Stafford Township, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Section 211-16F sets the area, yard and building requirements for the Rural Residential Zone (RA) in Stafford Township. The minimum front yard setback is 50 feet, the minimum side yard setback is 20 feet, the minimum combined side yard setback is 50 feet and the minimum rear yard setback is 40 feet. Accessory buildings follow their own distance: the minimum accessory building side and rear yard setback is 15 feet, except as otherwise specified in Chapter 211. Internal walkways and patios must be set back at least three feet from the lot line.

The setbacks sit alongside lot size minimums. Properties with access to existing public sewer need a minimum lot area of one acre (43,560 square feet). Properties without existing public infrastructure, meaning septic, need four acres (174,240 square feet) and are governed by the area, yard and building requirements of § 211-17E. The minimum lot width is 150 feet and the minimum lot depth is 175 feet. Freestanding signs in the RA Zone carry their own setbacks under § 211-16D(2): 10 feet from the front yard and six feet from the side yard.

Compare the Pinelands Forest Area Zone (FA), where § 211-10B prints a 200-foot front yard, a 50-foot rear yard, a 25-foot side yard and a 25-foot accessory use setback. Each zone in Chapter 211 prints its own figures, so the RA numbers do not carry over to other districts in Stafford Township.

A zoning permit from the Zoning Officer is required under § 213-1A before a building or structure is constructed, erected or altered. For fences, internal walkways and patios, decks and accessory structures, § 213-1K allows the applicant to draw the new structure by hand on the original survey, but only if that survey clearly shows all four setbacks to the existing principal structure. If the Zoning Officer has reasonable cause to question the drawing, an as-built survey certified by a licensed engineer or licensed land surveyor is required.