Bloomfield, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 315-36B of the Bloomfield Township Code sets the accessory building rules for all residential zones. A garage cannot exceed 15 feet in height. Every other accessory building is capped at eight feet in height, unless another provision of the article specifically permits more, and at 80 square feet of area. No accessory building can be used for human habitation. Accessory buildings belong in the rear yard only, and § 315-36A(4) allows no more than two on any one residential lot. An accessory structure attached to the principal building counts as part of the principal building, except when building coverage is calculated.

Height is measured under the Code's own definition in § 315-6: the vertical distance from the average finished grade surrounding the structure to the level of the highest point of the roof surface. Section 315-35A(2) bars any building or structure from being erected, reconstructed or structurally altered to exceed the height limit designated for its district.

Principal building limits differ by zone. In the R-T townhouse zone the maximum height is no more than 45 feet with a maximum of three stories (§ 315-38C). In the R-G Garden Apartment zone the limit is two stories for garden apartments and not more than six stories for mid-rise apartment buildings (§ 315-38B). In the CORD zone principal buildings run from a minimum of three stories or 35 feet to a maximum of five stories or 55 feet, accessory clubhouses and recreational facilities are capped at 25 feet, and all other accessory structures at 15 feet (§ 315-38G). Any building in the CBD Zone with residential uses has a maximum height of four stories, and for multifamily dwellings in the other zones § 315-39B(8)(d) sends the height question to Schedule A. In nonresidential zones an accessory building or structure is capped at 15 feet or one story (§ 315-36C).