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

Borough of Highlands’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  All new construction inside Highlands borough.

  • A certificate of inspection is separately required for any new rental, rerental, or sale of a space or property.

  “A certificate of occupancy shall be required of all new construction.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Highlands borough.

  • The code lists eighteen zone districts, including single-family residential, multifamily residential, mobile-home, business, and waterfront districts.

  number of zone districts: 18 districts

  “Borough of Highlands is hereby divided into the eighteen (18) zone districts”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Parking or occupying a trailer coach on land inside Highlands borough outside a licensed trailer camp.

  • Trailer camps are limited to two in number.
  • A trailer camp requires a borough license.

  “The parking of a trailer coach or coaches in other than a licensed trailer camp is hereby prohibited.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Trailer camping inside Highlands borough.

  • Trailer camping is limited to licensed trailer camps; parking trailer coaches elsewhere is prohibited.
  • A trailer camp license is required from the mayor and council.

  maximum number of trailer camps: 2 camps

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or operate a trailer camp within the borough limits without obtaining a license therefor from the mayor and council.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes inside Highlands borough.

  • The borough states that trailer-camp provisions apply to mobile homes and mobile-home parks.
  • Mobile-home occupancy is therefore subject to the licensed-camp framework and applicable zoning districts.

  “applicable to mobile homes and mobile home parks.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Property inside Highlands borough located within 600 feet of borough sewer and/or water service.

  • Connection is required within 30 days after the residence, commercial structure, or other structure is provided with available service.
  • Applications must be filed before connection; proposed sewer connections require plumbing-inspector approval before work begins; connections must be made by a licensed borough plumber.

  distance to sewer and/or water: <= 600 feet · connection deadline: 30 days (from providing the structure with available and required service)

  “All property owners whose property is within 600 feet of sewer and/or water shall connect to same within 30 days”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Highlands

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

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and covered work on existing buildings inside Highlands borough.

  • A construction permit is required for new construction and structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work.
  • Ordinary maintenance and routine repairs are exceptions.

  “A construction permit is required for any new construction”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Highlands borough under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, administered locally by the borough enforcing agency.

  • The borough code establishes a State Uniform Construction Code Enforcing Agency.
  • The state code contains technical subcodes and exceptions.

  “adopt and enforce rules pertaining to construction codes”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction governed by the UCC inside Highlands borough.

  • Required inspections occur at specified construction stages; inspectors need not be present continuously.

  “The code requires construction work to stop so that certain inspections can be performed at particular points in construction”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Construction-permit applications submitted for work inside Highlands borough.

  • Applications use the standard construction-permit form.
  • A complete application must be approved or denied within 20 business days under the cited state guidance.

  application decision deadline: 20 business days (after submission of a complete application)

  “Not later than 20 business days after the submission of a complete application, the permit application must be approved or denied, by the local enforcing agency.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Highlands borough.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Highlands borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Highlands borough.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Highlands borough.
• Who permits septic — Septic systems inside Highlands 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 Highlands 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.