Bolthole Index

Burlington County, New Jersey

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Medford Lakes, New Jersey

The Borough of Medford Lakes, New Jersey issues its own building permits through its construction official1 and adopts and administers its own zoning2. Burlington County does not zone3. Structures in the main residential district must use public sewers4, and Burlington County's Septic and Well Program handles county septic applications5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the borough's construction official1
Zoning
Borough zoning, Chapter 145 of the borough code; the county does not zone23
Main residential lot
Lakes Residential district: 10,000 square feet minimum lot size6
Sewer
Public sewer required for structures in the Lakes Residential district4
Driveway permit
Required for new and altered driveways7
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a new structure is used8
Septic permits
Not confirmed at borough level; Burlington County Health Department runs the county Septic and Well Program5
RVs and tiny homes
Not confirmed; ask the borough zoning office9

Who to call

Building permits

Medford Lakes Office of Construction (Construction Official)

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside the borough

609-654-8898, ext. 128

[email protected]

1 Cabin Circle, Medford Lakes, NJ 08055

Zoning

Medford Lakes Zoning Office

Zoning review of building permit applications, zoning violations and variance applications inside the borough

609-654-8898, ext. 122

1 Cabin Circle, Medford Lakes, NJ 08055

Septic permits

Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

County Septic and Well Program: applications for permits to construct or alter individual subsurface sewage disposal systems and well permits

609-265-5548

15 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton, NJ 08060

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Medford Lakes have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Borough of Medford Lakes adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 145 of the borough code, and the code divides the borough into seven zoning districts2. Burlington County has no zoning authority of its own, because New Jersey's zoning power belongs to municipalities3. Zoning here is also described as consistent with the Pinelands Management Areas, so Pinelands Commission rules may apply on top of the borough's2.

In the Lakes Residential district, the main single-family district, the minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet6. Front and rear yards must each be at least 25 feet, the two side yards must total at least 25 feet, and no single side yard can be under 10 feet10. Lakefront and corner homes are treated as having two front yards and two side yards10. The principal building can cover at most 25% of the lot, and the lot's total coverage is capped at 40%11. Residential buildings top out at 32 feet and 2.5 stories above the basement, and a detached garage is limited to 18 feet12.

The Lakes Suburban Reserve district allows single-family homes only as a conditional use, with a 140,000 square foot minimum lot and at least 50% of the tract set aside as open space or conservation land13. Medford Lakes has not confirmed rules for RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings in our review, so ask the Zoning Office before you plan one9.

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

Yes. Inside Medford Lakes, no structure can be erected, altered, converted or enlarged until the construction official issues a building permit1. The borough's building department is the local enforcing agency for New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code14. Ordinary repairs, minor work as the subcode official determines it, and emergency work are handled differently under the state rules, so ask before you assume a small job is exempt1.

The borough also requires a separate permit from the construction or zoning officials for every new driveway and for resurfacing, altering or expanding an existing one7. Zoning approval has to come before you submit the application to the construction office15. The Zoning Office reviews building permit applications for zoning compliance9.

New Jersey requires an enforcing agency to release or deny a complete application within 20 business days16. Fees for other than one- and two-family construction follow the state fee schedule, and the dollar amounts are not on the borough's code page, so ask the construction office for a quote17.

Who is the Medford Lakes building department, and how do you reach them?

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy go through the Office of Construction at 1 Cabin Circle, Medford Lakes, NJ 08055, at 609-654-8898, ext. 128, or [email protected]15. Zoning questions go to the Zoning Office at the same address, 609-654-8898, ext. 1229.

Both offices work from the borough's own site, medfordlakes.com. Appeals of construction decisions go to the Burlington County Construction Board of Appeals14. Those are borough offices and county offices for the Medford Lakes address specifically; searching for "Medford" alone also brings up the separate Township of Medford, which has its own zoning map18.

How do septic permits work inside Medford Lakes?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for a lot inside Medford Lakes, and the borough's code does not answer it on the pages we checked. What is clear is the statewide rule: a board of health with jurisdiction must certify the septic and water plans before any building permit can issue19. That board can be municipal or county20.

Burlington County Health Department runs a Septic and Well Program that takes applications to construct or alter individual septic systems5. Call the Environmental Health Division at 609-265-5548 and ask whether it or a borough health office handles your address21.

Septic may not apply at all on many lots. The Lakes Residential district's purpose statement requires all structures to use public sewers4. The rule for lots where sewer is not available was not located, so confirm with the construction office before you rely on either path15. A lot that does use septic needs an inspection before the system is covered from view22.

