Burlington Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In the Township of Burlington (separate from the City of Burlington), construction permits come from the Department of Licenses and Inspections in the Municipal Building, 851 Old York Road (609-239-5847). Harry Case is the Construction Official and also the building inspector and electrical subcode official. Most outdoor projects need a $50 zoning permit with a copy of the property survey before the UCC application, and every house, townhouse or condo that is sold or rented needs a township certificate of occupancy inspection, $100, with heater and chimney certifications.

What requires a building permit in Burlington Township?

The UCC exempts ordinary maintenance from permits, and minor work may start once the office is notified; everything else needs an issued permit. Licenses and Inspections asks owners to call before starting anything they are unsure about, and lists the common cases:

The township also reminds owners that state consumer rules (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2) require final inspections before a contractor receives final payment.

What Burlington Township decides and what the state holds

Construction standards are the state’s, and the township notes that the codes its department enforces are minimum standards set by New Jersey. What the township sets locally is its zoning (Chapter 330), its land development rules (Article VIII on affordable housing was amended by Ordinance 2026-OR-006, adopted March 10, 2026), its housing inspection program for sales and rentals, its lead-based paint inspection fees (Ordinance 2023-OR-028), registration of vacant and abandoned properties (with separate forms for properties in foreclosure and not in foreclosure), and its tree removal and replacement rules (Ordinances 2024-OR-015 and 2024-OR-033).

Burlington Township building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Licenses and Inspections is the township’s construction office and also runs housing inspections, zoning and property maintenance. Harry Case is the Construction Official, building inspector and electrical subcode official; a separate official covers plumbing, and another the fire protection subcode. DCA’s roster (as of September 2, 2026) shows the township holding every post except elevators, where the Department of Community Affairs is the elevator subcode official. One inspector serves as Housing Inspector, Zoning Officer and Property Maintenance Inspector.

Burlington Township permit types

Every construction permit starts with the state F100 jacket, downloaded from DCA’s forms page, plus the technical sections the job needs. The township’s 2024 Permit Application Checklist spells out the package for common jobs.

Residential permits

• Decks: F100, building section (F110), zoning permit, a property survey showing the deck, and two sets of detailed plans.
• Additions: F100 with building and electrical sections, plumbing and fire sections if needed, a zoning permit, the survey and two complete sets of plans. Additions also trigger smoke alarm upgrades: hardwired, interconnected alarms with battery backup on every story when the addition is 5% to under 25% of the largest floor, and alarms throughout at 25% or more.
• Pools: building and electrical sections, plumbing for in-ground pools, a fire section for an enclosed pool heater, a zoning permit, survey, equipment specifications and two sets of plans.
• HVAC, boilers and water heaters: the manufacturer’s installation manual, an electrical section, the mechanical section for a house, Manual J or D reports for air conditioning, and the chimney verification form (F370) for fuel-burning units; condensate lines may not drain to the sanitary sewer.
• Solar: zoning permit, building, electrical and fire sections, two sets of signed and sealed plans, and two copies of an architect’s or engineer’s roof-support certification for roof arrays.
• New bedrooms: creating a bedroom in an existing home calls for hardwired smoke alarms inside and just outside the room, interconnected with each other and with any existing interconnected alarms, plus a CO alarm outside the room; the plans must show the locations and the type of interconnection.
• Smaller jobs: a water service needs the F100 and plumbing section; a sewer replacement adds a utility authority road opening permit if applicable; a pool removal needs the building section, the type of fill to be used and, if applicable, a recycling facility receipt; mini-splits need electrical and mechanical sections with the installation manual.
• Demolition: utility shut-off letters and an asbestos abatement letter.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same F100 jacket, with the plumbing section in place of the mechanical one for HVAC and water heaters. Signs need a zoning permit plus two sets of signed, raised-seal plans. A new business, tenant, owner or use needs a Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) signed off by the Construction Official and Zoning Officer; the fee is $175, and operating without one carries a minimum $250 fine. Commercial zoning permits cost $100.

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. Submit it with a copy of the property survey showing the work and its distance from the lot lines; sketches and photos are not accepted, and the township does not keep surveys on file. The form also asks for the contractor’s home improvement registration number.
• Boards. Variances go to the Zoning Board, whose adopted resolutions are posted with the township’s public notices; the Planning Board also issues notices there.
• Trees. Removing street trees of 2.5 inches or more, or other trees of 6 inches or more in diameter, needs a tree removal permit ($100, or $500 when more than 10 trees require a tree protection management plan). Replace the trees within 12 months or pay $50 to $250 per tree depending on size.
• Sewer and county roads. Sewer replacements may need a road opening permit from the municipal utilities authority. County roads in the township include Beverly Road and Columbus Road (543), Burlington-Mount Holly Road and High Street (541), Jacksonville Road (670), John F. Kennedy Way (633), Old York Road (660) and Rancocas Road (635); the Burlington County Engineer’s office in Mount Laurel (856-642-3700) maintains them, and the County Planning Board reviews development on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Burlington Township permit costs and fees

