Bolthole Index

Burlington County, New Jersey

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

Tabernacle Township, New Jersey zones its own land and requires a construction permit for a new home, issued by the township Construction Office under the state Uniform Construction Code12. The township sits inside the Pinelands, so Pinelands Commission rules apply on top of township zoning1. Septic permits come from the Burlington County Health Department, not the township3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; the township Construction Office issues it24
Zoning
Township zoning (Chapter 17), plus Pinelands rules1
Minimum lot size
District-specific; listed minimums of 3.7, 3.2, 1.6 and 1 acre5
Setbacks (general residential)
Principal building: front 60 ft, each side 30 ft, rear 40 ft6
Septic
Burlington County Health Department approval before the building permit37
Owner-builder
Allowed with an affidavit; permits and inspections still apply8
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the zoning officer9

Who to call

Building permits

Tabernacle Township Construction Office

Construction permits, inspections and certificates under the Uniform Construction Code inside Tabernacle Township

(609) 268-1220

[email protected]

163 Carranza Road - Tabernacle, New Jersey 08088

Zoning

Tabernacle Township Zoning Office

Zoning questions, zoning permits for additions, sheds or changes of use, and the zoning ordinance in Tabernacle Township

(609) 268-1220

[email protected]

163 Carranza Road - Tabernacle, New Jersey 08088

Septic permits

Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Applications for permits to construct or alter individual septic systems, and well permits, under the county Septic and Well Program

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 Tabernacle Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Tabernacle Township, NJ have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Tabernacle Township adopts and enforces its own zoning in Chapter 17 of the township code, with residential, regional growth area, mobile home, commercial, industrial, rural development and agricultural districts110. The Burlington County government does not zone; zoning in Burlington County is set township by township11. Land in the township is also inside the Pinelands, and Pinelands Commission rules apply in addition to township zoning19.

In the general residential districts, single-family lots are listed at 3.7, 3.2, 1.6 and 1 acre minimums with a 150-foot lot width5. Principal buildings there need a 60-foot front yard, 30 feet on each side and a 40-foot rear yard6. In Medford Farms and Medford Park, the minimum is 1 acre with a 100-foot width1213, and each side yard drops to 15 feet1415. Find the district for a specific parcel with the Zoning Office before you make an offer9. We could not confirm residential height limits, lot coverage or a minimum house size; ask the Zoning Office.

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

Yes. A construction permit is required for any new construction, and for structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work on existing buildings2. The Tabernacle Township Construction Office enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code inside the township, not Burlington County416. Permit applications go to that local office on the state Construction Permit Application Form17.

A complete application must be released or denied within 20 business days17. Fees come from the township fee schedule in Appendix A of the township code, and the state adds a surcharge of $.0006 per cubic foot of new construction18. Call the Construction Office at (609) 268-1220 to ask whether a given job needs a permit4. A building permit is separate from zoning approval and from any Pinelands review1.

How do septic permits work for a home in Tabernacle Township?

Septic is not handled at the township counter. Burlington County's Septic and Well Program, run by the Burlington County Health Department, takes applications to construct or alter an individual septic system319. New Jersey law bars a building permit until the board of health having jurisdiction certifies the sewerage facilities, and the system must be inspected before it is covered2021. Start with the septic application, then the building permit.

Soils matter here: USDA rates only about 0.2% of soils in Burlington County as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system rather than a simple trench22. The county's Septic and Well Fees document lists the septic fees23. We could not confirm whether any Pinelands-specific septic standard changes the design for your lot; ask the Health Department when you call24.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Tabernacle Township?

We could not confirm an answer for Tabernacle Township. The township's zoning code is the place the rule would live, and we did not find a temporary camping, RV or tiny-home provision in the sections we read. Do not assume it is allowed because nothing turned up; a parcel's zoning district decides, and the Zoning Office can tell you for your address9.

One statewide point applies to factory-built homes: a HUD manufactured home is limited to use group R-5, single-family dwellings25. The township code also sets a mobile home district10. Ask the Zoning Office which districts allow a manufactured home on an individual lot.

