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

Section 190-100E lists the bulk and lot regulations for the R-125 Single-Family Residence District, the Village's largest-lot single-family zone. Subsection E(10) sets maximum total coverage by above-grade structures at 20 percent of the land area of the lot, a hard ceiling applied to the entire parcel. Subsection E(11), amended by Ordinance No. 3973 on November 8, 2023, layers on a second, more targeted cap: coverage by above-grade structures within 200 feet of the front lot line is separately limited to 20 percent of the lot area within that 200-foot band, with the distance measured from all frontages on a corner lot.

This dual structure means a large rear yard beyond 200 feet cannot be used to offset overbuilding near the street, since the front zone is tested on its own. Coverage is calculated using the entire lot area for lots that straddle a zone boundary, per the pro rata formula in § 190-96A(4)(f), which apportions the applicable coverage percentage between the zones based on the share of proposed coverage located in each. The Village also separately caps maximum gross building area under § 190-119J, referenced in Subsections E(12) and (13), which works alongside the coverage limits rather than replacing them, so a project must satisfy both the percentage-of-lot coverage rule and the gross floor area formula before a building permit can issue.