Building Setbacks & Zoning in Linden, NJ (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Linden, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Linden's base yard setbacks are set district by district in the zoning code's Schedule of Limitations, but City Code §§ 31-17.1 through 31-17.5 fix the exceptions: a 15-foot minimum front yard on infill lots, a 5-foot minimum side yard for nonconforming R-1a and R-2a homes, and formula-based reductions for undersized Light Industrial lots.
Linden Yard Setback Modification Rules
Some RestrictionsLinden City Code §§ 31-17.1, 31-17.3, 31-17.4
Where a lot exists between two (2) developed lots, the minimum front yard depth may be reduced to the average front yard depth of the structures on adjacent lots, but in no case shall a front yard depth of less than fifteen (15) feet be permitted. ... Wherever an existing residential structure does not conform to the minimum side yard width, no new addition or alteration shall project beyond th...
Structure Height Limits
Linden's clearest height figures sit in the apartment standards: City Code § 31-19.1(a) caps garden apartments at under 28 feet for one- to two-story buildings and 35 feet for three-story buildings, tied to density. Section 31-17.9 separately lets rooftop equipment and similar structures exceed a district's maximum height by up to 25 percent.
Linden Building Height Limits and Bonuses
Some RestrictionsLinden City Code §§ 31-17.9, 31-19.1(a)
Penthouses or roof structures for the housing of elevators, stairways, tanks, ventilating fans, air conditioning equipment or similar equipment required to operate and maintain the building, and fire or parapet walls, skylights, towers, spires, steeples, flagpoles, chimneys, smokestacks, radio and television towers, monuments, water tanks, silos or similar structures may be erected above the he...
Lot Coverage Limits
Linden's zoning code sets its clearest lot coverage numbers in the apartment standards at City Code § 31-19.1: building coverage is capped at 35 percent of the site for garden apartment development, while total coverage by buildings and all paved areas tops out at 65 percent for one- and two-story buildings and 75 percent for three-story buildings.
Linden Apartment Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsLinden City Code § 31-19.1(e), (h)
Total building coverage shall not exceed thirty-five (35%) percent of the total land area of the site. ... Total site coverage by buildings and all paved areas (not including sidewalks) shall not exceed sixty-five (65%) percent of total site area for one (1) and two (2) story structures and shall not exceed seventy-five (75%) percent of total site area for three (3) story structures.
Looking for Union County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Linden city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Union County →