Cherry Hill Township's Construction Office at the Municipal Building, 820 Mercer Street, is the enforcing agency under Chapter 13 of the township code, which fixes the office, its hours of nine to five, and the fee as the sum of the subcode fees paid before the permit issues. The township's own rule runs at the other end of ownership: homeowners must obtain a certificate of continued occupancy before the resale of any single-family residential property, with the home's exterior property areas inspected by the Property Maintenance Officer against the township's property maintenance standards before the sale can close.
Zoning comes first for nearly everything. A zoning permit is required for any change of use or occupancy and for most construction projects, on a completed application with a notarised consent of the owner where the applicant is not the owner of record; approved zoning permits are forwarded to the Construction Office for building permit review, and appeals from the construction side go to the Camden County Construction Board of Appeals.
This guide covers Cherry Hill Township. Camden, Gloucester Township, Voorhees and Pennsauken are separate Camden County municipalities with their own enforcing agencies, and Camden County issues no construction permits.
Resale means an exterior inspection. Cherry Hill requires a certificate of continued occupancy prior to the resale of any single-family residential property, as part of its property maintenance plan: before closing, the exterior property areas are inspected by the Property Maintenance Officer. Some condominiums and townhomes are excluded, and the township publishes the list; everyone else applies online or at Room 202.
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Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Cherry Hill?
Typically permit required
- Any single-family resale, which needs the certificate of continued occupancy and the exterior inspection before closing
- Any change of use or occupancy, which needs a zoning permit and, from a lower to a higher classification, a certificate of occupancy
- Most construction projects, which need the zoning permit forwarded to the Construction Office before building permit review
- New buildings, additions and any structural work on an existing building
- Interior alterations that reconfigure space, add plumbing fixtures or extend circuits — renovation, alteration and reconstruction under the rehabilitation subcode
- Decks, and sheds over 200 square feet, over 10 feet tall or with a water, gas, oil or sewer connection
Often exempt
- Ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, which Chapter 13 expressly excepts from the permit requirement
- Painting, wallpapering and interior finishes on less than a quarter of the wall area of a house
- Like-for-like replacement of windows and doors in the same opening, and glass in any window or door
- Roof covering replacement on a detached one- or two-family dwelling, and siding replacement on a one- or two-family dwelling (not polypropylene siding)
- Garden sheds up to 200 square feet and 10 feet high with no water, gas, oil or sewer connection (wiring still needs an electrical permit), and fences up to 6 feet other than pool barriers — local zoning rules still apply to both
What is actually local, and what is not
Technical standards are the state's. Cherry Hill's layer is the local enforcing agency — the construction official and the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcode officials, each licensed by the state under N.J.A.C. 5:23-5 — plus the municipal fee ordinance, the zoning officer's sign-off, and the single-family resale certificate that the Property Maintenance Officer inspects for before closing.
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
Who handles permitting in Cherry Hill?
The Construction Office is the enforcing agency, with the Construction Official and the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcode officials reviewing their sections of the state UCC jacket; applications are dropped at Room 205 or mailed to the Construction Office. The zoning office issues the zoning permit and forwards it, the Property Maintenance Officer inspects for the resale certificate through Room 202, and the Planning Board and Zoning Board hear applications under the Municipal Land Use Law.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Cherry Hill Township Construction Office — Division of Construction and Inspections |
| Office | Municipal Building, 820 Mercer Street, Room 205, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 |
| Phone | (856) 488-7855 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on the office’s own page; Chapter 13 sets 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Zoning | Zoning permit first — (856) 488-7870 for districts, setbacks and permitted uses |
| Resale | Certificate of continued occupancy through Room 202, or online |
Permit types
Residential permits
A Cherry Hill house project files the zoning permit first, then the state UCC jacket and subcode sections at Room 205, with the home improvement registration number on the application. Sheds need a zoning permit at any size and a construction permit above 200 square feet or with utilities, and pools need both. When the house sells, the certificate of continued occupancy is applied for and the exterior is inspected before closing unless the property is on the exclusion list.
Commercial permits
Commercial work in Cherry Hill clears any site plan or subdivision review under the land development ordinance, then the zoning permit, then construction review under Chapter 13. A change of use from a lower to a higher use and occupancy classification needs a certificate of occupancy, priced at 10 percent of the construction permit fee with a $90 minimum, and new construction of any use group is priced by volume.
Prior approvals, subcode review and the 20-day clock
In Cherry Hill the Camden County Soil Conservation District certifies disturbance over 5,000 square feet, the county planning board reviews frontage on county roads, and the Cooper River and Pennsauken Creek corridors bring DEP flood hazard approvals into the file. Once complete, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 gives the enforcing agency 20 business days to approve or reject a complete application, with a written list of deficiencies on any rejection.
