Pine Hill Borough, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

The Borough of Pine Hill issues construction permits through its own Construction Office at 45 West 7th Avenue, where paperwork is dropped off and picked up from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (technical assistant, (856) 783-7400, ext. 202). Construction Official James Gallagher is available on Monday and Wednesday evenings and by appointment on Friday evenings. A zoning permit, $30 for a home project, comes first, and the resale certificate of occupancy is handled by the Pine Hill Fire Department rather than the construction office.

What requires a building permit in Pine Hill?

Pine Hill applies the statewide Uniform Construction Code: new buildings, additions, alterations and the electrical, plumbing, fire protection and mechanical systems inside them need a construction permit, ordinary maintenance needs none, and minor work may start once the office has been told. The borough’s zoning permit application shows the outdoor projects that pass through zoning first: decks, fences, attached and detached garages, sheds, above-ground and in-ground pools, and roof or ground solar arrays.

The fence rules come from the borough’s posted extracts of Chapter 10 (Building and Housing) and Chapter 23 (land use) and its fence FAQ sheet. Privacy fences up to 6 feet are allowed in side and rear yards but may not run past the front wall of the house; a fence over 6 feet needs both a construction permit and Zoning Board approval. The finished side faces out, fences must stay inside the property line and out of easements and buffers, and barbed wire, poultry netting, electrified materials and similar fencing are banned. On a corner lot the 30-inch limit applies within 100 feet of the point where the street centerlines meet. The official-use box on each zoning permit records whether the Construction Office or the Planning and Zoning Board must also approve the project.

What Pine Hill decides and what the state holds

Building, electrical, plumbing and fire standards are the state’s. Pine Hill controls who enforces them locally, the permit fees in section 10-1.2 of its code, its zoning ordinance and Planning and Zoning Board, its rental registration program, and now the way applications reach the office: Borough Council adopted Ordinance 2026-1070 on August 17, 2026, providing for an internet portal in the permit process.

Pine Hill building department: who handles permitting

The borough’s Construction Office is the enforcing agency. DCA’s roster dated September 2, 2026 names James Gallagher as construction official, lists local officials for the building, electrical, fire protection and plumbing subcodes, and shows the elevator subcode held by the Department of Community Affairs. The roster’s office line is 856-783-3856 with a Clementon mailing address; the borough’s own pages use (856) 783-7400 and the Pine Hill address of the same building.

Borough hall closes for lunch from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, opens at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday and stays open that evening until 8:00 p.m. Many offices are staffed by one person, so the borough suggests calling ahead. The zoning officer also serves as the borough’s code compliance official, so fence and property complaints reach the same extension, 209.

Pine Hill permit types

The Construction Office posts the state application jacket and the building, electrical, fire, mechanical and plumbing technical forms on its page. A typical home project needs the jacket, the sections for each trade, plans and the approved zoning permit.

Residential permits

• Decks, garages and additions. Zoning permit with a site survey showing the exact size and location, then the building and any trade sections.
• Pools. The zoning form separates above-ground and in-ground pools; both then need construction review.
• Solar. Roof and ground arrays both need a zoning permit, and the borough requires engineered plans for every solar project.
• Fences. Pine Hill’s older fence section calls for a building permit from the borough building inspector, and the current zoning form lists fences among the structures it covers.

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

Commercial permits

Business projects use the same zoning form at the $50 commercial fee and then the state UCC application, with sealed plans where the code requires them. Sign fees are worked out by the zoning office after it reviews the plans. Larger developments, variances and site plans go to the Planning and Zoning Board, whose secretary is at ext. 205.

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

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning permit. $30 for residential and $50 for commercial applications, paid in cash, check or money order, with a site survey and a brochure or picture of the structure. The applicant takes responsibility for setbacks, final grading and drainage, and the permit expires 12 months after approval and cannot be transferred.
• Planning and Zoning Board. Needed when the zoning officer refers a project for a variance or site plan.
• Water and sewer. Water and sewer service and connections are handled by the Pine Hill MUA.
• Soil disturbance. More than 5,000 square feet needs a plan certified by the DelAtlantic Soil Conservation District, West Berlin office (856-767-6299).
• Septic and wells. Where a lot is not on MUA service, the Camden County Septic and Wells Unit (856-374-6064) reviews septic plans and private well tests.

Pine Hill permit costs and fees

Construction permit and subcode fees are set in section 10-1.2 of the borough code, titled “Building Construction Permit and Subcode Fees”. The amounts sit in the codified chapter rather than on the borough site, so ask the technical assistant for the fee on your job. Ordinance 2026-1070, adopted on August 17, 2026, added one new charge to that section: a $25 administrative fee for each new construction permit and each permit update processed through the internet portal.

