Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

Construction permits in Cinnaminson Township come from the Construction Office, part of the Office of Community and Economic Development in the Municipal Building, 1621 Riverton Road (856-829-6000, ext. 5). Fees are set in section 265-7 of the Township Code. Electrical inspections are handled by a private agency, Building Inspection Underwriters, and DCA covers elevators. Sheds of 200 square feet or less and fences that do not enclose a pool need only a zoning “supplemental structure” permit, and the township does not require a certificate of occupancy inspection when a house is sold.

What requires a building permit in Cinnaminson?

The Uniform Construction Code exempts ordinary maintenance and lets minor work start once the office is notified; other work waits for a permit. Cinnaminson publishes a job-by-job guide to which technical sections each project needs, and notes that a project changing the building footprint, lot coverage or use of space may also need zoning approval:

Two things need no permit: a dumpster, as long as it sits in the driveway (dumpsters are never allowed in the street), and work that counts as ordinary maintenance. For roofs, windows and siding on a house, the township says permits are needed under most circumstances, with some exceptions for very minor repairs, and asks owners to call the Construction Department at ext. 2312.

What Cinnaminson decides and what the state holds

The office applies the state code under DCA’s requirements together with the township’s own codes. Locally, Cinnaminson sets its construction fees (Chapter 265), its zoning ordinance (Chapter 525, with nine residential and six commercial or industrial zones, each with height, lot size, setback and lot coverage limits), supplemental structure rules (Chapter 125-102.1) and the property maintenance code (Chapter 405), which the Code Enforcement Officer uses for problems such as overgrown lots, parking, trash, exterior upkeep, dumpsters and clothing bins. In July 2026 the Township Committee designated parcels for a redevelopment study and directed the Township Planner to prepare a redevelopment plan, and the administration reported in June 2026 that it is working on redevelopment plans for a shopping center site.

Cinnaminson building department: who handles permitting

The Construction Office sits inside the Office of Community and Economic Development, which brings the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Construction Office and Township Engineer under one roof, along with code enforcement. The township’s inspector list shows a construction code official who also serves as building subcode official, a building and fire inspector, a plumbing inspector and a third-party electrical inspector. On DCA’s roster (as of September 2, 2026) the electrical subcode post is held by Building Inspection Underwriters, Inc., a private inspection agency, and the elevator subcode by the Department of Community Affairs; the roster leaves the construction official and building subcode lines blank.

Cinnaminson permit types

A construction permit is the UCC permit jacket plus the technical sections for building, electrical, fire, mechanical or plumbing work, and the chimney verification form (F370) where a fuel-burning appliance is replaced; the township posted current copies of each form in July 2026.

Residential permits

• Additions and new homes: building, electrical, plumbing and fire sections, with a survey for zoning review.
• Pools: building, electrical, plumbing, and fire for a heater, plus a survey. Temporary pools are allowed, but any water 24 inches or deeper must have a barrier at least 4 feet high that meets the state code.
• Heating and cooling: air conditioning needs electrical and mechanical sections; a residential water heater replacement uses the mechanical section; for fuel-fired heating equipment the township’s list notes that the electrical work does not need a licensed electrician.
• Fireplaces: building, fire and mechanical sections plus a chimney certification; wood stoves need building and fire.
• Irrigation: electrical unless the controls are wireless, and plumbing for the backflow preventer.
• Moving a structure: a building permit with the same utility sign-offs as a demolition, plus a footing and foundation application for the new location.

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

Commercial permits

Tenant fit-outs need building, electrical, plumbing and fire sections, and new businesses should contact the zoning office first; business registration and the zoning permit for a business are filed online through the township’s GovPilot forms, along with a site use application. Commercial roofing and siding, signs (building and electrical), kitchen hoods (fire and electrical), interior sprinklers and fuel tanks each have their own sections, and construction or sales trailers need building and electrical permits. Site plans go to the Planning Board.

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

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning. The Zoning Officer (ext. 2396) checks plans against Chapter 525; fences, sheds, pools, hot tubs and decks need a permit whatever their size or height, and a survey showing their location is required.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment. It hears appeals of the Zoning Officer’s decisions and requests for interpretation, and meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Start with the Zoning Officer’s denial form (BA-1); the township’s variance instructions ask for the first part of the application at least 21 days before the monthly meeting and notice to neighbors and the newspaper at least 10 days before the hearing, and a corporation or partnership must appear through an attorney. The package includes a letter of authority if you are not the owner, a scaled survey or plot plan in triplicate showing existing and proposed structures, setbacks and driveways, and a tax map of the properties within 200 feet; the second part, with proof of notice and the newspaper affidavit, is due at least 5 days before the hearing, and the board’s decision is advertised and its resolution sent to the applicant after memorialization.
• Planning Board. It reviews site plans, subdivisions and conditional uses, with any related variances, and meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays (secretary at ext. 2313).
• County roads. Branch Pike (606), Broad Street (543), Church Road and Cinnaminson Avenue (607), Highland Avenue (602), Lenola Road (608), Public Road (601) and Riverton-Moorestown Road (603) are county roads, maintained by the Burlington County Engineer (856-642-3700); the County Planning Board reviews development on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Cinnaminson permit costs and fees

