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

Hardwick Township’s own rules

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zone designations for all land inside Hardwick township

  • Zone names are published in the code: LD (Low Density Rural Residential) and Pahaquarry (§ 13-8, § 13-12, § 13-15).
  • The zone boundaries are on the adopted zoning map, which the code says is kept in the township clerk's office, so the map itself was not verified as published online.
  • Zone boundary interpretation rules are in § 13-8.2.

  “editor's note: said map may be found in the office of the township clerk.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family lots in the LD (Low Density Rural Residential) zone inside Hardwick township; the LD zone is the township's main single-family and rural-residential district

  • Large-lot development under § 13-12.2j requires a 15-acre minimum lot size with no more than four lots on a common driveway.
  • Maximum gross density is one-tenth (0.1) unit per acre; rounding does not apply, per the editor's note in § 13-12.2.
  • Lots fronting on public streets shall have at least 50 feet of road frontage (§ 13-12.2g).
  • Amended 7-6-2022 by ord. no. 2022-05 per the section history.

  minimum lot size: >= 3 acres (large-lot development under § 13-12.2j: 15 acres)

  “b. minimum lot size: three acres. c. minimum setback for principal or accessory building or structure from side lot line: 50 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings in the LD (Low Density Rural Residential) zone inside Hardwick township

  • Principal building rear setback is 100 feet; accessory building rear setback is 50 feet.
  • Wooded lots must keep an undisturbed buffer of at least 50 feet between the building line and the street line (§ 13-12.2h).
  • Cross-reference 'see also subsection k below' in § 13-12.2 was not opened.
  • Amended 7-6-2022 by ord. no. 2022-05 per the section history.

  side setback, principal or accessory: >= 50 feet · front setback, principal or accessory: >= 100 feet · rear setback, principal building: >= 100 feet · rear setback, accessory building: >= 50 feet

  “d. minimum setback for principal or accessory building or structure from a front lot line: 100 feet. e. minimum building setback for principal building or structure from rear lot line: 100 feet. for accessory building or structure, the minimum setback from rear lot line is 50 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings in the LD (Low Density Rural Residential) zone inside Hardwick township

  • Agricultural storage structures may have a height determined by their function.
  • Exemption: a structure required to be raised to meet state or federal flood elevation standards is exempt from the height limit, including its staircase, only to the minimum extent necessary for ingress and egress.
  • Amended 7-6-2022 by ord. no. 2022-05 per the section history.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (or 2 1/2 stories, whichever is less; agricultural storage structures excepted)

  “f. maximum building height: 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories, whichever is less, except that agricultural storage structures may have a height determined by their function.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction in Hardwick township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Hardwick township
• Building code adopted — Construction code adoption for Hardwick township
• Inspections — Building inspections in Hardwick township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Hardwick 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 Hardwick 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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