Paper applications remain available, and the ordinance ties the $25 charge to permits handled through the portal. If you are budgeting a whole project, add the zoning fee, the subcode fees for each trade, the state surcharge and, where the lot needs them, the soil district and county health fees.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, fire protection and mechanical work goes on the matching technical forms that Pine Hill posts with the construction jacket, and each is inspected by the borough’s subcode official for that trade. Lifts and elevators are reviewed by DCA, which holds the elevator subcode here.

• Who may do the work. New Jersey has no general contractor license. Home improvement contractors must be registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and new-home builders with DCA; electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors carry state licenses.
• Owners. An owner doing work on their own home is exempt from contractor registration, but still files the permit and books the inspections.
• Solar. Treated as both zoning and construction work; the engineered plans go with the zoning form, and the electrical section covers the array’s wiring.
• Trade inspection window. Electrical, fire and plumbing inspections are done on Monday and Wednesday between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m.

How to apply for a Pine Hill building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The state gives the office 20 business days to act on a complete application, and the permit cannot be issued before the zoning approval. The Construction Official is available in the evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays and by appointment on Friday evenings, so questions for the Construction Official are best saved for those sessions. Missing surveys, solar jobs without engineered plans and zoning permits that lapsed after 12 months are the avoidable delays. A refusal can be appealed to the Camden County Construction Board of Appeals within 15 days, with a $50 filing fee.

Inspections and certificates in Pine Hill

Pine Hill inspects on two afternoons a week. Building inspections are made on Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and electrical, fire and plumbing inspections on Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Ordinance 2026-1070 provides for electronic inspection requests and scheduling through the portal. State rules ask for at least 24 hours’ notice and bar use of a new building until the certificate of occupancy is issued.

Selling a home. The borough sends sellers who need a certificate of occupancy for a resale to the Pine Hill Fire Department at (856) 783-8666 rather than to the Construction Office.

Renting a home. Every residential rental must be registered and inspected before anyone moves in, and again each year or at each change of occupancy, whichever comes first. Owners contact the construction office’s technical assistant for the Certificate of Habitability, and an amended registration is due within 20 days of any change, free unless the owner changes. The borough treats any home lived in by someone other than the owner as a rental, paid or not. Registration costs $50 for the calendar year, with renewal invoices mailed in January and due April 1; a new tenant means a $50 inspection before move-in, failed items must be fixed within 30 days, and a re-inspection costs $25. A vacant unit must stay empty, furniture included, until it passes, and owners must tell the office when they sell.

New Jersey building code in Pine Hill

Pine Hill enforces the Uniform Construction Code itself, with DCA responsible for elevators. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the borough (community 340143) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with maps dated June 16, 2009 and marked as having no base flood elevations determined. Pine Hill is not on the Pinelands Commission’s list of Camden County Pinelands municipalities.

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

Pine Hill permit search and official resources

To get copies of permits, approvals or inspection records, use the borough’s OPRA request form; since September 3, 2024 Pine Hill accepts requests only on its updated form. Council agendas and minutes, including the August 2026 action on the permit portal, are posted on the council minutes page.

• Pine Hill Construction Office
• Construction permit application jacket
• Planning and Zoning office
• Zoning Permit Application (rev. June 2025)
• Borough business hours
• Borough fence requirements
• Rental property registration and inspection
• Rental property FAQ (fees and inspections)
• Frequently asked fence questions
• Pine Hill MUA (water and sewer)
• OPRA request form
• Council agendas and minutes
• August 17, 2026 council minutes (Ordinance 2026-1070 adopted)
• DCA Local Construction Contacts roster
• Camden County Construction Board of Appeals
• Camden County Septic and Wells Unit
• DelAtlantic Soil Conservation District
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Pine Hill building permit FAQs

Can I apply for a Pine Hill permit online?

Ordinance 2026-1070, adopted August 17, 2026, provides for an internet portal for applications, plans, payments and inspection requests, with a $25 fee per new permit or update; paper filing remains allowed.

How much is a zoning permit?

$30 for a residential project and $50 for a commercial one; the permit is void 12 months after approval.

Who issues the certificate of occupancy when I sell my house?

The Pine Hill Fire Department, at (856) 783-8666.

How tall can my fence be?

Front-yard fences are limited to 36 inches, or 30 inches on a corner lot, and closed fences along front or side lot lines to 3 feet under the borough’s posted rules.

When does the Construction Official see the public?

Monday 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Friday 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. by appointment.

Do rentals need an inspection?

Yes. Rentals are registered for $50 a year and inspected before occupancy, then every year or at each change of tenant.

Can I build a fence taller than 6 feet?

Only with a construction permit and Zoning Board approval; 6-foot privacy fences are the limit in side and rear yards otherwise.

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