Randolph Township, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

In Randolph Township the Office of Construction Codes, the building department at the Municipal Building, 502 Millbrook Avenue (973-989-7070; building@randolphnj.org), reviews plans, issues construction permits and certificates and inspects the work; its construction official reports to the township’s health officer. The Planning/Zoning Division reviews exterior work for zoning before a permit issues, and the Engineering Division requires a lot grading permit ($100, plus $300 where a grading plan is needed) for new buildings, in-ground pools, retaining walls and site work adding 500 square feet of impervious cover. DCA holds the elevator subcode here.

What requires a building permit in Randolph?

Under the Uniform Construction Code, ordinary maintenance is exempt from permits and minor work may start once the office is notified. Randolph’s FAQ puts it simply: if the job is more than a repair of a building, electrical, plumbing or fire element, a permit is probably needed. The township’s own table of common homeowner projects:

The same table marks carpeting, painting, landscaping, gutters, storm windows and doors, sheetrock or plaster repairs and duct repairs as needing neither, and septic construction or abandonment, connection to the public sewer, removal of an underground fuel or septic tank, burglar alarms and lawn sprinklers as needing a construction permit only. Working without a required permit can bring fines of up to $2,000 a day, and an after-the-fact application still needs zoning approval and possibly a variance, with removal of the work if that is refused. The state’s ordinary-maintenance rule (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7) lists the repair or replacement of existing roof covering on detached one- and two-family dwellings, and of existing siding on one- and two-family dwellings, as work that needs no permit, so ask the Office of Construction Codes how it classes a roofing or siding job on a house.

What Randolph decides and what the state holds

The technical code belongs to the state. Randolph’s own rules are its Land Development Ordinance (lot grading under Chapter 15-52, stormwater control in Article VIII, soil movement and tree protection), its health ordinances on septic systems and wells, and its right-of-way and street obstruction permits. On November 3, 2026 the Mayor and Council adopted Ordinance 24-26, which amends the stormwater control article to match the revised NJDEP Stormwater Management Rules (N.J.A.C. 7:8). Randolph is also one of the 88 municipalities the Highlands Council lists in the New Jersey Highlands region, and its Planning Board set a special hearing on a master plan reexamination report for November 2026.

Randolph building department: who handles permitting

The Office of Construction Codes is Randolph’s enforcing agency. It sits within the township’s Department of Health and Construction Codes, and its subcode officials also inspect property and issue violation notices. On DCA’s roster (as of September 2, 2026) the building, electrical, fire protection and plumbing subcodes are held locally, and the Department of Community Affairs holds the elevator subcode, so elevator and lift work goes to the state even though the township’s FAQ lists elevator as one of the five permit sections.

Randolph permit types

Randolph asks for the short UCC-F170 construction permit form with every application (type of work, work site, contractor and estimated cost), the F100 application with its certification in lieu of oath signed, and the technical sections the job needs.

Residential permits

• Building (F110). Decks, pools, sheds over 200 square feet and other interior and exterior construction.
• Fuel-fired equipment. Replacement or new furnaces, boilers, fireplaces and chimney liners need the F370 chimney verification signed by a certified professional, with liner specifications for a new liner.
• New construction. The builder fills in the F390 framing checklist, which goes to the building inspector when the framing inspection is booked.
• Driveways and sidewalks. Removing and replacing an existing driveway or sidewalk takes the Engineering Division’s $50 residential permit with 24 hours’ notice before work; widening the driveway or changing the curb needs a right-of-way permit instead.
• Dumpsters in the road. A street obstruction permit from the township clerk, free, valid seven days and renewable up to 30 days in total, with yellow reflective 18-inch panels on both ends.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same F110 building section and the other subcode sections, and non-residential projects file the state non-residential development fee certification or exemption form. Site plans go to the Planning Board through the Planning Office, whose forms cover concept, minor and major site plans, amendments and extensions. Retail food, public bathing and other health licenses are handled by the Health Department.

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. For exterior changes, the zoning officer reviews a plot plan or survey before the construction permit; work that does not comply needs a variance from the Board of Adjustment, filed with 12 collated copies for a residential “c” variance.
• Lot grading. Under Chapter 15-52, any land disturbance for a new building, in-ground pool or retaining wall, or for site work with 500 square feet or more of new impervious area or 2,000 square feet or more of disturbance, needs the Engineering Division’s lot grading permit first. That permit is issued subject to every other local and state approval, and the engineer notes on it whether a tree removal permit or a soil movement permit is also needed.
• Water. The township posts a June 2018 notice that a Superior Court scarce resource order limits new water connections and allocations for developments, with exemptions such as single-family homes that are not part of a development; board approvals give no vested right to public water.
• Septic and wells. Randolph requires a Health Department permit for any work on a septic system or well, however minor. A new septic system must be designed by a licensed professional engineer, who submits the application and plans; nothing may be built or connected until the permit issues, and the Health Department completes every inspection before the system is accepted. Most repairs also need an engineer, and owners must call the department before attempting one without one.
• County and soil district. Morris County reviews site plans on county roads, and the soil conservation district certifies larger disturbances (973-285-2953).