New Jersey has no general contractor licence: home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, new-home builders with the Department of Community Affairs, and the trades hold state licences. New Jersey rules
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Cherry Hill permit costs and fees
Fees follow Chapter 13 of the Cherry Hill code — the sum of the subcode fees, by volume for new construction — plus the state training fee, with zoning and resale certificate fees charged separately.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Construction permit | Sum of the subcode fees under Chapter 13, paid before issuance |
| New construction | Three and eight-tenths cents per cubic foot of volume for all use groups, $65 minimum |
| Certificate of occupancy | 10 percent of the construction permit fee, $90 minimum |
| Zoning permit | Required for most projects and every change of use, before building permit review |
| Resale certificate | Certificate of continued occupancy with exterior inspection, applied for through Room 202 or online |
| State training fee | Added to most permits under N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19 (demolition and abatement permits are exempt) |
Appeals go to the county board. Chapter 13 sends all appeals to the Camden County Construction Board of Appeals under N.J.A.C. 5:23A, and the state's 20-business-day rule means a silent enforcing agency is a deemed denial that can be appealed there. The township's published local fee schedule for building, plumbing, electrical and fire is the document to check before estimating.
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Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Any change of use or occupancy — zoning permit, then certificate of occupancy where the classification rises
- Electrical — state-licensed electrical contractor; electrical subcode section
- Plumbing and gas piping — state-licensed master plumber; plumbing subcode section under the NSPC
- HVAC and fuel-fired equipment — licensed HVACR contractor; mechanical or fire subcode section
- Fire protection, alarms and sprinklers — fire protection subcode section, reviewed by the fire protection subcode official
Typically exempt
- Like-for-like fixture, receptacle, switch and light fixture replacement in the same location
- Communications wiring, doorbells and burglar alarms in a house, where no fire-rated assembly is penetrated
Trade work is permitted through the same construction permit application and inspected by each subcode official. New Jersey rules
How to apply for a Cherry Hill building permit
A zoning permit or planning board approval under the Municipal Land Use Law precedes the construction permit.
The home improvement registration number, or the new-home builder registration card, goes on the application.
One F100 application with the building, electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical sections the scope requires, plus sealed plans where the UCC demands them.
Soil conservation, county planning board, DEP or overlay agency sign-offs are attached before the permit can issue.
Fees follow the local ordinance plus the state training fee surcharge; the plan review fee is usually paid when you apply and the rest before the permit issues.
Footing to final under 5:23-2.18, then the certificate of occupancy or approval that closes the permit.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Cherry Hill reviews on the state's 20-business-day clock, with volume and complexity setting the actual pace. What delays a Cherry Hill file is a zoning permit not yet forwarded, an application without the owner's notarised consent where the applicant is not the owner, and a resale scheduled before the exterior inspection.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Cherry Hill
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.18 sets the inspection sequence statewide — bottom of footing trenches, foundation and backfill, rough framing, electrical and plumbing, insulation, and final — and the enforcing agency must inspect within three business days of the request. Work that passes final receives a certificate of occupancy for new buildings or changes of use, or a certificate of approval for everything else. Cherry Hill inspects by subcode from the Construction Office, with finals required before occupancy; the resale exterior inspection by the Property Maintenance Officer is separate and precedes closing, and permit status can be checked through the township's online permit lookup.
Cherry Hill permit search and official resources
- Cherry Hill Township Construction — the enforcing agency, permits and the local fee schedule
- Cherry Hill Code Chapter 13 — Building and Housing — office, hours, subcode fees and the county board of appeals
- Cherry Hill residential resale inspections — the certificate of continued occupancy and the exclusion list
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) — the statewide code and subcode adoptions from the Department of Community Affairs
- DCA rule proposals and adoptions — the August 2026 notice adopting the 2024 model codes and 2023 NEC
- Home improvement contractor registration — Division of Consumer Affairs registration
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certificate to sell a house in Cherry Hill?
Yes. A certificate of continued occupancy is required before the resale of any single-family residential property, with the exterior inspected by the Property Maintenance Officer before closing; some condominiums and townhomes are on a published exclusion list.
Does a shed need a permit?
A zoning permit at any size; a construction permit as well if it exceeds 200 square feet or has utilities.
Where do I drop off the application?
Room 205 of the Municipal Building at 820 Mercer Street, or by mail to the Construction Office; the resale certificate goes through Room 202.
How is a certificate of occupancy priced?
10 percent of the construction permit fee, with a $90 minimum, under Chapter 13.
Who hears a permit appeal?
The Camden County Construction Board of Appeals, under N.J.A.C. 5:23A.
Which code edition applies?
The New Jersey editions of the 2024 I-codes with the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 National Standard Plumbing Code, effective August 17, 2026, with a six-month grace period during which the 2021 editions may still be used.
Simplify Cherry Hill permitting with Alliance Permitting
Cherry Hill runs zoning first and property maintenance last, with the construction permit in between. We file the zoning permit with the owner's consent in place, file complete at Room 205, and book the resale inspection so it lands before closing rather than the week of it.
Ready to break ground in Cherry Hill sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Cherry Hill Township Construction Office, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More New Jersey permitting guides
More New Jersey permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cherry Hill permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.