Paterson's UCC Construction/Buildings office enforces the Uniform Construction Code from a single office at 111 Broadway, and Chapter 183 of the city code attaches two conditions the state code does not: before a construction permit issues, the applicant files a certification from the Tax Collector that all municipal taxes and assessments on the property are paid and current, and every permit carries a $20 safe disposal fee for debris, with documentation of disposal at a licensed facility filed before the certificate of occupancy.
The city's four municipal historic districts — Great Falls, Downtown Commercial, Eastside Park and Court House — add a third layer. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews building permit applications for exterior alterations in the districts and on designated landmarks, and every demolition in Paterson, wherever it stands, requires the commission's approval.
This guide covers the City of Paterson. Clifton, Passaic, Wayne and the rest of Passaic County's municipalities each run their own enforcing agency, and the county issues no construction permits.
Two Chapter 183 conditions found late. The ordinance says the applicant shall file with the Construction Official a certification from the Tax Collector that municipal taxes and assessments are current before a permit issues, and that the permit fee is the sum of the subcode fees plus a $20 safe disposal fee for debris, paid before issuance — with proof of disposal at a licensed facility filed before the certificate of occupancy.
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Get a free quote →What requires a building permit in Paterson?
Typically permit required
- Exterior alterations in the Great Falls, Downtown Commercial, Eastside Park or Court House historic districts, reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission
- Every demolition in the city, which needs commission approval regardless of location
- Signs and awnings, filed with the zoning permit application
- New buildings, additions and any structural work on an existing building
- Interior alterations that reconfigure space, add plumbing fixtures or extend circuits — renovation, alteration and reconstruction under the rehabilitation subcode
- Decks, and sheds over 200 square feet, over 10 feet tall or with a water, gas, oil or sewer connection
Often exempt
- Ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 — though exterior changes in a historic district still go to the commission
- Painting, wallpapering and interior finishes on less than a quarter of the wall area of a house
- Like-for-like replacement of windows and doors in the same opening, and glass in any window or door
- Roof covering replacement on a detached one- or two-family dwelling, and siding replacement on a one- or two-family dwelling (not polypropylene siding)
- Garden sheds up to 200 square feet and 10 feet high with no water, gas, oil or sewer connection (wiring still needs an electrical permit), and fences up to 6 feet other than pool barriers — local zoning rules still apply to both
What is actually local, and what is not
Technical standards are the state's. Paterson's layer is the local enforcing agency — the construction official and the building, electrical, plumbing and fire subcode officials, each licensed by the state under N.J.A.C. 5:23-5 — plus the municipal fee ordinance, the zoning officer's sign-off, and the Tax Collector's certification and the historic commission's review that Chapter 183 and the preservation ordinance place ahead of the permit.
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
Who handles permitting in Paterson?
The UCC Construction/Buildings office is the enforcing agency; its building, electrical, plumbing and fire inspectors are licensed by the Department of Community Affairs and issue permits, inspect, and issue certificates of occupancy and continued certificates of occupancy. The zoning officer issues the zoning permit that precedes the construction permit, and the Historic Preservation Commission advises the Planning Board and Zoning Board and reviews permit applications in the districts.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Paterson UCC Construction/Buildings office — Department of Economic Development (Chapter 183 places it in the Community Improvements Division) |
| Office | 111 Broadway, Paterson, NJ 07505 |
| Phone | (973) 321-1549 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm |
| Before issuance | Tax Collector certification that taxes and assessments are current |
| Historic Preservation Commission | Staff at (973) 321-1220; meets monthly at City Hall, 155 Market Street |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In 2025, building permits issued in Paterson authorized 277 new privately owned housing units, 2 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
A Paterson house project takes a zoning permit from the zoning officer first, then files the state UCC jacket at 111 Broadway with the tax certification. Contractors put the home improvement registration number on the application. In a historic district the commission reviews exterior work against the district's design guidelines before the permit, and a rental property in a mixed commercial building carries the city's re-rental inspection.
Commercial permits
Commercial work in Paterson files the zoning permit and, where the Planning Board or Zoning Board is involved, carries the commission's advice on the application. Chapter 183 prices new construction by building volume with a stated minimum, the fire subcode official issues permits for fire protection work, and a change of use needs a new certificate of occupancy after every subcode official has signed.
Prior approvals, subcode review and the 20-day clock
In Paterson the Passaic River and its floodway shape the map: DEP flood hazard approvals apply along the river and the Great Falls, and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission signs off on connections. Once complete, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16 gives the enforcing agency 20 business days to approve or reject a complete application, with a written list of deficiencies on any rejection.
New Jersey has no general contractor licence: home improvement contractors register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, new-home builders with the Department of Community Affairs, and the trades hold state licences. New Jersey rules
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Paterson permit costs and fees
Fees follow Chapter 183 of the Paterson city code: the sum of the subcode fees plus the safe disposal fee, paid before the permit issues, with volume-based charges for new construction.
