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

Mendham Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land-use regulation inside Mendham Township.

  • The Township's official zoning map and Chapter 500 zoning regulations apply within the Township.

  “There is hereby adopted as the official Zoning Map of the Township of Mendham that certain map prepared by Ferriero Engineering dated May 2012 and captioned "Zoning Map, Township of Mendham, Morris County, NJ." Said Zoning Map shall control all land uses in the Township of Mendham and all prior zoning maps are hereby repealed to the extent inconsistent herewith.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a trailer, house-trailer, camper, recreation vehicle, mobile home, boat, or similar facility for dwelling or sleeping purposes inside Mendham Township.

  • A house-trailer may be used temporarily only when the residence has been rendered uninhabitable by fire or another natural or man-made disaster.
  • The temporary use requires a permit from the Township Construction Code and Fire Code Officials, compliance with zoning setbacks, and a Township Committee resolution approving the use and conditions.

  “trailer, house-trailer, camper, recreation vehicle”

• Who permits septicMixed

  Individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Mendham Township.

  • The Township Board of Health administers the Township ordinance and state standards.
  • Morris County's official health-department page identifies the Morris County Division of Public Health as serving Mendham Township.

  “Morris County Division of Public Health [...] Mendham Township”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, modification, and specified repair of individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Mendham Township.

  • Repair applications may be reviewed by the Registered Environmental Health Specialist when the repair restores the system without changing location, design, construction, size, capacity, type, or number of components.
  • Certain alterations may be handled administratively only when there is no intensification, variance, waiver, exception, or setback relief.

  “An application for a permit to construct”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New, altered, and repaired individual subsurface sewage disposal systems inside Mendham Township.

  • The Township Sanitarian First Grade and licensed professional engineer must certify installation compliance before the certificate of compliance is issued.
  • Inspection fees are payable before issuance of the construction permit.

  “the Township of Sanitarian First Grade who inspected the system”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-public-sewer sanitation through an individual subsurface sewage disposal system inside Mendham Township.

  • A Board of Health permit and approved plans are required.
  • The Township ordinance incorporates state standards and may impose higher Township standards.
  • Graywater disposal is not required but may be approved by the Board of Health.

  “A graywater disposal system is not required”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Public utility availability inside Mendham Township generally varies by location.

  • Official county hazard-plan material states that most areas use private onsite wells and septic; limited areas have public water lines; only three areas have public sanitary sewers: Brookrace, Drakewick, and Mountainview.
  • The reviewed materials did not state a mandatory distance-based connection rule.

  “Most areas of the Township are served by individual private onsite wells. There are limited areas served by public water lines.”

Rules another office applies inside Mendham Township

Mendham 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 dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single detached houses in the R, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-5, and R-10 One Family Residence Districts.

  • The ordinance states the minimum floor area for the permitted single detached house use.

  minimum floor area: >= 800 square feet

  “minimum floor area of not less than 800 square feet”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Overnight camping in the common open space of the CR-1 Combination Residential District.

  • The common open space must be set aside in perpetuity for land conservation purposes.
  • Overnight camping is permitted only pursuant to regulations approved by the Planning Board.
  • Uses inconsistent with those limitations are prohibited.

  “Picnicking and overnight camping shall be permitted”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Mendham Township.
• Minimum lot size — Main single-family residential districts, including R, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-5, and R-10, and rural/agricultural residential areas.
• Setbacks — Main single-family residential districts and rural/agricultural residential areas inside Mendham Township.
• Lot coverage — Main single-family residential districts and rural/agricultural residential areas inside Mendham Township.
• Building height — Main single-family residential districts and rural/agricultural residential areas inside Mendham 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 Mendham 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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