The township points applicants to section 265-7 of the Township Code for construction permit fees; the code is published on eCode360, and the township’s website does not repeat the schedule. No ordinance changing Chapter 265 appears in the 2025 and 2026 Township Committee agendas and minutes. Ask the Construction Office to price the application before you file, and expect the state surcharge (N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19) on top of the township’s fees.

The variance figures come from the township’s posted instructions, dated 2021, which say the fees must be paid by cash or check with the first part of the application; confirm them with the board secretary before filing. Resale inspections by the Sewerage Authority and the Fire District are priced by those agencies.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Trade work goes on the technical sections of the one permit application. Electrical work is inspected by Building Inspection Underwriters, Inc., the agency holding the electrical subcode on DCA’s roster; plumbing, fire and building work are inspected by township inspectors on set days.

• Inspection windows: electrical Monday to Friday, 7 to 11 a.m.; plumbing Monday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon; building Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m.; fire Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon; the construction code official Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30 to 5 p.m.
• Plumbing: bathroom fixture replacements need a licensed plumbing contractor or the homeowner, as the township’s guide puts it.
• Contractor registration: the township will not issue a permit for work on a home without proof that the contractor is registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs as a home improvement contractor; application packets are available at the Construction Office or from Consumer Affairs at 1-888-656-6225. New Jersey has no general-contractor license, and electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold state licenses.

How to apply for a Cinnaminson building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each subcode official reviews their own section, and N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 sets 20 business days to approve or deny a complete application. Two requirements the township spells out can hold up a residential permit: the survey for zoning review, and proof of the contractor’s registration, without which no permit for work on a home is issued. Work found not to match the approved plans needs re-inspection; if it continues without the problem being fixed, the township fines the applicant and stops the job.

Inspections and certificates in Cinnaminson

Book inspections through the Construction Office at ext. 5; each trade is inspected on its own days and hours (see the trade section). Keep the permit posted prominently and the approved plans on site. When the job is finished, call for the final building, electrical, plumbing and fire inspections before anyone occupies the space; the township notes that state law has the construction official fine anyone who does permit-required work without a permit.

Selling a house. Cinnaminson does not require a certificate of occupancy inspection for the resale of a residential home. Sellers do need an inspection from the Sewerage Authority (856-829-5287) and from the Fire District (856-829-5220), which schedule and price their own inspections. Every building must show its house number so emergency crews can read it from the street.

New Jersey building code in Cinnaminson

Cinnaminson enforces the Uniform Construction Code through its Construction Office, with a private agency for electrical inspections and DCA for elevators. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Cinnaminson (community 340092) 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

Cinnaminson permit search and official resources

Cinnaminson posts Township Committee, Planning Board and Zoning Board agendas, resolutions and minutes online. For copies of permits, plans or inspection records, file an Open Public Records Act request through the township’s OPRA page or the Township Clerk at the Municipal Building, 1621 Riverton Road (856-829-6000).

• Office of Community and Economic Development and Construction Office
• UCC permit jacket
• Building subcode technical section
• Electrical subcode technical section
• Plumbing subcode technical section
• Chimney verification form (F370)
• Supplemental structure permit (sheds and fences)
• Variance instructions and application
• Agendas, resolutions and minutes
• Burlington County roads by municipality
• Burlington County Engineering
• DCA roster of local construction offices
• New Jersey DCA adopted construction codes
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Cinnaminson building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a shed in Cinnaminson?

A shed of 200 square feet or less needs the zoning office’s supplemental structure permit; a larger shed needs a building permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

A residential fence that does not enclose a pool needs a zoning permit; a pool fence, a fence over 6 feet or a commercial fence needs a building permit.

Does my contractor need to be registered?

Yes. The township will not issue a permit for work on your home without proof of the contractor’s home improvement registration.

Do I need a CO to sell my house?

No township CO is required, but the Sewerage Authority and the Fire District each inspect before a sale.

When are electrical inspections done?

Monday to Friday, 7 to 11 a.m., by the township’s third-party electrical agency.

Can I put a dumpster or storage pod on the street?

No. A dumpster needs no permit but must sit in the driveway; a pod needs a permit, is allowed for 30 days and also goes in the driveway.

When does the Zoning Board meet?

On the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building; call ext. 2313 to be scheduled.

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