Point Pleasant Borough, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In the Borough of Point Pleasant, Ocean County, the Building Department at 2233 Bridge Avenue (732-892-7129) reviews and inspects all construction, with Andrew Rempfer as Department Head and Construction Official. Zoning, floodplain and engineering approvals often come first, buildings in a flood zone are designed to the base flood elevation plus 3 feet, and inspections are requested on the SDL portal. The borough does not require a certificate of occupancy to sell or rent a home.

What requires a building permit in Point Pleasant?

The Building Department issues permits to construct, enlarge, alter, renovate, remove or repair a structure, and zoning approval is needed for the site work listed below. The borough’s forms and requirement sheets cover these project types.

What Point Pleasant decides and what the state holds

The technical rules are the state’s Uniform Construction Code. Point Pleasant controls zoning (with fees under Ordinance 2022-05, amended in 2024), its land use board fees in Section 19-20, grading and drainage review under Section 19-28.8, construction hours, the ban on rentals shorter than 30 days, and the local design flood elevation of base flood elevation plus 3 feet. The DCA roster names the Department of Community Affairs as the borough’s elevator subcode official.

Point Pleasant building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department handles construction permits and is led by Andrew Rempfer, Department Head and Construction Official, who is also the borough’s Floodplain Administrator. The DCA roster (as of September 2, 2026) lists him as construction official and building subcode official at 2233 Bridge Avenue. Zoning and code enforcement are a separate department in the same building. Point Pleasant Beach is a different borough with its own construction office and roster entry.

Point Pleasant permit types

The Forms & Applications page carries the construction permit jacket and 2026 fill-in versions of the building, electrical, fire, mechanical and plumbing subcode forms, plus the borough’s checklists.

Residential permits

• New homes and additions. The 2026 checklist asks for grading and drainage approval, zoning approval with two true-size surveys, soil conservation district approval for new homes, the borough’s COAH (affordable housing) form for new homes and additions, any DEP, CAFRA or permit-by-rule approval, a letter on protecting neighbors from debris, the builder’s new home registration or the contractor’s home improvement card, two hard-copy plan sets plus a PDF, plumbing and gas riser diagrams, appliance brochures and two REScheck certificates.
• Plans. Drawings must be signed and sealed, or signed by the homeowner, with the block, lot and address on every page; engineered lumber needs an engineer’s or architect’s seal, and a second-story addition not drawn by an architect needs an engineer’s foundation certification.
• Flood zone work. The elevation drawing must show grade, crawl space or slab elevation, the preliminary base flood elevation, the design flood elevation (base flood elevation plus 3 feet) and the finished floor.
• House raising. The house elevating requirements call for a $75 zoning application with a current survey, utility shut-off letters, a letter making the contractor responsible for protecting neighboring properties, a house elevation contractor certificate under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.37, and a foundation plan by a licensed architect or engineer showing flood vents with calculations, materials below the design flood elevation and the ridge height above the base flood elevation, using the higher of the effective or preliminary FEMA map.
• Pools and spas. Under the borough’s June 2022 pool guide, every in-ground, above-ground, on-ground or seasonal pool over 24 inches deep and every permanent or portable spa or hot tub needs zoning approval and a construction permit, and pool plans must be prepared by a New Jersey licensed professional rather than the contractor.
• Mechanical. The mechanical subcode form is used for new or replacement HVAC, generators and fireplaces in existing one- and two-family homes only, with a chimney verification form and Manual J, S and D load calculations.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work, condominiums, new construction and additions file HVAC on the plumbing and fire subcode forms instead of the mechanical form, with the building form for ductwork in new buildings or additions. New commercial buildings need soil conservation district approval, and site plans go to the Planning Board under the borough’s site plan and subdivision requirements; the borough also posts an exempt site plan application.

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

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning permit. Required to build, enlarge, intensify or change a use, and for signs, A/C platforms, generators, sheds and fences; the application needs an accurate survey to scale, two copies of a site plan and any building plans.
• Grading and drainage. Required for new construction, in-ground pools, detached accessory structures and first-floor additions with a grading plan.
• Floodplain review. The borough lists flood plain management among the most common prior approvals, and the borough says the newer preliminary FEMA maps are used for all construction even though they are not yet used for flood insurance; its house elevating guide takes the higher of the effective and preliminary base flood elevation.
• Boards. Variances and site plans go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment or the Planning Board; the approving resolution is part of the permit package.
• Roads and soil. Work in a borough road needs a roadway opening application, and the Ocean County Soil Conservation District certifies plans for new homes and commercial buildings.

