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

3 sets a uniform 40-foot maximum building height in the RL-1, RL-2, and RL-3 low-density single-family districts and in the RM-1 and RM-2 medium-density districts, covering single-family, two-family, rowhouse, and nonresidential development alike. The RH-1 high-density district keeps the same 40-foot ceiling for every use type. Only the RH-2 district carves out an exception: single-family, single-family-attached, two-family, rowhouse, and nonresidential structures remain capped at 40 feet, but multi-family buildings may rise to 65 feet, the tallest by-right height anywhere in the residential districts. Because setbacks in the RH-1 and RH-2 districts scale with height, taller RH-2 multi-family buildings above 35 feet also trigger larger front, corner, and interior side setbacks under the same Table 4-1.

D from the mean elevation of finished grade at the foundation along the street-facing side of the building, except that if the foundation sits within 10 feet of the back of curb, height is measured from the curb instead. A list of features is exempted from the height cap regardless of district, including public utility poles and wires, water tanks and standpipes, and building appurtenances such as chimneys, parapet walls, skylights, steeples, flagpoles, elevator bulkheads, and rooftop mechanical enclosures, unless a separate height restriction is imposed by an airport authority or another government agency.