Collingswood Borough, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In the Borough of Collingswood, construction permits come from the Construction Office in Borough Hall, 678 Haddon Avenue, where William Fisher is the Construction Official (856-854-0720, ext. 2107; in the office Tuesday to Thursday). A $35 residential zoning permit, with a survey, comes first for most exterior and change-of-use work, and the Historic Preservation Commission must approve exterior changes in the borough’s two historic districts. Home sales need an exterior and a fire safety inspection from the Fire Prevention & Inspection Bureau.

What requires a building permit in Collingswood?

The Construction Office puts it in one sentence: a permit is needed to construct, enlarge, repair, renovate, alter, reconstruct or demolish a building or structure, or to change its use. A permit can have up to five subcode sections, building, electrical, plumbing, fire and elevator, depending on the job. The office’s examples of work needing no permit are painting and carpeting in homes, wallpaper, new kitchen cabinets and storm windows and doors in the same size openings, and it asks owners to call when unsure. The full state list of ordinary maintenance is in N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, and minor work such as replacing a water heater or furnace of like capacity still needs a permit, though it may begin once the office has notice.

What Collingswood decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the state’s. Collingswood sets its own Development Regulations (Chapter 141 of the borough code, first adopted in 1990), its historic district rules, its resale and rental certificates under the property maintenance code in Chapter 227 (adopted by Ordinance 1014, using the 1993 BOCA property maintenance code), and its street opening rules in Chapter 265. Two recent ordinances matter for development: Ordinance 1838, adopted on August 3, 2026, makes data centers and small computing “nodes” nonpermitted uses in every zone, and Ordinance 1784 of 2024 charges no affordable housing development fee on residential work but 2.5% of equalized assessed value on new non-residential construction, and 2.5% of the added value on non-residential additions.

Collingswood building department: who handles permitting

The borough’s Construction Office is the enforcing agency. DCA’s Local Construction Contacts roster (as of September 2, 2026) lists William Fisher as construction official and electrical subcode official, borough officials in the building, fire protection and plumbing posts, and the Department of Community Affairs in the elevator post. The Zoning Office shares Borough Hall, while resale, rental and fire safety inspections come from the Fire Prevention & Inspection Bureau at 434 Haddon Avenue.

Collingswood permit types

Collingswood uses the state’s construction permit packet; the borough page links DCA’s forms, and blank applications are available at the office. Each subcode official reviews the matching section; if a section is rejected, the applicant is told why, and once all pass the office tells the applicant the cost and when to collect the permit.

Residential permits

• Additions, dormers, decks and porches need zoning approval and a building section, plus trade sections for new wiring, plumbing or alarms.
• Windows and doors. New openings are building work; in the historic districts even like-for-like window and door replacement needs Historic Preservation Commission review.
• Fire-related permits. The borough posts separate applications for outdoor fireplaces and for torch-down roofing with a tar kettle.
• Trees and utilities. Removing a tree uses the combined tree removal application, and a new water connection carries a $25 application fee under Ordinance 1823.
• Rentals. Landlords file the residential rental registration packet, and short-term rentals have their own application with regulations.

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Commercial permits

A new business needs zoning approval, a New Business Occupancy Certificate application and, where it applies, sign approval for a facade, freestanding or temporary sign. Commercial property sales need a Commercial Property Resale Certification, and every commercial unit is inspected between tenants. Outdoor cafes need their own $50 application, and cannabis businesses follow the borough’s licensing ordinance and cannabis zoning map.

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

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning permit. Any change of use or property improvement needs one: $35 residential or $50 commercial, with a survey that is to scale and shows current conditions. The approval notes which further approvals apply: construction, historic, Planning Board or Public Works.
• Planning Board of Adjustment. This combined board of seven voting residents and two alternates hears use and bulk variances, site plans, subdivisions, conditional uses, changes of use and appeals of the zoning officer, at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday at the Community Center.
• Historic Preservation Commission. Exterior alterations visible from the street in either historic district need approval before work or materials are bought; file with the Zoning Office at least 20 days before the third-Thursday meeting.
• Street and county work. Openings in a borough street need a road opening permit under Chapter 265 and must start within 45 days; county roads need a Camden County road opening permit. Disturbing more than 5,000 square feet needs a plan certified by the DelAtlantic Soil Conservation District (West Berlin, 856-767-6299).

Collingswood permit costs and fees

The borough’s construction fee schedule sits in the borough code rather than on the Construction Office page; the office tells applicants the cost once each subcode has approved its section. Zoning and land use fees are posted, and recent ordinances changed some of them.

Ordinance 1835, adopted on June 1, 2026, replaced the old sliding scale of engineering inspection deposits with the state Municipal Land Use Law limit shown above, and requires a preconstruction conference with notice to the municipal engineer 72 hours before site work starts. The zoning page still lists an industrial bulk variance escrow of $750, while the copy of Ordinance 1814 the borough posted lists $1,500. The state surcharge is added to construction permits on top of the borough fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and fire protection sections ride on the same construction permit and are reviewed by separate subcode officials; in Collingswood the construction official also holds the electrical post. Elevator and lift work goes to DCA.