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Construction permit | Sum of the subcode fees plus a $20 safe disposal fee for debris |
| New construction | Three and four-tenths cents per cubic foot of building volume, with a $50 minimum |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $35 |
| Before issuance | Tax Collector certification that municipal taxes and assessments are current |
| Before the certificate | Documentation that debris went to a licensed facility |
| State training fee | Added to most permits under N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.19 (demolition and abatement permits are exempt) |
The debris fee has a second half. The $20 is the easy part. Chapter 183 also requires the applicant to file documentation with the Construction Official verifying that all debris has been disposed of at a licensed facility before a certificate of occupancy issues — keep the disposal receipts from the first dumpster.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Fire protection work — a permit from the fire subcode official under Chapter 183
- Electrical — state-licensed electrical contractor; electrical subcode section
- Plumbing and gas piping — state-licensed master plumber; plumbing subcode section under the NSPC
- HVAC and fuel-fired equipment — licensed HVACR contractor; mechanical or fire subcode section
- Fire protection, alarms and sprinklers — fire protection subcode section, reviewed by the fire protection subcode official
Typically exempt
- Like-for-like fixture, receptacle, switch and light fixture replacement in the same location
- Communications wiring, doorbells and burglar alarms in a house, where no fire-rated assembly is penetrated
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Trade work is permitted through the same construction permit application and inspected by each subcode official. New Jersey rules
How to apply for a Paterson building permit
A zoning permit or planning board approval under the Municipal Land Use Law precedes the construction permit.
The home improvement registration number, or the new-home builder registration card, goes on the application.
One F100 application with the building, electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical sections the scope requires, plus sealed plans where the UCC demands them.
Soil conservation, county planning board, DEP or overlay agency sign-offs are attached before the permit can issue.
Fees follow the local ordinance plus the state training fee surcharge; the plan review fee is usually paid when you apply and the rest before the permit issues.
Footing to final under 5:23-2.18, then the certificate of occupancy or approval that closes the permit.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Paterson reviews at one office and on the state's 20-business-day clock. The items that stall applications here are the zoning permit not yet issued, a tax certification not yet obtained, and historic district work filed without the commission's review; the commission's monthly meeting calendar sets the pace for anything in the four districts.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Paterson
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.18 sets the inspection sequence statewide — bottom of footing trenches, foundation and backfill, rough framing, electrical and plumbing, insulation, and final — and the enforcing agency must inspect within three business days of the request. Work that passes final receives a certificate of occupancy for new buildings or changes of use, or a certificate of approval for everything else. Paterson's inspectors are licensed by the state and inspect by subcode; the certificate of occupancy waits for the debris disposal documentation as well as the final inspections, and continued certificates of occupancy are issued by the same division.
Paterson permit search and official resources
- Paterson UCC Construction and Buildings — the city’s construction code office
- Paterson Code Chapter 183 — Construction Codes, Uniform — tax certification, safe disposal fee and subcode fees
- Paterson Historic Preservation Commission — district maps, design guidelines and the demolition rule
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23) — the statewide code and subcode adoptions from the Department of Community Affairs
- DCA rule proposals and adoptions — the August 2026 notice adopting the 2024 model codes and 2023 NEC
- Home improvement contractor registration — Division of Consumer Affairs registration
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
What does Paterson require before a permit issues?
A certification from the Tax Collector that all municipal taxes and assessments on the property are paid and current, plus payment of the subcode fees and the $20 safe disposal fee.
Is there a fee for demolition debris?
Chapter 183 adds a $20 safe disposal fee to every construction permit, and requires documentation that debris went to a licensed facility before the certificate of occupancy.
Does every demolition go to the historic commission?
Yes. Paterson requires Historic Preservation Commission approval for all demolitions, regardless of whether the property is in a district.
Which districts trigger design review?
Great Falls, Downtown Commercial, Eastside Park and Court House, plus designated landmarks; exterior alterations are reviewed against the district design guidelines.
How is new construction priced?
By volume — three and four-tenths cents per cubic foot — with a $50 minimum, plus the other subcode fees and the state training fee.
Which code edition applies?
The New Jersey editions of the 2024 I-codes with the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 National Standard Plumbing Code, effective August 17, 2026, with a six-month grace period during which the 2021 editions may still be used.
Simplify Paterson permitting with Alliance Permitting
Paterson's ordinance puts three things ahead of the permit that most applicants meet at the counter: the tax certification, the zoning permit and the commission's review. We assemble all three before filing at 111 Broadway and keep the disposal paperwork the certificate will need.
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Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the City of Paterson UCC Construction/Buildings office, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More New Jersey permitting guides
More New Jersey permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Paterson permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.