Harrison Township (Gloucester County), New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In Harrison Township, Gloucester County, construction permits are issued by the township’s Construction Department at 114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill (856-478-4111), open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Jack Eckler is the Construction Official. Additions, decks, porches and other new structures start with a zoning application, land disturbance over 1,000 square feet needs a grading permit first, and paper permit forms are accepted only by hand delivery or mail. Every home sale or new rental needs a Certificate of Transfer of Ownership or Occupancy.

What requires a building permit in Harrison Township?

The Construction Department’s permit grid (December 2023) matches common projects to the permits they need and marks those that also need zoning approval. It notes that the specifics of a job can change the answer, and the department’s procedures add that any extension of a home, such as an addition, deck or porch, starts with a zoning application.

All of this sits under the statewide Uniform Construction Code, whose exemptions apply here too: ordinary maintenance (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7) needs no permit, and minor work (5:23-2.17A) needs a permit but may start once the department has been notified. Lawn sprinklers need a plumbing permit and an installer with an NJDEP irrigation license, and elevators are permitted by the state.

What Harrison decides and what the state holds

The technical rules are the state’s. Harrison sets its own fees and land use rules: zoning through the Zoning Office, grading permits for land disturbance over 1,000 square feet, soil and fill importation permits, tree removal and tree compensation, impervious coverage worksheets, the Main Street Historic District and the Historic Preservation Commission, a preserved farmlands map, and redevelopment plans that the Joint Land Use Board lists, including an amended Mullica Hill Pond plan in 2026. It also requires a Certificate of Transfer of Ownership or Occupancy on every sale or rental and registers landlords and vacant properties.

Harrison Township building department: who handles permitting

The Construction Department is Harrison’s enforcing agency for the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcodes; DCA’s roster of local construction officials (as of September 2, 2026) lists township officials in those posts and the Department of Community Affairs as elevator subcode official, so DCA handles elevators. The roster lists the same construction official for the Borough of Glassboro. Zoning sits in a separate Zoning Office in the same building, and property maintenance and housing inspections in the Housing Department.

Harrison Township permit types

Construction permits use the state’s UCC forms, which the township posts in versions revised January 12, 2026: the construction permit jacket and the building, electrical, fire protection, mechanical and plumbing sections, plus the chimney verification form and the certificate of occupancy application. The township’s own forms cover grading, tree removal, soil and fill importation and zoning.

Residential permits

• Additions, decks, porches and accessory buildings start with the zoning application and a survey to scale; the township keeps no surveys on file. Drawings are required for decks, pools, renovations, additions and new structures, though the construction official may waive them for minor work. A homeowner may draw their own plans, but engineer’s or architect’s calculations may be required for advanced projects.
• Guidance sheets cover decks (with a sample schematic and checklist), above-ground and in-ground pools and pool fencing, basements, new houses and additions, standby generators and sheds.
• Owners doing their own work sign a Certification in Lieu of Oath. The township warns that signing it for work actually done by a paid, unlicensed contractor is a crime and gives up the protection of licensing and, on a new house, the new home warranty.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects and tenant fit-outs need every applicable subcode section, and commercial roofing needs a building permit. The zoning fee for commercial work is $200, and signs need building, electrical and zoning approval. Site plans go to the Joint Land Use Board.

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

What comes before the construction permit

• Grading permit. Any lot with more than 1,000 square feet of land disturbance needs it, and no zoning permit is issued until it is approved.
• Zoning approval from the Zoning Officer, with the zoning fee paid at drop-off.
• Joint Land Use Board. One board for development applications, variances, appeals and interpretations, meeting on the first and third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the courtroom at 114 Bridgeton Pike.
• Historic Preservation Commission. A Certificate of Appropriateness for work covered by the Historic District Ordinance.
• Gloucester County. County land development review of subdivisions and site plans affecting county roads or drainage, and county health department approval for septic systems and wells.
• Soil erosion. More than 5,000 square feet of disturbance needs certification from the Gloucester County Soil Conservation District, 545 Beckett Road, Swedesboro (856-589-5250).

Harrison Township permit costs and fees

Harrison does not post its construction permit fee schedule online. Once an application is reviewed and approved, the department tells the applicant, owner or contractor the fee and that the permit is ready to collect; no work may start until the fee is paid and the permit is in hand. The state training surcharge is added under DCA’s rules. The township does publish its zoning, grading and certificate fees:

Worked example from the forms: a homeowner adding a family room pays the $75 zoning fee at drop-off; if the addition disturbs 1,500 square feet of ground, the grading permit adds $55 plus $895, so $1,025 is due before the zoning permit can issue, with the construction permit fee quoted on approval. The application and review fees must be paid by separate checks.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Each trade is a separate technical section of the one application and has its own inspection schedule with the township’s subcode officials: plumbing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:30 p.m., electrical on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 p.m., and fire on Tuesday and Thursday only, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Building inspections run weekday mornings from 8:00 to noon.

