection) and $80 for an apartment in an apartment complex ($55 re-inspection), paid by exact cash or check. Ordinance 2026-13, adopted September 28, 2026, raised the township’s fire prevention inspection fees (the minimum went from $25 to $72), so confirm the current resale amount before you pay.

New Jersey building code in Bordentown Township

Bordentown Township enforces the Uniform Construction Code through its own Construction Office, with DCA covering elevators. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Bordentown Township (community 340088) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps effective December 21, 2017.

New Jersey has one Uniform Construction Code for every municipality; the town supplies the enforcing agency, the fee ordinance and the zoning approvals. New Jersey rules

Bordentown Township permit search and official resources

Property history reports for residential properties come straight from the Construction Department by e-mail and do not need an Open Public Records Act request. Other records go to the Township Clerk on the OPRA form, by e-mail, in person or by mail to 1 Municipal Drive; the township notes that requests are answered within seven business days. Water and sewer records sit with the Bordentown Water Utility (609-298-2121) and the Bordentown Sewerage Authority (609-291-9105).

• Bordentown Township Construction Office
• Construction fee schedule, Ordinance 2023-15 (effective January 1, 2024)
• Required inspections
• Resale and change of occupancy certificate application
• Zoning and code enforcement forms
• Community Development and Planning Board
• Commercial tenancy change approval
• Ordinance 2026-13, fire prevention fees
• Records requests
• DCA construction permit forms
• Burlington County roads by municipality
• Burlington County Engineering
• DCA roster of local construction offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Bordentown Township building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a home renovation?

$30 per $1,000 of construction cost up to $50,000 on the building subcode ($1,200 for a $40,000 job), less per $1,000 above that, plus trade fees and the state surcharge; the minimum is $65 per subcode.

Do I need a zoning permit?

Yes, before a building permit for sheds, fences, decks, additions, porches, pools, signs and patios: $35, with two scaled copies of your survey.

Can I apply online?

Not while the online portal is down; bring or mail applications to the Construction Office, or call ext. 3 for help.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 609-298-2800, ext. 2121 or ext. 3, by 3 p.m. for the next day, with the permit number, address and inspection type.

What do I need to sell or rent a house?

A Certificate of Conformity: request it 10 business days ahead; a fire inspector checks smoke and CO alarms, the extinguisher and the house number.

Does the township issue permits for Bordentown City?

The township’s Construction page says it covers Bordentown City and Fieldsboro, but DCA’s roster lists DCA for Bordentown City; confirm before filing there.

How much does a deck permit cost?

$100 up to 100 square feet, $200 from 101 to 200, and $300 above that, counting stairs and landings.

Simplify Bordentown Township permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Jersey. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bordentown Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.