The township’s UCC construction fees are set in the Township Code, published on eCode360; the Licenses and Inspections page posts the zoning, housing, CCO and lead inspection fees but not the construction fee schedule, and none of the 2026 public notices adopts a new one. Ask the department to price your F100 package; the state surcharge (N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19) is added to construction permits. The posted fees are:

The lead fees fund the township’s lead-based paint program; dust-wipe testing, when required, is at the owner’s cost, and noncompliance can bring a penalty of up to $1,000 a week.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire work are technical sections of the same F100 application. The Construction Official reviews and inspects electrical work himself; plumbing goes to the plumbing subcode official, and fire suppression, fuel tanks and pool heaters to the fire protection subcode. For one- and two-family homes the mechanical section (F145) covers heating and cooling replacements in an existing house, while commercial jobs file those on the plumbing section.

• Licenses: electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold New Jersey licenses.
• Contractors: New Jersey has no general-contractor license. Home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs (the township’s zoning form asks for that number) and new-home builders with DCA; owners doing work on their own home are exempt from registration.
• Electrical service work: the checklist calls for a letter stating the electric is safe to be turned back on, where applicable.

How to apply for a Burlington Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each subcode official reviews their own section, and N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 gives the construction official 20 business days to approve or deny a complete application. The checklist and the alarm handout flag what the department expects to see: a zoning permit backed by a real survey, the required plan sets and manufacturer data, the chimney verification form for boilers and water heaters, and plans that show where new smoke and CO alarms go and how they are interconnected. Construction code decisions can be appealed to the construction board of appeals.

Inspections and certificates in Burlington Township

Inspections for commercial and residential work are carried out in person: during the given window the inspector arrives on site. Questions about inspection timing go to the department at 609-239-5847. When the finals pass, the construction official issues the certificate of occupancy or approval.

Selling or renting a home. Burlington Township requires a housing inspection and certificate of occupancy before a house, townhouse or condo is sold or rented. Send the housing inspection request by e-mail or fax; rentals must include the landlord registration statement. The inspector checks smoke alarms on each level, carbon monoxide alarms in the hallway within 10 feet of each bedroom, a 2A:10BC extinguisher mounted no higher than 5 feet within 10 feet of the kitchen, windows and screens, grounded outlets and working GFCIs, plumbing, the oven’s anti-tilt bracket, the water heater overflow pipe, railings on steps of four or more risers or 30 inches, and the house number. Heater and chimney certifications are required for houses, townhouses and condos, open or unpaid permits must be cleared, and the certificate is valid for 60 days; if it expires before closing, a new inspection and fee are needed. Rental units may also need the township’s lead-based paint visual assessment ($200).

New Jersey building code in Burlington Township

Burlington Township enforces the Uniform Construction Code through its Department of Licenses and Inspections, with DCA enforcing the elevator subcode. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Burlington Township (community 340090) 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

Burlington Township permit search and official resources

The department links an SDL citizen portal, which requires an account. For copies of permits, plans or certificates, file an Open Public Records Act request with the Municipal Clerk’s office at 851 Old York Road (609-239-5815); before a sale, call Licenses and Inspections to confirm there are no open or unpaid permits on the property.

• Burlington Township Licenses & Inspections
• Permit application checklist 2024
• Zoning application fees
• Zoning permit application
• Rental and resale inspection fees
• Housing (resale / rental) inspection request
• Housing inspection items
• Commercial certificate of continued occupancy application
• Smoke and CO alarm requirements for additions
• Lead-based paint inspection fees
• Tree removal permit application
• Public notices and ordinances
• DCA construction permit forms
• Burlington County roads by municipality
• DCA roster of local construction offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Burlington Township building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a fence in Burlington Township?

Yes: a $50 zoning permit with your property survey, and the township’s FAQ lists fences among the jobs that also need a construction permit.

What does a zoning permit cost?

$50 for residential projects such as fences, decks, sheds, pools, solar, patios and additions, $50 for a storage pod, and $100 for commercial zoning.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house?

Yes. A resale certificate of occupancy inspection costs $100 for a house, townhouse or condo, needs heater and chimney certifications, and is valid for 60 days.

Can I rush the resale inspection?

Yes, an expedited inspection within five days of the request costs $200.

Who is the Construction Official?

Harry Case, who is also the building inspector and electrical subcode official; call 609-239-5847.

Do I need a permit to remove trees?

Yes for street trees of 2.5 inches or other trees of 6 inches or more in diameter: $100, or $500 if more than 10 trees need a protection plan, plus replacement trees or a per-tree fee.

What does a new business need?

A $175 Certificate of Continued Occupancy approved by the Construction Official and Zoning Officer, plus a $100 commercial zoning permit where required.

Simplify Burlington 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 Burlington Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.