Hillside Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In the Township of Hillside the Building and Housing Department, supervised by Construction Official Artur Figueiredo, approves all applications for construction, alterations and renovations and also enforces the property maintenance code, from the Municipal Building at 1409 Liberty Avenue (973-926-5100). Decks, pools, garages, sheds, additions and changes of use need a township zoning permit, inspections are requested by emailing a form, and a home resale needs a Certificate of Continued Occupancy ($150 for the first dwelling unit) plus a smoke certificate from the Fire Department.

What requires a building permit in Hillside?

New Jersey’s code decides which work needs a construction permit: ordinary maintenance needs no permit or notice, minor work may begin after the office has been notified, and everything else waits for the permit. Hillside’s department puts it simply: a written permit is required to erect, construct or alter any building or part of one designed for human occupancy, and UCC violations bring fines starting at $2,000, so permits should be in hand before any construction.

What Hillside decides and what the state holds

The construction rules are statewide. Hillside’s share is its Building and Housing Department, its construction fee ordinance, the Chapter 188 Land Use Ordinance with its zoning map, bulk regulations schedule and section 188-67 on places of general assembly, its property maintenance code (fines start at $250), the continued occupancy and habitability certificates, Ordinance 0-18-10 on habitability and the Chapter 122 vacant property rules. Its code book is published on eCode360.

Hillside building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Housing Department handles construction permits, inspections, the property maintenance code, resale and rental certificates and vacant property registration; the Construction Code Official is also the township’s public officer for vacant properties. DCA’s roster as of September 2, 2026 lists township officials in the construction, building, electrical, fire protection and plumbing posts and a private agency, Municipal Inspection Corp., as elevator subcode official. The roster’s office phone matches the township’s, 973-926-5100, though it gives fax 973-282-3403 where the township page shows 973-351-5471.

Hillside permit types

The department’s page carries the construction permit application (permit folder) and the building, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, mechanical and elevator technical sheets, plus a chimney certification form and a demolition request form. The township’s own forms cover zoning, zoning appeals, dumpsters, PODs, sidewalk replacement, garage sales and outdoor cafés.

Residential permits

• Zoning first. A deck, pool, garage, shed, addition or new house needs a zoning determination before the construction application. Send the survey, plans, drawings and specifications with dimensions; the township emails its determination within 6 to 10 business days.
• Dumpsters. A dumpster in the driveway is $65; one in the street is $100 to $400 and needs a $1,000 retainer and a certificate of insurance naming the township as second insured.
• Sidewalks. Repairing a sidewalk takes a $10 permit from the department.
• Storage pods. A POD in the driveway or rear yard is a $25 permit, with a sketch showing distances to buildings, hydrants, fire department connections and utilities; no more than two at a time, removed within 15 days.
• Rental units. Every residential rental needs a Certificate of Habitability under Ordinance 0-18-10: $100 per unit, with floor plans of every room and the current lease; buildings of four or more units name a superintendent, and the Health Department must confirm there are no outstanding lead violations. The tenant signs a copy of the certificate, which the owner returns to the department. Owners of one-unit homes and non-owner-occupied two-unit homes also file the state landlord identity registration with the Township Clerk.

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

Commercial permits

A business takes the commercial zoning determination ($160), and a commercial property needs a Certificate of Continued Occupancy whenever it sells or gets a new tenant: $400 for a new owner and $300 for a change of tenant. The form asks for the business name and type, the square footage and whether the premises have a required fire suppression or detection system, and retail food businesses must visit the Health Department before starting the application. The Hillside Health Department licenses and inspects retail food establishments, mobile food trucks and vending machines each year and carries out lead investigations. Subdivisions and site plans, minor or major, go to the Planning Board.

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 determination or verification from the Zoning Officer, $80 residential or $160 commercial.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment. Use variances, interpretations of the zoning ordinance and appeals of the Zoning Officer’s decisions; it meets on the first and third Wednesdays. A zoning appeal application is on the township site.
• Planning Board. Subdivisions and site plans and the master plan; meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays.
• Union County. The Union County Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivisions that may affect county roads and drainage, and work in a county road needs a county road opening permit.
• Soil erosion. More than 5,000 square feet of disturbance needs Somerset-Union Soil Conservation District certification (308 Milltown Road, Bridgewater; 908-526-2701).

Hillside permit costs and fees

Hillside’s construction (UCC) fees are set in the township code and are not listed on the Building and Housing Department’s page; the office calculates them for each application. The state’s training surcharge applies on top: $1.90 per $1,000 of value for alteration work and $0.00371 per cubic foot of new building or addition. These are the fees Hillside publishes on its own pages and forms:

The resale form warns that a certificate is subject to the township’s ordinances as they are being updated, so a seller should check the current fee when applying; checks are made out to the Township of Hillside.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, fire protection and mechanical work is filed on the technical sheets with the permit folder and inspected by the township’s subcode officials; the DCA roster shows the elevator subcode held by Municipal Inspection Corp. Licensing is the state’s: electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold state licenses, home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and new-home builders with DCA. New Jersey has no general contractor license, and an owner working on their own home does not need the contractor registration.