• Electrical: service changes, new circuits and alarm wiring need the electrical section; electrical contractors hold state licenses.
• Plumbing and gas: fixtures, water heaters, gas piping and sewer work use the plumbing section; master plumbers hold state licenses.
• Fire: sprinklers, alarm systems and kitchen hood suppression use the fire section, while torch-down roofing with a tar kettle and outdoor fireplaces have their own borough permit applications.
• Mechanical: furnace, boiler and air conditioner swaps are filed with the trade sections that apply; a like-for-like replacement is minor work.

Anyone hired to improve a home must hold a home improvement contractor registration from the Division of Consumer Affairs, and new-home builders register with DCA. Homeowners doing their own work on the home they live in are exempt from registration.

How to apply for a Collingswood building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The construction official has 20 business days under state rules to approve or deny a complete application, and the permit cannot be released before zoning and other prior approvals. In Collingswood the zoning office insists on a survey that matches current conditions at its original scale, a historic district job waits for the monthly commission meeting, and the construction official is in the office only Tuesday to Thursday, so plan questions are best timed for those days. Work started in a historic district without review can bring fines.

Inspections and certificates in Collingswood

Ask the Construction Office for each inspection once work is ready, in writing and at least 24 hours ahead as the state code requires, and keep work uncovered until each subcode has approved its rough stage. A new building needs a certificate of occupancy before use, and renovated space a certificate of approval.

Selling or renting property

A resale certificate is required when any Collingswood property is sold. The Fire Prevention & Inspection Bureau runs two inspections on one application: an exterior check under Chapter 227-3, which centers on concrete such as sidewalks, driveways, aprons and gutters ($50), and the interior smoke and carbon monoxide alarm certificate ($75 if the application arrives more than 10 days before the appointment, $150 if less). Reinspections are $50 each, and certificates last for one change of ownership or six months, whichever comes first. The bureau’s 2025 rules call for a 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every level, with hardwired systems tested to NFPA 72 instead; the form’s title still names portable fire extinguishers, but it says the extinguisher placement requirement was removed in February 2025. Rental certificates are required for all commercial and residential rental units, with inspections between tenants for commercial units and for buildings of three or more units.

New Jersey building code in Collingswood

Collingswood enforces the Uniform Construction Code as DCA adopts it: the 2024 I-codes and National Standard Plumbing Code with the 2023 NEC since August 17, 2026, with the 2021 codes still allowed until February 17, 2027 for complete applications holding every prior approval. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the borough (community 340131) as a National Flood Insurance Program participant with flood maps effective August 17, 2016; the borough’s own flood damage prevention rules are in Chapter 167, which Ordinance 1816 amended in the 2025 ordinance series. A construction decision can be appealed to the Camden County Construction Board of Appeals within 15 days of the written notice, with a $50 fee.

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

Collingswood permit search and official resources

For past permits, certificates or board decisions, ask the Construction or Zoning Office, and file an Open Public Records Act request with the borough where a formal request is needed. Planning Board and historic commission agendas, minutes and resolutions, and the borough’s ordinances, are posted by year on the borough site.

• Construction Office and permit requirements
• Zoning and Planning, fees and board information
• Zoning permit application
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Property maintenance and resale COs
• Residential inspection for sale of property application
• Borough forms (tree removal, rentals, business, signs)
• Road opening permit application
• Ordinances and resolutions
• Ordinance 1835, inspection fee deposits
• Ordinance 1838, data centers and computing nodes
• Ordinance 1784, affordable housing development fees
• DCA construction permit forms
• DCA Local Construction Contacts roster
• Camden County Construction Board of Appeals
• Camden County road opening permit rules
• DelAtlantic Soil Conservation District
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Collingswood building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace windows in Collingswood?

Same-size replacement is generally ordinary maintenance under state rules, but the Zoning Office asks to hear about new windows and doors, and in a historic district any exterior change needs Historic Preservation Commission approval.

How much is a zoning permit?

$35 for residential work and $50 for commercial work, with a current survey drawn to scale.

When is the Construction Official available?

William Fisher is in Borough Hall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; applications can be picked up daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What inspections are needed to sell a house?

An exterior concrete inspection ($50) and an interior smoke and CO alarm inspection ($75 or $150 depending on notice), both from the Fire Prevention & Inspection Bureau.

When does the Historic Preservation Commission meet?

On the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.; applications go to the Zoning Office at least 20 days earlier.

Can I build a data center or host a computing node at home?

No. Ordinance 1838 made both nonpermitted uses in every zone in August 2026.

Is there an affordable housing fee on a home addition?

No. Ordinance 1784 imposes no development fee on residential work; non-residential projects pay 2.5% of equalized assessed value.

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