Building Department / Code Enforcement

COVID-19 Update - At this time, the office is open, however all visitors must wear a mask upon entering.  In addition:

  • The public is required to maintain a six-foot social distance inside our public buildings to the extent possible.
  • Vaccinated employees are not required to maintain a 6-foot distance from other employees and the public but will respect the comfort level of others and wear masks. 
  • Non-vaccinated employees will maintain a six-foot distance and wear masks. 

The Township of South Orange Village’s Building and Code Enforcement Department is the local municipal enforcing agency which issues construction permits, conducts progress inspections and issues certificates of occupancy in accordance with the State of New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Act regulations.  Construction in South Orange is regulated by various state, county and local laws (codes), chief among these are the State of New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC) and the South Orange Village Codes of Property Maintenance and Housing Standards.

Based on the intended use, the UCC regulates how structures must be constructed to insure the health, safety and welfare of the public. It provides the means for state-licensed code officials to review plans, issue permits and inspect construction to insure that minimum code standards are met and appropriate building materials are used, thereby reducing potential hazards due to unsafe construction.

Supervised by a state-licensed construction official, some of the responsibilities of the department include:

  • Issuing building permits for construction, demolition, remodeling of and repair of structures, upon the approval of applications for same.
  • Issuing permits for signs, commercial, air-conditioning, oil burners and oil tanks;
  • Performing inspections for and issuing certificates of continued occupancy and certificates of habitability (for rentals);
  • Investigating complaints of violations of Village codes and ordinances dealing with building codes;
  • Coordinating all regulatory inspections relating to buildings and structures which are not vested in any other department or division. The department makes all building inspections authorized or required by general law or the Building and Property Maintenance code of the Village and enforces the provisions of such laws and ordinances.

Permits must be obtained before that start of work except that emergency replacement of furnaces, boilers and water heaters will be allowed as long as the Building Department is notified of the replacement at the time of installation and permits are obtained within five days thereafter.

If you need a permit, the permit process and fees will be explained to you by department personnel at the time of your visit or your telephone call, and you will be given the forms that you will need to apply for a permit.

The Building and Code Enforcement Department is located in Village Hall. Office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Permits are issued each day until 3:00 pm.

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