Building a home in Medford Lakes: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your lot's zoning district with the Zoning Office, because lot size, setbacks and height differ by district9.
  2. Ask the Environmental Health Division whether sewer or septic applies to your address, and get septic plan approval first if septic is used19.
  3. Get zoning approval, which must come before the construction application15.
  4. File the construction permit application with the construction official, plus a driveway permit if you are adding or changing a driveway17.
  5. Schedule the inspections the state code requires as work proceeds15.
  6. Request your certificate of occupancy; the construction official must grant or deny it in writing within 10 days of written notice that the work is complete, unless you agree to more time8.

If you build your own home, the owner must file an affidavit with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy can issue, and the lack of New Home Warranty coverage must be disclosed to buyers for 10 years23.

What stays with Burlington County, and what should you check before you buy?

Zoning and building permits stay with the borough, but septic and well applications run through Burlington County's Septic and Well Program5. New Jersey wells need a state drilling permit, and municipal or county health officials issue the well construction permit24. The county's own rules for land outside the borough are on the Burlington County page.

Before you buy, check which zoning district the lot sits in, whether the lot has sewer, and whether flood-damage prevention rules in the borough code apply, since we have not confirmed those9. Subdivision rules inside the borough also went unconfirmed, so ask before you plan to split a lot15.

These are Burlington County figures, not Medford Lakes figures. The county's typical home value is about $429,00025, and its effective property tax rate is 2.4%26.

Watch-outs

  • Short-term rental, tiny home, RV, accessory dwelling and camping rules in Medford Lakes were not confirmed, so call the Zoning Office at 609-654-8898, ext. 122 before you plan any of them9.
  • Pinelands Commission rules may apply on top of the borough's zoning, and we did not review them2.
  • The Lakes Suburban Reserve single-family conditional-use wording is ambiguous, so confirm the district's use table with the Zoning Office before relying on the 140,000 square foot figure13.

Sources

  1. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, zoning administration, permits and certificates of occupancy (§ 145-15 et seq.) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  2. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  3. P.L. 2013, c.106 — Municipal Land Use Law amendments (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  5. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  6. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  7. Medford Lakes Code ch. 95 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  8. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, zoning administration, permits and certificates of occupancy (§ 145-15 et seq.) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  9. Medford Lakes Zoning Office (medfordlakes.com)
  10. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  11. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  12. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  13. Medford Lakes Code ch. 145 Land Development, pt. 1 Zoning, art. V Zoning Districts and Zoning Map (§ 145-33 to § 145-40) (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  14. Medford Lakes Code ch. 95 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  15. Medford Lakes Office of Construction (Construction Official) (medfordlakes.com)
  16. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  17. Medford Lakes Code ch. 95 Construction Codes, Uniform (Borough of Medford Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  18. Municipal Zoning Maps | Burlington County, NJ - Official Website, quoted and re-checked
  19. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (burlingtoncountynj.gov)
  22. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Borough of Medford Lakes

Borough of Medford Lakes’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, alteration, conversion or enlargement of any structure, or commencement of any development, inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Permit is issued by the construction official; accessory-use permits are issued by the zoning officer (§ 145-15 a.).
    • Chapter 95 § 95-5 says permits are required in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:23, except ordinary repairs that do not violate the regulations, minor work as determined by the subcode official, and emergency work (permit applied for within 72 hours).
    • Separate permit required from borough construction and/or zoning officials for all new driveways and for resurfacing, alteration, expansion or improvement of existing driveways, except listed maintenance (§ 95-5 d.).
    “no structure shall be erected, altered, converted or enlarged, or any development commenced, until a building permit is obtained from the construction official”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction within Medford Lakes borough limits; the borough's building department enforces the state uniform construction code as its enforcing agency.

    • Construction board of appeals for the borough is the Burlington County Construction Board of Appeals (§ 95-1 d.).
    • Permit requirements follow N.J.A.C. 5:23 as referenced in § 95-5.
    “a. there is hereby established in the borough of medford lakes a state uniform code enforcing agency to be known as the building department”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Structures erected, altered, converted or enlarged, or any use newly occupied, inside Medford Lakes borough; a change of use also requires a new certificate.

    • Certificate of use and occupancy is issued by the construction official only when the structure or new use conforms to the chapter and other applicable borough codes.
    • Construction official must grant or deny in writing within 10 days after written notice that work is complete, unless the applicant agrees in writing to more time.
    • A change of use voids the previously issued certificate of occupancy and requires a new certificate (§ 145-19 b. per the same page's CO text).
    • Fees are governed by § 112-5 (schedule of fees).

    decision period after written notice of completion: 10 days (unless applicant agrees in writing to additional time)

    “until a certificate of use and occupancy shall have been issued by the construction official”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Medford Lakes borough limits; the borough adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 145 (Land Development), Part 1 Zoning.

