Lacey Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In Lacey Township, Ocean County, construction permits come from the Building Department (the Uniform Construction Code office) at 124 South Main Street, Forked River (609-693-1100; Construction Office ext. 2252 or 2253). Jim Peters is the Construction Official. The Zoning Office in the same building approves most projects first and runs the township’s flood and grading reviews, inspections must be requested in writing at least 24 hours ahead, and Lacey does not require a certificate of occupancy when a home is sold.

What requires a building permit in Lacey Township?

Lacey’s Building Department lists the common jobs that need a permit; the state code’s ordinary-maintenance and minor-work rules decide what is exempt or may start after notice.

The township’s list includes roofing and siding, while the state’s ordinary-maintenance rules exempt some roof and siding replacement on detached one- and two-family homes; ask the department which applies to your house. Questions on residential fencing, additions, sheds, signs and the general use of a property go to the Zoning Office.

What Lacey decides and what the state holds

Construction standards are the statewide Uniform Construction Code. Lacey sets its own zoning, grading, flood review and development fees, runs the Letter of No Interest for sales, and decides land use through its Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. The Construction Official supervises the inspectors and firms the township contracts for inspections and plan review. The DCA roster as of September 2, 2026 lists township officials in the building, electrical, plumbing and fire protection posts and the Department of Community Affairs in the elevator post.

Lacey Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department at 124 South Main Street issues construction permits; Jim Peters is the Construction Official and Building Subcode Official. The Zoning Office shares the address and reports to the Director of Community Development; mail for both goes to the municipal building at 818 Lacey Road. Zoning staff can also give special flood hazard area data for a property. Each trade inspects on set days, listed below.

Lacey Township permit types

Lacey uses the state permit forms and posts its own guide to filling in the F100 permit jacket. Every application needs two sets of plans: a homeowner may draw them, or they may be sealed plans from a New Jersey licensed architect. Up to four subcode officials may review one set.

Residential permits

• New homes and additions: a sealed survey from the last two years, three sealed plot plans with a grading plan, the $100 zoning application and a $500 engineering check. The building plans also go to the Tax Assessor for the affordable housing development fee: building permits are not issued until that fee is paid, and the certificate of occupancy waits for the final development fee.
• In-ground pools: the same survey and plot plan set, $100 zoning and $500 engineering; no foundation location survey is needed.
• Homeowner work: an owner who lives in the house may draw the plans and do the work, certifying on the application that he or she is doing it; any contractor who does work should be named on the application.
• Flood zone homes: in an AE zone the department wants a flood elevation certificate signed and sealed by a New Jersey licensed surveyor, and its page says the finished floor and all outside mechanicals must be at a base flood elevation of 6 feet above mean sea level (NAVD 1988). Repairs of substantially damaged buildings and substantial improvements may have to meet new-construction flood rules; call ext. 2253.

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

Commercial permits

A new business or tenant files a zoning application ($75, or $85 with signage) with the business name, approximate square footage, unit number, number of employees, a detailed description and a floor plan, which may be hand-drawn. A change of business ownership is $75 and a new commercial establishment $250. Site plans, subdivisions and conditional uses 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 approval. Some permits need zoning first, and the 20-business-day permit clock starts from the zoning approval date. Bring a plot plan or survey marked to show the proposal.
• Flood review. The Zoning Office’s flood application covers new dwellings, alterations, house raising and substantial improvement, and separately accessory or minor construction.
• Boards. The Planning Board meets on the second Monday of each month and the Board of Adjustment on the first Monday, holidays excepted.
• Pinelands. The Pinelands Commission lists Lacey as partly in the state Pinelands Area and partly in the Pinelands National Reserve.
• County and soil. The Ocean County Health Department handles septic systems and potable wells; work in a county road needs an Ocean County road opening permit; disturbing more than 5,000 square feet needs the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, which is based at 714 Lacey Road in Forked River (609-971-7002).

Lacey Township permit costs and fees

Construction permit fees are set in the fee chapter of the township code and priced by the Building Department at review; the state training surcharge is added. The zoning and flood fees below come from the township’s own forms, and they are paid separately from the construction permit.

The two forms do not match on flood review: the zoning application prints $350 for an addition and $650 for a new house or house raise, while the separate flood application prints $500 for new dwellings, alterations, house raises and substantial improvements and $350 for accessory or minor work. Confirm the current amount with the Zoning Office at ext. 2254 before writing the check. Development fees for affordable housing are assessed by the Tax Assessor on new homes and additions.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and fire protection work are technical sections of the same application, and each trade has its own inspection days. Elevator work is reviewed by DCA.