Building a home in Tabernacle Township: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Zoning Office and confirm your parcel's district, minimum lot size and setbacks9.
  2. Ask about Pinelands Commission review, which applies on top of township zoning1.
  3. Subdivisions and site plans go through the township's Land Development Board approvals26.
  4. Apply to the Burlington County Health Department for septic approval, because the building permit cannot issue without it20.
  5. Apply for the construction permit at the township Construction Office4.
  6. Request the required inspections, including footing, foundation, septic, midpoint and final27.
  7. Pass the final inspection to receive a Certificate of Occupancy28.

An owner who builds personally must file an affidavit with the construction official before a certificate of occupancy can issue, and permits and inspections still apply8.

What stays with Burlington County, and what to check before you buy in Tabernacle Township

The township decides zoning and building permits; Burlington County decides septic and well permits for a home here329. Land outside the township follows a different municipality's rules, so use the Burlington County page for other towns.

Driveways onto a state highway need a New Jersey DOT access permit30. We could not confirm the township's own driveway or floodplain permit rules, so ask the Construction Office whether the parcel is in a flood zone4. Burlington County's effective property tax rate is 2.4% and its median property tax bill is $7,902 a year3132.

Watch-outs

  • Pinelands Commission rules apply on top of Tabernacle Township zoning, so a lot that fits the township schedule can still need Pinelands review1.
  • The listed lot minimums are 3.7, 3.2, 1.6 and 1 acre, and the schedule does not tie each minimum to a named district, so confirm your parcel's district with the Zoning Office59.
  • A conventional septic field is unlikely to suit most lots, so budget for a site evaluation and possible engineered system22.
  • We could not confirm the township's rules on RV or tiny-home living, accessory dwellings, residential height limits or lot coverage; ask the Zoning Office9.

Sources

  1. Chapter 17: Zoning - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. Tabernacle Township Construction Office (tabernacle-nj.gov)
  5. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Bulletin 79-7 Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  8. N.J.A.C. 5:23, Uniform Construction Code (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Tabernacle Township Zoning Office (tabernacle-nj.gov)
  10. Chapter 17: Zoning - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Municipal Zoning Maps, quoted and re-checked
  12. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Article XVI: Schedule of Limitations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Chapter 9: Building and Housing - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  18. Chapter 9: Building and Housing - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Environmental Health, 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. New Jersey Statutes, R.S. 58:11-23 through 58:11-43 (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  24. Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (burlingtoncountynj.gov)
  25. Manufactured/Modular Buildings Program (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Article II: General District Regulations - Township of Tabernacle, NJ (Tabernacle Township), quoted and re-checked
  27. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs consumer construction information, quoted and re-checked
  28. Uniform Construction Code General Information, quoted and re-checked
  29. Bulletin 88-10: Private On-Site Water Supply Systems (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  30. Major Access Permits (New Jersey statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  31. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  32. Median property tax bill: 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 Tabernacle Township

Tabernacle Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Tabernacle township limits. The township's Chapter 17 Zoning code sets residential, regional growth area, mobile home, commercial and industrial districts with bulk and use rules.

    • Chapter 17 (Zoning, §§ 17-1 to 17-92) is part of the township code; the TOC states the code includes legislation through 04-27-2026.
    • Township land is also within the Pinelands; Pinelands Commission rules apply in addition to township zoning and are not summarized here.
    “article iii regional growth area § 17-48 residential district. § 17-48.1 permitted principal uses.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Tabernacle township limits

    • District list read from the Chapter 17 table of contents only (residential, regional growth area residential, mobile home, shopping center commercial, commercial, industrial, rural development, agricultural production areas); the zoning map was not opened.
    • Full district text was not read beyond the contents page.
    “§ 17-49 mobile home district. § 17-49.1 principal permitted uses on the land and in buildings, mobile home parks.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the general residential districts where residential development is allowed inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 a). The schedule does not name each district; the listed minimums are 3.7, 3.2, 1.6 and 1 acre.

