Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Measurement. Section 430-8 defines building height as the vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the finished grade, six feet from every side of the structure, to the highest point of a flat roof, to the deckline of a mansard roof and to the midpoint below the highest peak on a gable, sloped or hip roof. Section 430-19A, amended 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019:16, ties every height measurement in the chapter to that definition.

Exemptions. Under § 430-19B, the height limits do not apply to transmission or aerial towers, masts, flagpoles or chimneys, provided the horizontal area of such parts does not exceed 1.0% of the ground area covered by the main building. Parapet walls not over four feet high are exempt in nonresidential zones. Roof-mounted heating, air-conditioning and other mechanical equipment is exempt, but equipment visible at ground level from a residential zone must be screened by a wall, cover or other means in keeping with the architectural motif of the building. Within all commercial districts, bell and clock towers can be 15 feet higher than the maximum permitted principal building height (§ 430-19C), and church steeples or similar features on houses of worship get the same 15 feet (§ 430-19D).

District caps. The numeric height limit for each district sits in the Schedule of Area, Yard and Building Requirements, which § 430-35 declares part of the chapter and § 430-42 applies to height. Some districts print their own figure: the PRD district (§ 430-210) and the PRD-2 district (§ 430-222) set a maximum building height of 35 feet, and the PRD-3 district (§ 430-331) sets 35 feet and three stories. Accessory buildings follow a separate cap of 15 feet or 1 1/2 stories under § 430-13B(1).