Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chesterfield Township, New Jersey

Chesterfield Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Chesterfield township's limits; the township adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 130 Land Development (Article VI R-1 Residential District and Article IV AG Agricultural District).

  • Chapter 130 Land Development contains the township's district use and bulk rules; Ordinances 2026-03, 2026-04 and 2026-05 (dated 2026-03-12) amended Chapter 130 and were not opened.
  • Development is subject to the district rules in Chapter 130 and to the chapter's review procedures.

  “development may occur on a site with the minimum lot size of ten acres and the area, yard and bulk requirements as specified for ten-acre lots on the chart below (see § 130-15d).”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Development in the AG Agricultural District of Chesterfield township (Article IV, §130-15)

  • For lots in existence as of November 18, 1986 that have not been modified since, lots of 10 acres or less may be further subdivided into lots of at least 3.33 acres (§130-15b(1)): lots that were 10 acres or less in size may be further subdivided into lots of at least 3.33 acres set forth in § 130-15d below.
  • Under the low-yield option, each lot shall be a minimum of ten acres and meet the chart in §130-15d.
  • For single-family detached homes on lots of more than 4,000 square feet but less than one acre, the V village district bulk rules apply: for all single-family detached homes on lots of more than 4,000 square feet but less than one acre, the bulk and area requirements of the v village district (§ 130-20d of this code) shall apply.
  • Lots in the AG district may also be enrolled in the voluntary TDR program (Article XVII), which governs their use once enrolled.
  • Setback, coverage and height values sit on the §130-15d chart, not opened.

  minimum lot size: 10 acres (lots in existence as of 1986-11-18 that are 10 acres or less may be subdivided to at least 3.33 acres)

  “lots that were 10 acres or less in size may be further subdivided into lots of at least 3.33 acres set forth in § 130-15d below.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual subsurface sewage disposal systems on land inside Chesterfield township's limits: the township Board of Health issues the permit.

  • Standards are the NJDEP-approved individual subsurface sewage disposal standards adopted by reference in §216-1.
  • A county approval step also applies (see the Burlington County claim).

  “no person shall locate, construct or alter any individual sewage disposal system until a permit for the location, construction or alteration of said sewage disposal system shall have been issued by the board of health of the township of chesterfield.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Locating, constructing or altering an individual subsurface sewage disposal system on land inside Chesterfield township

  • Application must be accompanied by a certificate from a New Jersey-licensed professional engineer that the proposed design complies with the code (§216-4b).
  • Where the seasonal high water table is less than five feet deep, a variance must be obtained under the standards in §216-5c.
  • Application and fee provisions appear in §216-8 (fee amounts not opened).
  • Burlington County health department approval also applies (§216-9.1).

  “no person shall locate, construct or alter any individual sewage disposal system until a permit for the location, construction or alteration of said sewage disposal system shall have been issued by the board of health of the township of chesterfield.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses and buildings inside Chesterfield township that abut a street with a sanitary sewer; the township's sewer connection requirement. Water connection rules were not established.

  • Connection is required within 120 days after official notice, for sewer within 200 feet of the property line.
  • For residential users on a septic system that is failing or presents a health danger, connection must be made immediately upon availability.
  • Owners pay all costs of the building sewer; a connection fee also applies (Article II lists $4,850 per unit for a nonresidential source).

  sewer availability distance from property line: <= 200 feet · connection deadline after official notice: 120 days (immediately for failing or health-hazard residential septic systems)

  “within 120 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that the sewer is within two hundred feet of the property line.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Chesterfield Township or Burlington County directly.

• Building permit — New home construction inside Chesterfield township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders in Chesterfield township
• Building code adopted — Construction in Chesterfield township: whether the township adopts the state Uniform Construction Code
• Inspections — Construction inspections for new homes inside Chesterfield township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Chesterfield township

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 Chesterfield Township 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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