• Chimneys. The department posts a chimney certification form for chimney and fuel-burning equipment work.
• Oil tanks are on the list of items a buyer cannot defer with an affidavit at resale, so a tank problem must be resolved before the certificate issues.
• Demolition needs a building (demolition) permit and a plumbing permit for capping the sewer and water lines. Before it issues, the owner provides disconnect letters from the water, electric and gas utilities, confirms asbestos abatement under the federal rule (40 CFR 61, subpart M) and a certification of extermination, and keeps the site safe, regraded and fenced; the contractor tells the Police Traffic Bureau (973-926-5800 ext. 230) the start date. The signed requirements sheet goes in with the permit packet.

How to apply for a Hillside building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Once the application is complete and zoning is approved, the UCC gives the construction official 20 business days to approve or deny it. Zoning determinations take 6 to 10 business days before that, and board cases add their own meeting schedule. Starting without a permit risks UCC fines that start at $2,000.

Inspections and certificates in Hillside

Inspections are requested on the township’s inspection request form, emailed to inspectionrequests@hillsidenj.us, with the permit number, project address, owner’s name, subcodes, inspection type and requested date. Sending it certifies that the work is complete and code-compliant and that nothing will be covered before the inspection. The UCC calls for inspection within three business days of the requested time, but the form warns that emergencies, sickness, workload or weather can delay it, and a request counts only once staff confirm it and add it to the schedule.

Certificate of Continued Occupancy on resale

Every resale of a residential or non-residential property, and every new tenant in a non-residential property, needs a Certificate of Continued Occupancy. The applicant calls 973-926-5100 for an inspection date and gets a separate smoke certificate from the Fire Department (908-352-1700). The inspection is cancelled if the grass is uncut, snow or ice is present, or trash and debris are on the property. Violations are mailed within two weeks and must be fixed within 30 days. A buyer may take on repairs with an Affidavit of Compliance promising them within 30 days of closing, if the Construction Official accepts it, but smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, oil tanks, grass, litter and debris cannot be deferred, and open permits must be closed first. The buyer also certifies that no one will live in the basement and, where there is a third floor or full attic, how it will be used. The extinguisher must be listed, at least 2A:10B:C and no more than 10 pounds, mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen with its top no more than 5 feet above the floor. The certificate is mailed; it is not picked up or faxed.

New Jersey building code in Hillside

Hillside enforces the UCC as adopted by DCA. The 2024 I-codes, 2024 National Standard Plumbing Code and 2023 NEC govern applications from August 17, 2026; until February 17, 2027 a complete application with every prior approval can still use the 2021 codes and 2020 NEC. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Hillside Township (community 340465) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with maps effective September 20, 2006.

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

Hillside permit search and official resources

Permit histories, certificates and inspection records are requested from the Township Clerk under the Open Public Records Act, using the clerk’s OPRA request form or by email to opra@hillsidenj.us. Any open permits on a property must be dealt with before a resale certificate issues, so sellers should check early.

• Building and Housing Department and forms
• Inspection request form
• Planning and Zoning: boards, Chapter 188, zoning map
• Zoning determination / verification application
• Certificate of Resale application and fees
• Rules for a Certificate of Continued Occupancy
• Certificate of Habitability application
• Chapter 122, vacant property registration
• Demolition requirements
• Storage container (POD) permit application
• Fire Department
• Health Department
• Landlord registration regulations and form
• Township Clerk and OPRA
• Union County Planning Board
• Union County Engineering (county road openings)
• Soil conservation district directory (NJ Department of Agriculture)
• DCA local construction contacts roster
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Hillside building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a deck, pool or shed in Hillside?

Each needs a township zoning permit first, with a survey and plans. Decks and pools then need a construction permit; under the state code a garden shed of 200 square feet or less, 10 feet or less in height and with no water, gas, oil or sewer connection needs no building permit.

How do I request an inspection?

Email the township’s inspection request form to inspectionrequests@hillsidenj.us; it is scheduled once staff confirm it.

What does a resale certificate cost?

$150 for a single-family home, $75 for each additional unit up to $400, plus the Fire Department’s smoke certificate.

Can the buyer fix violations after closing?

Some, with an Affidavit of Compliance and the Construction Official’s approval, but not smoke or CO detectors, extinguishers, oil tanks or yard cleanup.

Do landlords need a certificate?

Yes. Every residential rental needs a Certificate of Habitability, $100 per unit.

Is a permit needed for a dumpster?

Yes: $65 in a driveway, $100 to $400 in the street with a $1,000 retainer and insurance certificate.

What do I need before tearing down a building?

A demolition permit plus a plumbing permit to cap the sewer and water lines, utility disconnect letters, asbestos abatement confirmation, a certification of extermination and the signed requirements sheet.

What does zoning approval cost?

$80 for residential and $160 for commercial work, decided by email within 6 to 10 business days.

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