    • Zoning districts are described as consistent with the Pinelands Management Areas in N.J.A.C. 7:50, subchapter 5; Pinelands Commission rules may also apply and were not researched in this run.
    “§ 145-33 zoning districts. for the purpose of this chapter, the borough of medford lakes is hereby divided into seven districts as follows”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Seven districts: LR, LC, LI, LQP, LEC, LSR and LH (overlay); described as consistent with Pinelands Management Areas (N.J.A.C. 7:50, subchapter 5).
    • The zoning map itself was not opened.
    “§ 145-33 zoning districts. for the purpose of this chapter, the borough of medford lakes is hereby divided into seven districts as follows”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached dwellings as a conditional use in the Lakes Suburban Reserve (LSR) district (lower-density, rural-residential type district) inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Conditional use: single-family detached dwellings 'as in LSR district' except the minimum lot size, which is 140,000 square feet.
    • Conditional use also requires that a minimum of 50% of the tract be set aside for open spaces, conservation areas, floodplains, school sites, recreation areas or parks.
    • Wording of the cross-reference is ambiguous on the page; confirm the LSR use table before relying on it.

    minimum lot size (LSR conditional single-family): >= 140000 square feet (conditional use only)

    “(a) the minimum lot size is 140,000 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal residential buildings and garages in the Lakes Residential (LR) district inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Lakefront and corner homes are treated as having two front yards and two side yards.
    • Sheds on lakefront corner homes are placed in side yards.
    • Side yard provisions amended 8-12-2020 by ord. no. 672.

    front yard depth: >= 25 feet · rear yard depth: >= 25 feet · aggregate side yards: >= 25 feet · minimum single side yard: >= 10 feet

    “the two side yards shall not be less than 25 feet in the aggregate width and neither shall be less than 10 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family residential lots in the Lakes Residential (LR) district inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Unless otherwise provided in the chapter, impervious surface on a single-family lot in residence districts is limited by these calculations.
    • Amended 6-23-2010 by ord. no. 566.

    principal building coverage: <= 25 percent of lot area · principal building plus other impervious coverage: <= 35 percent of lot area · total pervious and impervious coverage: <= 40 percent of lot area

    “not more than 25% of the area of the lot may be occupied by the principal building.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential buildings in the Lakes Residential (LR) district inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Private garage may be 32 feet when attached to the main house with a common wall, and 18 feet when detached.
    • Solar panels and residential windmill installations are subject to the maximum height restriction.
    • Amended 8-14-2013 by ord. no. 607.

    maximum building height: <= 32 feet (detached garage 18 feet; attached garage 32 feet) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (excluding the basement)

    “no residential building shall exceed 32 feet in height nor shall it exceed 2 1/2 stories excluding the basement.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Structures in the Lakes Residential (LR) district inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • The LR purpose statement requires public sewers for all structures in the district; the same clause says protection of environmental resources is encouraged.
    • The distance or availability rule for connection was not located in the text opened; water connection was not researched.
    • Chapter 51 (sewer utility) exists in the code table of contents but was not opened.
    “protection of environmental resources is encouraged, and all structures must use public sewers.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New driveways and resurfacing, alteration, expansion or improvement of existing driveways inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Maintenance activity is exempt: sealing of existing asphalt or concrete driveway; patching and similar in-kind repairs.
    • Road-access frontage rule for buildings (contiguity to a maintained public street) appears in § 145-15 access provision; not separately analyzed.
    “a permit will be required from borough construction and/or zoning officials for all new driveways and for the resurfacing, alteration, expansion and/or improvement of existing driveways”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Construction permit fees for other than one- and two-family construction inside Medford Lakes borough.

    • Fees are set by the state building permit fee schedule as promulgated by the Department of Community Affairs and as amended; dollar amounts are not stated on the borough page.
    • A training and technical support surcharge applies under § 95-4 and is remitted to the state.
    • Fee governance for certificates is cross-referenced to the borough schedule of fees (§ 112-5).
    “the state building permit fee schedule, for other than one- and two-family construction, as promulgated by the department of community affairs, and as amended from time to time, shall be applicable in the borough of medford lakes.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting inside Medford Lakes borough.
  • Inspections — Construction inspections inside Medford Lakes borough.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum residential dwelling size inside Medford Lakes borough.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Medford Lakes borough.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Medford Lakes borough.
11 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Borough of Medford Lakes publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Burlington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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