Point Pleasant permit costs and fees

The construction (UCC) fee schedule is part of the borough code and is not posted on the Building Department page, so the office calculates construction fees at filing; the state training surcharge is added to them. The borough does post its zoning, grading and board fees:

Zoning fees follow Ordinance 2022-05 as amended in 2024. Board application fees in Section 19-20.1 are non-refundable and come on top of a professional review escrow deposit. A rejected grading plan adds $150, and recharge systems carry a separate $150 inspection fee within the $800 total.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical work go on their own 2026 subcode forms. The plumbing and electrical forms must be signed and sealed by the licensed plumber or electrician, or signed by a homeowner doing the work, checked off as an exempt applicant. New Jersey licenses electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors; a home improvement contractor must be registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and the borough asks for a copy of the signed registration card. New homes need the builder’s DCA registration card.

• Plumbing. List every fixture with the size of the existing and proposed water and sewer lines, and include two sets of plumbing and gas riser diagrams with pipe materials, run lengths and appliance BTUs.
• Fire. List the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, gas or oil appliances, stoves, dryers and fireplaces, with the manufacturers’ specifications.
• Water and sewer. On new construction, connection fees are paid to the borough Water/Sewer Department before the first plumbing inspection.

How to apply for a Point Pleasant building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

State rules give the office 20 business days to act on a complete application, and the borough says some applications are not reviewed at all until prior approvals such as zoning, floodplain management and engineering are granted. No vertical construction may start until the foundation location survey, and in a flood zone the top-of-block or banding elevation, has been submitted and approved. New construction and additions with a second floor need a licensed surveyor’s height certification, and at the final stage new homes, first-floor additions and in-ground pools with pavers need an as-built survey no larger than 11 by 17 inches, with a zoning coverage table.

Inspections and certificates in Point Pleasant

Request every inspection on the SDL portal or by calling 732-892-7129. Building, electrical, plumbing and fire inspectors all work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Inspectors will not inspect unless the permit is posted on the building and approved plans are on site, and a portable toilet must be on site before work begins. Construction is allowed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, never on Sundays or federal holidays, with a $1,000 fine per violation.

• Building sequence. Footing before the pour; driven piles with vibration monitoring and an engineer’s report; slab; foundation before backfill; open deck; sheathing; framing only after rough plumbing, fire and electrical pass, with the framing checklist; insulation; and finals.
• Energy and flood finals. Duct leakage and blower door test reports, a sealed elevation certificate in a flood zone, and documentation for any engineered flood vents.
• Engineering. Recharge systems must be inspected by the Borough Engineer before backfill, and the Ocean County Soil Conservation District does its own final inspection.

Selling or renting a home

Point Pleasant does not require a certificate of occupancy for the resale or rental of a home. The borough’s page says New Jersey law requires a smoke detector, carbon monoxide and fire extinguisher inspection when a one- or two-family home is sold or rented, and it sends owners to the Ocean County Fire Marshal (732-929-2088) for it. Rentals shorter than 30 days are not allowed in the borough, and pre-1978 rentals need a lead-based paint inspection at tenant turnover or every three years, with a $20 per unit filing fee and proof given to the Code Enforcement Office.

New Jersey building code in Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant enforces the state code through its own Building Department, with DCA holding the elevator subcode. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Borough of Point Pleasant (community 345313) in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated June 20, 2018 and a Community Rating System class 7, worth a 15% discount on eligible flood policies; for construction the borough works from the preliminary flood maps and designs to the base flood elevation plus 3 feet.

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

Point Pleasant permit search and official resources

Parcel and permit information is on the SDL Point Pleasant portal. Permits from before 1993 are not on it and need an Open Public Records Act request; the borough posts a separate OPRA form for building permit records.

• Building Department staff and contacts
• Building, Code Enforcement & Zoning: SDL portal, resale and flood rules
• Forms & Applications
• New construction / addition checklist (2026)
• Inspection requirements and hours (2024)
• Zoning permit application and fees
• Grading and drainage application (2026)
• Land use board fee schedule, Section 19-20
• House elevating requirements
• Pool requirements
• OPRA request form
• DCA Local Construction Contacts roster
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Point Pleasant building permit FAQs

Is Point Pleasant the same as Point Pleasant Beach?

No. The Borough of Point Pleasant has its own Building Department at 2233 Bridge Avenue; Point Pleasant Beach is a separate borough.

Do I need a CO to sell my house in Point Pleasant?

No borough certificate of occupancy is required, but the borough’s page lists a smoke detector, carbon monoxide and fire extinguisher inspection through the Ocean County Fire Marshal.

How high must a new house in a flood zone be?

Plans must show the design flood elevation, which the borough sets at the preliminary base flood elevation plus 3 feet.

When are inspections done?

Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., requested on the SDL portal or at 732-892-7129.

How much is a zoning permit for a fence?

$50, and the fence must stay on your side of the property line and at least 8½ feet from any roadway.

Can I work on a Sunday?

No. Construction is banned on Sundays and federal holidays, with a $1,000 fine per violation.

Can I rent my house for a week?

No. Rentals for less than 30 days are not allowed in the Borough of Point Pleasant.

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