Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Oakland, New Jersey

Borough of Oakland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and land uses controlled by Oakland Borough's land-use chapter.

  • The work or use must conform to district regulations; owner, agent, or contractor must first obtain a zoning permit from the Zoning Enforcement Official.

  “No building shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, extended, converted, modified, altered or demolished, nor shall any land be used for any non-building use controlled by the within chapter, unless in conformity with all the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located, and furthermore, the owner, his agent or contractor shall first obtain a zoning permit from the Zoning Enforcement Official.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings and structures in Oakland flood-hazard areas authorized by permit.

  • This claim addresses the flood-hazard inspection requirement, not all construction inspections.

  “The Construction Official shall make or cause to be made, inspections for buildings and structures in flood hazard areas authorized by permit in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Oakland Borough.

  • Article VII regulations apply by zoning district; the most restrictive applicable lawful rule governs where requirements conflict.

  “This Article is intended to regulate the use of land within zoning districts, secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers, provide adequate light and air, promote orderly development, avoid undue concentration of population, prevent the overcrowding of lands or buildings, establish standards of development, limit congestion in the street, prohibit incompatible uses, regulate the alteration of existing buildings, protect against hazards, conserve the value of land, preserve open space and natural features and encourage the inclusion of aesthetics, amenities of living and a balance of public services.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Oakland Borough.

  • The adopted zoning map is referenced by the ordinance; specific district controls are contained in Chapter 59 and attachments.

  “the Borough of Oakland, in the County of Bergen, is hereby divided into the following classes of zones, in accordance with the Zoning Map hereinafter adopted and referred to in § 59-46B here:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Development in Oakland zoning districts governed by Schedule A.

  • Schedule A controls lot and yard sizes and bulk requirements; district-specific numeric extraction remains outstanding.

  “Yards; Area; Height. See Schedule A, Limiting Lot and Yard Sizes and Bulk Principal Building and Use.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential zoning districts inside Oakland Borough.

  • Schedule A specifies the applicable district setback; existing-block front-yard averaging can control, but front yard cannot be below 30 feet in blocks with less than 1,000 feet of frontage.

  front-yard minimum in specified short blocks: >= 30 feet (Blocks having less than 1,000 feet in frontage, subject to § 59-60A(3).)

  “In any residential zone, a front yard is required on every lot which shall be at all points of a depth of not less than as specified in Schedule A: Limiting Lot and Yard Sizes and Bulk Principal Building and Use; provided, however, that where the existing front yards observed by the buildings within the same block are of a greater or lesser depth than specified in Schedule A: Limiting Lot and Yard Sizes and Bulk Principal Building and Use, the front yard shall be at least equal in depth to the average depth of such existing front yard within the same block, but in no case shall the depth of the front yard be less than 30 feet in blocks having less than 1,000 feet in frontage, subject to the provisions of § 59-60A(3).”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Development in Oakland zoning districts governed by Schedule A.

  • Schedule A controls district height limits.

  “Yards; Area; Height. See Schedule A, Limiting Lot and Yard Sizes and Bulk Principal Building and Use.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Oakland Borough.

  • Construction permits are issued only to an Oakland Board of Health licensed septic installer.

  “Individual sewage disposal systems, or parts thereof, shall not be covered until inspected by the Board of Health or its designated representative and permission granted for such backfill.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction or alteration of individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Oakland Borough.

  • Construction permit is issued only to an Oakland Board of Health licensed septic installer.
  • Alternative waste-treatment units require a $100 additional monitoring fee.

  new-system permit fee: 525 USD · alteration permit fee: 350 USD

  “The fee for a permit to construct a new individual subsurface sewage disposal system shall be $525. The fee for a permit to alter an existing individual subsurface sewage disposal system shall be $350. The permit to construct or alter any septic system which includes an alternative waste treatment unit shall require the payment of an additional fee of $100 for the monitoring by the Board of Health of the maintenance of service contracts thereon.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Individual sewage-disposal systems requiring reinspection inside Oakland Borough.

  • Reinspection fee applies when the permittee fails to locate, construct, alter, renovate, repair, or extend the system as required by the permit or a Board of Health order.

  reinspection fee: 100 USD per hour or portion thereof

  “The fee for each reinspection of an individual sewage disposal system, or part thereof, caused by the failure of the permittee to locate, construct, alter, renovate, repair or extend the same in accordance with the requirements of the permit or any written order of a duly authorized agent of the Board of Health shall be $100 for each hour or portion thereof which may be spent at the site by the Board of Health or its designated representative.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of occupied lots inside Oakland Borough.

  • The subdivision must comply with all Borough ordinances before a building permit may issue for the new lot.

  “Subdivision of occupied lots. Where a lot is formed from part of a lot already occupied by a building, such separation shall be effected in such a manner as not to violate any of the requirements of this chapter with respect to the existing building and all yards and other open spaces required therefor, and no permit shall be issued for the election of a building on the new lot thus formed unless the subdivision complies with all the provisions of all ordinances of the Borough of Oakland.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in any Oakland flood-hazard area.

  • Development without an issued permit, or conflicting with its issued permit, is a violation; building-code compliance documentation is required.

  “Any development in any flood hazard area that is being performed without an issued permit or that is in conflict with an issued permit shall be deemed a violation.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Individual sewage-disposal permits inside Oakland Borough.

  • Alternative waste-treatment units carry an additional $100 monitoring fee.

  new-system septic permit fee: 525 USD · alteration septic permit fee: 350 USD

  “The fee for a permit to construct a new individual subsurface sewage disposal system shall be $525. The fee for a permit to alter an existing individual subsurface sewage disposal system shall be $350.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning-controlled building work and land uses inside Oakland Borough.

  • The applicant must obtain the zoning permit before the covered work or use; it must conform to the district regulations.

  “No building shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, extended, converted, modified, altered or demolished, nor shall any land be used for any non-building use controlled by the within chapter, unless in conformity with all the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located, and furthermore, the owner, his agent or contractor shall first obtain a zoning permit from the Zoning Enforcement Official.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Oakland

Borough of Oakland does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in Oakland residential zones.

  • Minimum floor area is controlled by Schedule D; listed square-foot areas exclude basements or cellars, attics, heating rooms, garages, porches, and breezeways.

  “Compliance to schedule required. In a residential zone, no dwelling shall hereafter be erected unless it complies with the minimum floor area requirements set forth in Schedule D: Minimum Livable Floor Area in Residential Zones, which is hereby made a part of this chapter, fixing the minimum floor areas of residential buildings.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Oakland or Bergen County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Oakland Borough.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Oakland Borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Oakland Borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Oakland Borough.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Oakland Borough.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Borough of Oakland means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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