• Building: inspections Monday through Friday.
• Electrical: inspections Tuesday and Thursday.
• Fire: inspections Wednesday.
• Plumbing and mechanical: inspections Tuesday through Thursday.
• Owners and contractors: an owner-occupant may do his or her own work; for anyone else, the department asks that the contractor actually doing the work appear on the application and hold the state license or registration that the trade requires (electrical contractor, master plumber or HVACR license; home improvement contractor registration with the Division of Consumer Affairs).

How to apply for a Lacey Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A building permit cannot issue without the zoning approval, the engineering check where the township requires one, and, on new homes and additions, the development fee; AE-zone plans also need the surveyor’s flood elevation certificate. On new homes, two sealed foundation location surveys must be approved before the foundation inspection can be booked.

Inspections and certificates in Lacey Township

Since the state’s inspection rule (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.18(c)) changed, Lacey accepts inspection requests only in writing, at least 24 hours before the date wanted; phone requests are no longer taken. Use the township’s inspection request form by email or deliver it to 124 South Main Street, or book through the SDL portal, which also shows permit status and inspection results. The form asks for the permit number, address, owner, the subcode and inspection type and two preferred dates, and signing it attests that the work is complete and ready; a request is not on the schedule until department staff confirm it, and incomplete forms are refused.

New homes need two sealed foundation location surveys approved before the foundation inspection, two sealed final as-built surveys, and a final engineering inspection by the township’s engineering firm, which the applicant arranges. The certificate of occupancy or approval is not issued until those documents are in and the final development fee is paid; flood-zone projects also need the $150 final flood review with a finished elevation certificate.

Selling a home

Lacey does not require a certificate of occupancy for a resale. It does require a Letter of No Interest, $50 in cash or by check to the Township of Lacey, which tells the buyer there are no open permits. Pay when you ask (faxed requests are no longer accepted), allow 14 business days, and choose to receive the letter by mail, fax, pick-up or email; the office also records whether the home has substantial damage. The smoke and carbon monoxide certificate comes from the state through its online fire safety system: it cannot be transferred, the fee is not refunded, and a new application is needed if the change of occupant does not happen within six months. Carbon monoxide alarms belong within about 10 feet of the sleeping areas in any home with a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage, installed where the maker specifies. Landlords should note that Code Enforcement (ext. 2249) enforces the township’s rental and leased property maintenance rules.

New Jersey building code in Lacey Township

Lacey enforces the Uniform Construction Code through its own Building Department. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the township (community 340376) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with maps effective September 29, 2006, and in the Community Rating System at class 10, which carries no premium discount.

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

Lacey Township permit search and official resources

Check the status of a permit and its inspection results in the SDL portal. For copies of permits, plans or certificates, use the township’s Open Public Records Act request portal; the Letter of No Interest also confirms whether permits remain open on a house.

• Lacey Township Building Department
• Inspection requests
• Inspection request form
• How to fill out the permit jacket
• Building, Land Use and Development
• Zoning Department
• Zoning permit application
• Flood application
• Engineering requirements for homes, additions and pools
• Letter of No Interest request
• Forms and applications
• Code Enforcement
• SDL portal sign-up
• NJ smoke and CO certificate application
• Pinelands Commission municipality list
• Ocean County Health Department: septic and wells
• Ocean County road opening permits
• Ocean County Planning Board applications
• NJ soil conservation districts
• NJ DCA construction permit forms
• NJ DCA local construction contacts roster
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Lacey Township building permit FAQs

Does Lacey require a certificate of occupancy to sell a house?

No. It requires a $50 Letter of No Interest confirming there are no open permits, plus the state smoke and CO certificate.

Can I call to schedule an inspection?

No. Requests must be in writing at least 24 hours ahead, by form, email, drop-off or the SDL portal.

How much is a zoning permit for a shed or fence?

$25 for the first structure and $10 for each additional one on the same application.

Can a homeowner draw plans and do the work?

Yes, if the owner lives in the house and certifies on the application that he or she is doing the work.

How long does the permit take?

The Building Department has 20 business days from the zoning approval date to process it.

What extra fees apply to a new house?

Engineering and grading review ($500), flood review in a flood zone, and the affordable housing development fee set by the Tax Assessor.

Where is the soil conservation district?

The Ocean County Soil Conservation District is at 714 Lacey Road in Forked River (609-971-7002).

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