Bergenfield, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Borough Code § 186-3 draws a careful three-way distinction that any Bergenfield building or addition project has to track. Plain 'lot coverage' means the percentage of lot area devoted to building area only. 'Impervious lot coverage' is broader: the percentage of lot area devoted to impervious surface, meaning any material that prevents stormwater from absorbing into the ground, a category the code separately defines to include brick pavers, gravel, decks, patios, concrete, asphalt, driveways, pools, and elevated structures. Section 186-47C then defines 'improved lot coverage' as the percentage of lot area improved with principal and accessory buildings, structures, and uses, expressly including driveways, parking lots, garages, and other man-made improvements, not just the building footprint.

The operative limit sits in that same section: the maximum improved lot coverage for a property cannot exceed the percentage set in Schedule B of the Land Development Ordinance for that property's specific zone district, so the cap varies by district rather than applying a single borough-wide number. Applicants filing for a zoning permit or fence/deck approval must submit a fully scaled survey showing the driveway, sidewalk, decks, sheds, setbacks, lot coverage, and improved lot coverage, and any proposed area covered with pervious, permeable, or porous paver systems, so the Zoning Officer can check the improvement against the district's Schedule B limit before work proceeds.