Randolph permit costs and fees

Randolph does not post its construction permit fee schedule on its website (the township code is hosted on Municode), so the Office of Construction Codes calculates the fee once the application is approved; the state surcharge is added. Fees the township does publish:

Land use board application fees and escrows are set by the Planning Office after it reviews a copy of the application; they are paid by separate checks, with a W-9 form for the escrow.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Randolph is explicit about trade sections: a licensed electrician must sign and seal the electrical section, and a licensed plumber the plumbing section, unless the homeowners are doing the work themselves in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling. The fire protection section needs its certification in lieu of oath signed. Each subcode official reviews and later inspects their own section.

• Home improvement contractors: the township’s FAQ notes that the Office of Construction Codes cannot issue a permit to an unregistered home improvement contractor who is required to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
• Licenses: New Jersey has no general contractor license; electrical contractors, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold state licenses, and new-home builders register with DCA.
• Wells: wells are drilled by DEP-licensed firms and approved by DEP before use (609-292-5550).

How to apply for a Randolph building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications may be approved, rejected or returned for more information; a rejected applicant can correct and resubmit or appeal, and appeals go to the Morris County Construction Board of Appeals. The UCC limit for a decision on a complete application is 20 business days. As the township’s FAQ points out, applications that change a building’s footprint, the lot coverage or the use of the space may also need zoning approval, so settle zoning before filing.

Inspections and certificates in Randolph

The permit lists the inspections the project needs. As work proceeds, use the inspection schedule and call the Office of Construction Codes (973-989-7070) to book each progress inspection; each major phase is checked against the code, the permit and the approved plans. After the final inspections the construction official issues a certificate of occupancy or a certificate of approval, and the project is not complete until then. The zoning officer separately issues zoning certificates of occupancy.

Lot grading work has its own Engineering inspections, booked at 973-989-7066: an initial erosion and sediment control inspection, the stormwater management excavation and structure, and a final closeout with an as-built. The Health Department inspects septic installations before a new system is accepted.

The township pages do not describe a resale inspection program or say which office issues the state certificate of smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm compliance needed before a one- or two-family home is sold or leased; the Office of Construction Codes is the office to ask. Rental dwellings are registered through the Health Department’s rental registration form, and multiple-dwelling rentals are among its environmental health inspections.

New Jersey building code in Randolph

Randolph enforces the state code with its own subcode officials and DCA covering elevators. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the township (community 340358) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps effective June 18, 1987; the Engineering Division works with owners on NJDEP stormwater and floodplain rules and posts an overview of the NJDEP building and construction permitting changes made in July 2023. The Randolph Health Department also serves Roxbury, Rockaway Borough and Chester Township, according to the Morris County health department list.

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

Randolph permit search and official resources

Randolph does not offer an online permit search, and its permit pages do not describe a records request process. Permit files are held by the Office of Construction Codes, so ask there first for a property’s permit history and how to get copies. Legal notices of ordinances and board hearings have been posted on the township’s Public Notices page since January 1, 2026.

• Randolph Office of Construction Codes
• Construction permits and requirements table
• Construction permit FAQs
• Township forms
• Planning / Zoning Division
• Instructions for land use applications
• Scarce resource order notice (water)
• Engineering Division
• Lot grading permit application
• Residential driveway and sidewalk permit
• Street obstruction permit
• Septic systems and wells
• Public notices
• Morris County Soil Conservation District
• Highlands Council: municipalities and counties
• DCA roster of local construction offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Randolph building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Randolph?

Replacing a roof needs a construction permit but no zoning approval; repairs to less than 25% of the roof need neither.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

A new or replacement fence needs zoning approval only; a fence around a pool or over 6 feet also needs a construction permit.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

Yes, if you own and live in a single-family house; otherwise a licensed electrician or plumber signs and seals the section.

When do I need a lot grading permit?

For new buildings, in-ground pools, retaining walls, or site work adding 500 square feet of impervious area or disturbing 2,000 square feet. It costs $100, plus $300 if a grading plan is required.

What happens if I build without a permit?

Fines of up to $2,000 a day, plus after-the-fact zoning approval and possibly a variance; if refused, the work may have to come out.

Who handles septic and well permits?

The Randolph Health Department (973-989-7050). A new residential septic system costs $100 for review and $300 for the permit.

Can I put a dumpster in the street?

With a free street obstruction permit from the township clerk, valid seven days and renewable to 30.

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