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

Borough of Morris Plains’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction projects inside Morris Plains borough requiring a construction permit.

  • The Borough directs applicants to review zoning and permit requirements for the specific project; permit fees are due before issuance.

  “No building or part thereof shall be emplaced, erected, razed, moved, extended, enlarged, altered or demolished until a permit has been granted by the Construction Code Official.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction inside Morris Plains borough subject to the Uniform Construction Code.

  • Inspection requests require at least 24-hour notice and the permit number; building, electrical, plumbing/mechanical, and fire inspection hours are separately listed by the Borough.
  • The state page describes periodic inspections rather than continuous site presence.

  notice: >= 24 hours

  “The code requires construction work to stop so that certain inspections can be performed at particular points in construction, namely inspection of the bottom of footing trenches before placement of footings and inspection of the rough plumbing and electrical wiring before the framing inspection of framing system before they are covered with finishes.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy or use of land and buildings inside Morris Plains borough.

  • No certificate may issue before required Planning Board site plan approval.
  • A new certificate is required for a change in occupancy or tenancy of a nonresidential building or part thereof, even without a change in use.
  • Applications are to be granted or denied within 10 days after written application.

  decision period: 10 days (after written application is received)

  “No land shall be occupied or used and no buildings hereafter placed, erected or altered shall be occupied or used in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the Construction Code Official stating that the use and building therein specified, or either of them as the case may be, complies with all the provisions of this article.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Morris Plains borough; the borough adopts and enforces its own zoning regulations.

  • The zoning article identifies the Borough's zone districts and states that the Zoning Officer enforces the article.

  “Zone districts. For the purpose of this chapter, the Borough is hereby subdivided into zone districts as follows:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Morris Plains borough.

  • The zoning map is declared part of the zoning article; the article also incorporates Schedule C permitted uses and Schedule D zoning requirements.
  • The listed districts include R-1 through R-8, AF-1, AF-2, business, commercial, office, laboratory, industrial, planned-development, and overlay districts.

  “Zoning Map. The Zoning Map of the Borough of Morris Plains, as heretofore amended, delineating the above zone districts is hereby declared to be a part hereof.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Parking or occupancy of motor homes and travel trailers inside Morris Plains borough.

  • One unoccupied motor home or travel trailer not exceeding 30 feet may be kept if owned by the property owner and parked within the applicable yard setbacks.
  • Alternatively, one such vehicle may be occupied by nonpaying guests for no longer than two weeks in a calendar year, within the yard setbacks.
  • The underlying rule states parking is prohibited except for these exceptions.

  maximum length: <= 30 feet · guest occupancy: <= 2 weeks per calendar year (nonpaying guests; one vehicle)

  “Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the parking of motor homes and travel trailers in any zone is prohibited, except that the prohibition should not extend to one unoccupied motor home or travel trailer, not exceeding 30 feet in length, owned by the property owner or one such vehicle occupied by nonpaying quests of the property owner for a period not longer than two weeks in any calendar year, if parked within the yard setback requirements of the zone in which it is parked.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of an individual sewage disposal facility inside Morris Plains borough when public or private sewer is unavailable.

  • Written permit must be signed by the Plumbing Inspector or designee before construction begins.
  • Permit, inspection, and other charges are due when the application is filed or as otherwise required.
  • The permit is subject to Borough Board of Health and state Department of Health requirements.

  “Before commencement of construction of an individual sewage disposal facility, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Plumbing Inspector or such other person designated by the Borough Mayor.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual sewage disposal facilities inside Morris Plains borough.

  • The Plumbing Inspector may inspect at any construction stage.
  • The applicant must notify the inspector for final inspection before underground portions are covered.
  • Inspection is due within 48 hours excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays after notice.

  inspection deadline: 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays)

  “A permit for an individual sewage disposal facility shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the Plumbing Inspector. He shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction, and, in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the Plumbing Inspector when the work is ready for final inspection and before any underground portions are covered.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sanitation for occupied properties inside Morris Plains borough.

  • Public sewer connection is required when a qualifying sewer is within 100 feet.
  • When sewer is unavailable, a permitted individual sewage disposal facility complying with Borough Board of Health and state Department of Health requirements is required.

