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

Chester Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction in Chester Township served by an individual subsurface sewage disposal system.

  • Before the building permit is issued, the Board of Health must receive a licensed professional engineer's certificate for continued use for the property.

  “Prior to the issuance of a building permit for new construction”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  New construction in Chester Township with an existing individual subsurface sewage disposal system that fails applicable standards.

  • No certificate of occupancy may issue until the system is repaired, altered, or replaced to the Board's satisfaction and an engineer's certificate for continued use is issued.

  “shall not issue a certificate of occupancy for a new construction until the system is repaired, altered or replaced”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Chester Township.

  • The zoning map dated February 2002 may be amended from time to time.

  published zones: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-5, R-10, RC, WR, P, B, LB, PO/R, CFSANR, GRD

  “The territory of the Township of Chester is hereby divided into the following zones:”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Chester Township.

  • The Township Board of Health adopted State DEP standards subject to the chapter's amendments and supplements.

  “are hereby adopted and are of full force and effect in the Township of Chester”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Applications for a certificate for continued use of an existing individual subsurface sewage disposal system in Chester Township.

  • The inspection and report are performed by an applicant-engaged New Jersey licensed professional engineer other than the Township Engineer or an engineer associated with that firm.

  “The inspection and test shall be made and the report and certificate for continued use shall be executed”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Construction permits inside Chester Township.

  • Plan-review fees are nonrefundable and computed as 20% of construction-permit fees.
  • Changes require Township Council approval and notice posted two weeks before taking effect.

  plan review fee: 20 percent of construction permit fee (not refundable) · new construction surcharge: per 0.0006 USD per cubic foot (collected in addition to other fees)

  “Plan review fees shall be computed at 20% of the fees to be charged for the construction permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Construction permit processing for new construction served by individual subsurface sewage disposal inside Chester Township.

  • A Board of Health certificate for continued use must be received before building-permit issuance.

  “the Board of Health shall receive a certificate for continued use from a licensed professional engineer”

Rules another office applies inside Chester Township

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 Residential, one acre zone inside Chester Township.

  • Schedule I is the Township's minimum regulation schedule applicable to the respective zones.

  minimum lot area: 1 acre · minimum lot width: 150 feet

  “R-1 1 150 50 25 60 25 25 20 20% 2½ 35 N/A”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal buildings in the R-5 Agricultural rural residential, five acre zone inside Chester Township.

    “R-5 5 300 80 50 120 80 50 50 10% 2½ 35 N/A”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 Residential, one acre zone inside Chester Township.

  • The table's yard controls are for principal buildings.

  front yard: 50 feet · one side yard: 25 feet · side yards: 60 feet · rear yard: 25 feet

  “R-1 1 150 50 25 60 25 25 20 20% 2½ 35 N/A”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal buildings in the R-5 Agricultural rural residential, five acre zone inside Chester Township.

    “R-5 5 300 80 50 120 80 50 50 10% 2½ 35 N/A”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Dry lands abutting Route 206 within R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-5 zones inside Chester Township.

  • A 200-foot Route 206 conservation easement applies; the requirement does not apply to property in the B Business District.
  • Existing lots on or before May 17, 1988 have separate Route 206 setback provisions.

  “No driveways shall enter upon lands abutting Route 206, nor cross the conservation easement, without the express approval of the Planning Board.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing residences inside Chester Township.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Chester Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings in the R-1 Residential, one acre zone and R-5 Agricultural rural residential, five acre zone inside Chester Township.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy in recreational vehicles on private land inside Chester Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Chester 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 Chester 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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