Linden, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Apartment building coverage
- 35% max, § 31-19.1(e)
- Apartment total coverage, 1-2 story
- 65% max, § 31-19.1(h)
- Apartment total coverage, 3 story
- 75% max, § 31-19.1(h)
- Car wash lot coverage
- 25% max, § 31-19.12(b)
- Gas/convenience store impervious cap
- 85%, § 31-19.10(d)
Summary
Linden's zoning code sets its clearest lot coverage numbers in the apartment standards at City Code § 31-19.1: building coverage is capped at 35 percent of the site for garden apartment development, while total coverage by buildings and all paved areas tops out at 65 percent for one- and two-story buildings and 75 percent for three-story buildings.
Total building coverage shall not exceed thirty-five (35%) percent of the total land area of the site. ... Total site coverage by buildings and all paved areas (not including sidewalks) shall not exceed sixty-five (65%) percent of total site area for one (1) and two (2) story structures and shall not exceed seventy-five (75%) percent of total site area for three (3) story structures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4586096; v16 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Linden's zoning ordinance does not print a single, standalone maximum lot coverage percentage that applies citywide; base coverage limits are set district by district in the Schedule of Limitations table referenced in § 31-20, which this source file does not render as readable sentence text. 1. Subsection e caps total building coverage at thirty-five percent of the total land area of the site, a figure that applies whether the development is one story or three. Subsection h then separately caps total site coverage, meaning buildings plus all paved areas apart from sidewalks, at sixty-five percent of the site for one- and two-story apartment buildings and seventy-five percent for three-story buildings, reflecting that taller buildings need less footprint to hit the same unit count and can absorb more paving.
12(b) caps car washes at twenty-five percent lot coverage. 6 separately allows a lot coverage bonus, equal to whatever front or side yard area a lot is allowed to reduce under the other Article 31-17 modifications, but it does not state a base percentage of its own.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the thirty-five percent building coverage or the sixty-five/seventy-five percent total site coverage caps set for apartment development in § 31-19.1, or the coverage limit for any other use in Article 31-19, is a zoning violation under Chapter 31's general penalty, § 31-40.1: a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 for each violation, with each day the excess coverage continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum lot coverage for an apartment building in Linden?
Does Linden have one citywide maximum lot coverage percentage?
What is the impervious coverage limit for a gas station with a convenience store?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linden
Compare Linden to another location·View the New Jersey building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Union County handle lot coverage limits.