• Licensed trades. The township reminds owners that contractors in trades such as plumbing and electrical work must be licensed, and that new home builders must be registered with the state and give each buyer a warranty. HVACR contractors hold state licenses too.
• Contractor registration. New Jersey has no general contractor license; home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
• Owner work. An owner doing the work personally signs the Certification in Lieu of Oath; signing it to cover for someone paid to do the work breaks state criminal law.
• Irrigation. Lawn sprinkler installers need an NJDEP irrigation license, and the system needs a plumbing permit.

How to apply for a Harrison Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Completed forms are reviewed by every subcode official involved, who may ask for more information. Under the UCC a complete application must be acted on within 20 business days. If an application is denied, you are told why, and you can revise and resubmit it or appeal. An approved application stays valid for six months from approval, so collect the permit in time. The township asks for a survey drawn to scale with the zoning application and an original signature on each permit form.

Inspections and certificates in Harrison Township

Inspections are requested through the township’s SDL portal (an account is needed); if you cannot use it, e-mail the Construction Department with the property address and the inspection type. An inspection is not booked until you get a confirmation with the date. The owner or applicant arranges every inspection, including the final; footings, foundations, framing, insulation and electrical and plumbing rough are among the stages, and work must not be covered before it is inspected. On a new house, the Township Engineer checks that the final grading matches the approved plan before the certificate of occupancy. When all work is complete you need a final inspection and a certificate of occupancy or approval, and the township reminds owners that state law requires the final inspection before the final payment to a contractor.

Sales and rentals. Every house sale or rental, apartment rental and commercial transfer needs a Certificate of Transfer of Ownership or Occupancy (CTO) from the Housing Department. It requires a passing inspection under the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, the smoke detector certificate from the Fire District’s Bureau of Fire Prevention (856-478-0423), septic certification where there is a septic system (with 60 days and a temporary certificate if repairs are needed), and permits for any work done in the house. Apply at least 30 days before settlement and do not set a settlement date until the CTO is approved.

New Jersey building code in Harrison Township

Harrison enforces the statewide Uniform Construction Code through its own Construction Department, with DCA as the elevator agency. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Harrison Township, Gloucester County (community 340205) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective January 20, 2010; NJDEP flood hazard area approvals can apply in mapped flood areas. The township’s wastewater plant on Woodland Avenue treats the municipal sewage, while septic system permits come from the Gloucester County health department.

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

Harrison Township permit search and official resources

Through the township’s SDL portal, launched by the Construction Department, residents and contractors can search all permits on a property and request inspections on open permits. For copies of records, OPRA requests go to the Municipal Clerk and can be sent by mail, e-mail, fax or in person.

• Harrison Township Construction Department
• Permit grid (December 2023)
• Harrison Township on the SDL portal
• Zoning Office
• Zoning application and fees
• Grading permit application
• Joint Land Use Board
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Property Maintenance and Housing (CTO forms)
• Certificate of Transfer of Ownership or Occupancy application
• Resale fire inspection application
• Certification in Lieu of Oath form
• OPRA request form
• Gloucester County well and septic submission requirements
• Gloucester County Land Development Review and Approval Committee
• NJ soil conservation district directory (2026)
• NJ DCA local construction contacts roster
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Harrison Township (Gloucester County) building permit FAQs

Is this the Town of Harrison in Hudson County?

No. Harrison Township in Gloucester County is a separate municipality whose offices are at 114 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill.

Can I e-mail my permit application?

No. The Construction Office accepts paper applications only by hand delivery or mail, with original signatures.

Does a shed need a permit in Harrison Township?

A shed of 200 square feet or more, or over 10 feet high, needs a building permit and a zoning permit.

When do I need a grading permit?

When more than 1,000 square feet of land will be disturbed; no zoning permit is issued until it is approved.

How much is the zoning fee for an addition?

$75 for a residential addition, paid at drop-off; a new home is $125.

What do I need to sell my house?

A Certificate of Transfer of Ownership ($100, or $150 expedited) and the Fire District’s smoke certificate; apply at least 30 days before settlement.

How long is an approved application good for?

Six months from the date it is approved.

How do I request an inspection?

Through the SDL portal, or by e-mail to the Construction Department if you cannot use it.

Simplify Harrison Township (Gloucester County) 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 Harrison Township (Gloucester County) permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.