    • Applies to all districts where residential development is allowed, except lots with a maximum width of 100 feet in Regional Growth Area-Residential Medford Farms and Rural Development District 1 Medford Park (those have their own claims).
    • Schedule text states it applies 'whether the lots are 1 acre or less with a frontage of 100 feet width, 1.6 acres, 3.2 acres, 3.7 acres, 10 acres or larger', subject to scenic corridor modifications under the C.M.P.
    • Schedule section § 17-89 shows amendment 'amended 5-12-2025 by ord. no. 2025-3'; no separate effective date was stated, so effective_at is null.

    minimum lot area: >= 1 acres (schedule lists 3.7, 3.2, 1.6 and 1 acre minimums; the text does not map each minimum to a named district) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet

    “a. single family dwellings. minimum lot 3.7 acres, 3.2 acres, 1.6 acres, 1 acre or larger lot width 150 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in Regional Growth Area-Residential Medford Farms inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 b; tax map sheet 3, filed plan 'Medford Farms, Section 1')
      “single-family dwellings minimum lot 1 acre lot width 100 feet”
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in Rural Development District 1 - Medford Park inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 b; tax map sheet 6, filed plan 'Medford Park')
      “single-family dwellings minimum lot 1 acre lot width 100 feet”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal buildings (single-family dwellings) in Regional Growth Area-Residential Medford Farms inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 b)

    • Accessory building setback for this district: front 60 feet, each side 15 feet, rear 40 feet.
    • The same § 17-89 b sentence covers both Medford Farms and Medford Park; a separate claim is given for Medford Park.

    front yard, principal building: >= 60 feet · side yard, principal building (each): >= 15 feet · rear yard, principal building: >= 40 feet

    “minimum yard dimensions for principal building front 60 feet each side 15 feet rear 40 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings (single-family dwellings) in the general residential districts where residential development is allowed inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 a)
      “minimum yard dimensions for principal buildings front 60 feet each side 30 feet rear 40 feet”
    • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings (single-family dwellings) in Rural Development District 1 - Medford Park inside Tabernacle township (Art. XVI § 17-89 b)
      “minimum yard dimensions for principal building front 60 feet each side 15 feet rear 40 feet”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions and site plans inside Tabernacle township, under the township Land Subdivision chapter (Chapter 16) and Planning Board approvals

    • Chapter 16 Land Subdivision (§ 16-1 to § 16-17.3) is in the township code per the table of contents; its text was not opened.
    • Excerpt is from a protection-period clause in § 17-17 context of the general district regulations, which presupposes municipal subdivision and site plan approvals.
    “the subdivision and/or site plan had previously received preliminary and/or final approval from the municipality and approval from the pinelands commission”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Construction permit fees for work inside Tabernacle township, set by the township enforcing agency fee schedule

    • § 9-1.3 fees: the construction official recommends a fee schedule to the township committee biannually; the schedule is in Appendix A (Schedule E) of the code.
    • Appendix A was not opened, so individual dollar fees are not stated here.
    • A state surcharge applies to new construction under § 9-1.3 c as quoted.

    state training surcharge: 0.0006 USD per cubic foot of new construction (additional to the fees in the fee schedule)

    “a surcharge fee of $.0006 per cubic foot of volume of new construction”

Rules another office applies inside Tabernacle Township

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

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction code enforcement inside Tabernacle township; the township enforcing agency administers the state construction code.

    • Chapter 9 Building and Housing sets up the township enforcing agency; subcode officials must be qualified under N.J.A.C. 5:23 (state Uniform Construction Code), or an on-site inspection agency may be retained by contract under N.J.A.C. 5:23.
    • Construction board of appeals is the county board of appeals established by Burlington County.
    • The excerpt confirms enforcement under the state code; it does not separately state that the township adopted a local building code.
    “each official position created in subsection 9-1.1 hereof shall be filled by a person qualified for such position pursuant to p.l. 1975, c.217 as amended and n.j.a.c. 5:23”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Whether a building permit is required for a new home inside Tabernacle township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Tabernacle township
  • Inspections — Construction inspections for a new home inside Tabernacle township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Tabernacle township
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Tabernacle township
16 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Tabernacle Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Burlington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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