Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Westwood, New Jersey

At a glance

Building permit

Required; issued by the borough's Construction & Building Department²⁵

Zoning

Borough zoning, 16 zone districts; zoning approval is a first step⁶³

Zoning application fee

$50³

Septic

Health department with jurisdiction approves the plan before a building permit; Westwood's arrangement unconfirmed⁴

Owner-builder

Owner-built homes need an affidavit filed with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy⁷

Certificate of occupancy

Required for new buildings⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does Westwood, New Jersey have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Yes. The Borough of Westwood zones its own land under Chapter 195 of its code, which divides the borough into 16 zone districts⁶, and any use not expressly permitted in a district is prohibited¹. Bergen County does not zone for the borough; the State of New Jersey gives zoning power to municipalities, not counties⁹.

District-specific limits such as lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building height are set by the borough's zoning ordinance¹⁰¹¹. We could not confirm the figures for any Westwood district, or what the ordinance says about RVs and tiny homes; call the Westwood Zoning Office¹² with your parcel's address before you plan anything.

Do you need a building permit in Westwood, and who issues it?

Yes. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code requires a construction permit for construction, alteration, repair and demolition of buildings⁵, and Westwood enforces that code through its own agency, the Westwood enforcement agency². Permits come from the borough's Construction & Building Department¹³, not from Bergen County.

Zoning approval comes first for new construction, additions, decks, retaining walls, sheds, pools and fences, and the borough says it is a prior approval obtained before applying for the building permit¹⁴. Westwood's zoning application carries a $50.00 fee³. Moving 150 cubic yards or more of soil needs its own soil movement permit³.

How much do building permits cost in Westwood?

Westwood publishes its construction fee schedule in Chapter 129 of the borough code¹⁵. The minimum fee for a new principal structure in use group R-5 is $1,200¹⁵. Fees are payable to the borough under the uniform construction code, so the figure for your project depends on its size and the subcodes involved¹⁶. Ask the Construction & Building Department¹³ for an estimate before you budget.

How do septic permits work in Westwood?

A building permit for a building that will use septic cannot be issued until the construction official receives proof that the health department approved the septic plan⁴. A certificate of occupancy likewise requires a certificate of compliance for the system⁴.

Bergen County Health Services reviews septic plans only for municipalities that contract with it, and not every Bergen County municipality does¹⁷. We could not confirm whether Westwood's own Board of Health or the county handles septic plans inside the borough, so ask the borough office or Bergen County Health Services¹⁸ before you assume a septic system is possible.

Building a home in Westwood: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zoning district and its dimensional limits with the Zoning Office¹².
2. File a zoning application with a survey, the $50.00 fee included³.
3. Collect prior approvals, including county approval if the property fronts a county road¹⁴.
4. Apply for the building permit through the Construction & Building Department¹³.
5. Request inspections as work progresses; the borough carries out periodic inspections under the state code¹⁹.
6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy; occupying without one can bring a penalty up to $2,000¹⁹.

An owner who built or worked on a new home must file an affidavit with the construction official before the certificate is issued⁷.

What stays with Bergen County, and what to check before you buy in Westwood

Land outside the borough falls under Bergen County and other municipalities; see the Bergen County page for those answers. Inside Westwood, state rules still apply on top of the borough's: a driveway or work fronting a State highway needs state access approval²⁰, and a new private well needs a state well permit²¹.

Check whether the parcel sits in a flood area or wetland, which can require a state jurisdictional determination before a permit application proceeds¹⁴. We could not confirm Westwood's flood or driveway ordinances; the Construction & Building Department¹³ can say which apply.

Watch-outs

• Zoning approval must be in hand before the borough will review a building permit application¹⁴.
• Occupying a new building without a certificate of occupancy can bring a penalty up to $2,000¹⁹.
• We could not confirm Westwood's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or district lot sizes; ask the Zoning Office¹².

Sources

1. Westwood Code Ch. 195 Pt. 3 Art. XII General Provisions (zoning districts) (Borough of Westwood), quoted and re-checked
2. Westwood Code Ch. 129 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Westwood), quoted and re-checked
3. Westwood permit guide: when and why you need a building permit or zoning approval (westwoodnj.gov)
4. Bulletin 79-7: Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
5. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits—when required (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Westwood Code Ch. 195 Pt. 3 Art. XII General Provisions (zoning districts) (Borough of Westwood), quoted and re-checked
7. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. P.L. 2013, c.106 (Municipal Land Use Law amendments) (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Westwood Zoning Office (westwoodnj.gov)
13. Westwood Construction & Building Department (westwoodnj.gov)
14. Westwood office procedure for permit processing (westwoodnj.gov)
15. Westwood Code Ch. 129 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Westwood), quoted and re-checked
16. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. bergencountynj.gov, quoted and re-checked
18. Bergen County Department of Health Services (bergencountynj.gov)
19. Westwood Construction & Building Department: inspections (westwoodnj.gov)
20. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.