Monroe Township (Gloucester County), NJ Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Article II of Chapter 104 of the Monroe Township Code is the Township's local enabling ordinance for the State Uniform Construction Code. Section 104-17 A creates the 'Monroe Township Construction Code Enforcing Agency,' headed by the Construction Code Official and staffed by Building, Electrical, Fire Protection, Plumbing and Elevator Subcode Officials. Under § 104-17 D, a central permit office receives applications for construction permits and plan review, issues construction permits and certificates of occupancy, collects fees, penalties and fines, and issues notices and orders.

The operative rule is § 104-21 A: except as otherwise provided in the article, construction or alteration of a building or structure shall not be commenced until a construction permit has been issued, and the work must follow the approved application and any site plan approval conditions. Every application must be granted in whole or in part, or denied, within 20 business days. A denial must state its reasons in writing. If the agency lets the period run out, that failure is treated as a denial for purposes of an appeal to the Gloucester County Construction Board of Appeals, unless the applicant agreed to an extension. The agency can approve plan changes that do not require site plan approval.

Two timing rules follow. Section 104-17 E requires at least 24 hours' notice to the Construction Code Official before work starts under a permit. Section 104-21 B expires a permit when no construction has begun within one year of issuance or when construction stops for six months.

Money matters are set in § 104-18. Plan review fees are not less than 20% nor more than 25% of the construction permit charge, are paid at application, are deducted from the permit fee when it is issued, and are not refundable. The minimum fee for a basic construction permit is $75. New construction is charged at $0.038 per cubic foot of volume, and renovations at $34 per $1,000 of estimated cost.

A construction permit is separate from the zoning permit. Section 175-3 A requires the Zoning Officer to issue a zoning permit for the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion or installation of a structure or building, and exterior work extending outside the principal structure needs a sealed land survey with the application. Any improvement of 500 square feet or more also goes to Township Engineer review.