Every property in Somerset County sits inside a municipality, and each town's zoning ordinance fixes front, side, and rear setbacks under the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-65. Bridgewater, Hillsborough, and Bernards each set their own yards.
There is no unincorporated land in New Jersey, so a Somerset County parcel is always governed by a municipal zoning ordinance, never by the county. The Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-65, authorizes each municipality to regulate the size of buildings, minimum lot sizes and dimensions, and the yards required around a structure. Bridgewater, Franklin Township, Hillsborough, Bernards, and Somerville each write their own minimum front, side, and rear setbacks by zoning district. Larger-lot residential zones in Bernards, Bedminster, and Montgomery commonly demand deep front yards and wide side yards, while Somerville and Bound Brook allow tighter downtown lots. Building closer than the district requires a variance from the municipal zoning board of adjustment.
The municipal zoning officer and construction official enforce setbacks, not the county.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Somerville, NJ
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See how Somerville's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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