  “Where a public or private sanitary sewer system is not available under the provisions of Section 18A-4, Paragraph 3, the house service connection shall be connected to a septic tank or other individual sewage disposal facility complying with the provisions of this Article and the Borough Board of Health Ordinance No. 3-69 (Appendix A, Section 4.1 et seq.).”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside Morris Plains borough used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or another purpose, when a public sanitary sewer is within 100 feet of the property line or right of access.

  • Connection is at the owner's expense.
  • Connection must occur within 90 days after official notice.
  • If a public or private sewer is unavailable, an individual sewage disposal facility is required instead.
  • When a sewer later becomes available, direct connection is required and the individual facility must be disconnected and filled or safely maintained.

  sewer distance: <= 100 feet (from any property line or right of access) · connection deadline: 90 days (after official notice)

  “The owners of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purpose, situated within the Borough and abutting on, or having a permanent right of access to, any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located, or may in the future be located, a public sanitary sewer is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within one hundred (100) feet of any property line or right of access.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of parcels inside Morris Plains borough.

  • When new lots are formed from part of a parcel, separation must not impair Article 4 provisions and must comply with Article 4 subdivision procedures.

  “When a new lot or lots are formed from part of a parcel of land, the separation must be effected in such a manner as not to impair any of the provisions of Article 4. Subdivision shall be effected in accordance with Article 4.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Leases and rental arrangements for dwelling units in single-family and two-family residences inside Morris Plains borough.

  • Leases, subleases, or other rental arrangements must be at least six months in duration.

  minimum lease duration: >= 6 months

  “All leases, subleases, or other rental arrangements of dwelling units in single-family and two-family residences in the Borough must be for at least six months in duration.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Construction, plan-review, demolition, removal, sign, certificate-of-occupancy, elevator, residence-inspection, and related fees inside Morris Plains borough.

  • Construction and plan-review fees are set in Chapter 2, § 2-46.
  • Plan-review fees are paid before review and credited toward the construction permit.
  • A surcharge of $0.006 per cubic foot applies to new construction.
  • Fee waivers apply to specified governmental entities and VFW nonprofit improvements.

  new-construction surcharge: 0.006 USD per cubic foot

  “The fee for a construction permit shall be the sum of the subcode fees set forth in the Fee Schedule of the Borough of Morris Plains, Chapter 2, Section 2-46, of the Revised Ordinances, and the same shall be paid prior to the issuance of the permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Construction-permit and certificate-of-occupancy applications inside Morris Plains borough.

  • Applicants should review the Borough's zoning and permit chart and process documentation.
  • Applications for building permits or certificates of occupancy/approval are submitted to the Construction Code Official in triplicate.
  • Plans and an affidavit acknowledging applicable regulations are also submitted in triplicate.

  application copies: 3 copies

  “Regardless of your project, the first steps in the process are:”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Morris Plains

Borough of Morris Plains 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

  Multifamily dwelling units in the R-5 District inside Morris Plains borough.

  • The R-5 rule is for apartment buildings and townhouse dwelling units, with not more than 5% of total dwelling units being townhouses.

  efficiency/one-bedroom unit: >= 675 square feet · two-bedroom unit: >= 1000 square feet

  “Efficiency/one-bedroom unit: 675 square feet Two-bedroom unit: 1,000 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Multifamily development in the R-5 District inside Morris Plains borough.

  • R-5 is intended for apartment buildings and townhouse dwelling units, and not more than 5% of total dwelling units may be townhouses.

  minimum lot area: >= 217800 square feet

  “Minimum lot area. There shall be a minimum lot area of 217,800 square feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-5 District inside Morris Plains borough.

  • A principal building within 100 feet of another residential zone, except where the residential boundary is within a street right-of-way exceeding 60 feet, is limited to 2.5 stories and 35 feet.
  • A loft is not a story if it has no windows.

  maximum height: 3 stories and 42 feet (within 100 feet of another residential zone: 2.5 stories and 35 feet, subject to stated street-right-of-way exception)

  “No principal building shall exceed a height of three stories and 42 feet; provided, however, that no principal building located within 100 feet of another residential zone, with the exception of a residential zone boundary that is located within a street right-of-way exceeding 60 feet in width, shall exceed a height of 2 1/2 stories and 35 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from construction permitting inside Morris Plains borough.
• Setbacks — Main single-family R-1 Residence District inside Morris Plains borough.
• Lot coverage — Main single-family R-1 Residence District inside Morris Plains borough.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Morris Plains borough.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Morris Plains 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 Morris Plains 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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