Before You Build in Edison, NJ: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Edison's Chapter 37 requires fences to be built entirely on the owner's property - no joint or boundary-straddling fences are authorized in code. Boundary and good-side disputes are private civil matters between neighbors and the Township does not adjudicate them.

Edison's Chapter 37 (Zoning) caps residential fences at 4 ft in the front yard and 6 ft overall. Up to 8 ft is allowed along a rear lot line bordering a non-residential zone (except OSC), and industrial zones permit up to 10 ft in side and rear yards.

Chapter 37 prohibits any fence made of materials dangerous to persons or animals - barbed wire, electrified wire, and razor wire are not permitted in residential zones. Standard residential materials include wood, vinyl, PVC, chain link, aluminum, and decorative wrought iron.

A zoning permit from the Edison Zoning Officer is required for any fence under Chapter 37. The application must include a current survey or plot plan showing the proposed fence location and the distances to all lot lines.

Edison requires every swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching, lockable gate. Woven-mesh openings may not exceed 4-by-4 inches and picket spacing may not exceed 4 inches. The barrier must be in place before the pool is filled.

Every pool in Edison must be enclosed by a barrier at least 4 feet high with woven-mesh openings no larger than 4 by 4 inches or picket spacing no greater than 4 inches. The gate must be self-closing, self-latching, lockable, and locked whenever the pool is not in use.

Edison requires both a Chapter 17 pool license issued by the Health Officer through the Division of Licenses and a NJ UCC construction permit before any pool may be built, installed, or altered. The license must be renewed annually and expires April 30 each year. Commercial swimming pools are prohibited.

Beyond the barrier and gate rules, Edison-licensed pools must maintain sanitary water under Health Officer oversight, control mosquitoes and other vectors, and comply with NJ N.J.A.C. 8:26 standards for any pool open to non-household guests. Annual license renewal includes a Health Officer inspection.

New Jersey has no statewide ADU preemption, so accessory dwelling units in Edison are governed entirely by Chapter 37 (Zoning). Edison's zoning code does not list ADUs as a permitted use in residential zones - any ADU proposal requires a use variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Converting an Edison garage into living space requires zoning sign-off plus full NJ UCC subcode permits. Converting to an independent dwelling unit is treated as creating a second dwelling unit and requires a use variance because Edison's Chapter 37 does not permit ADUs as of right.

Sheds in Edison require a Chapter 37 zoning permit with a plot plan. Maximum height is 15 feet, aggregate accessory-structure ground coverage may not exceed 10% of the lot or 35% of the rear yard (whichever is less), and the zoning application fee is $100.

Recreational fires in Edison Township are governed by the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70), which adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) with state amendments. IFC Section 308.1.4 (as amended in New Jersey) allows recreational fires no closer than 25 feet from any structure or combustible material; portable outdoor fireplaces must be at least 15 feet from a structure. The fire pile must not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height, and the fire must be constantly attended until completely extinguished.

Open outdoor burning of yard waste, leaves, brush and refuse is prohibited in Edison Township under the New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act and DEP Air Quality rules at N.J.A.C. 7:27-2.1 (Open Burning). Statewide, open burning is banned except for narrowly defined exemptions (recreational fires, prescribed forestry burns by NJFFS, agricultural burning with a permit). Edison enforces the state ban through the Fire Prevention Bureau and Health Department.

Water restrictions in Edison Township flow from a combination of NJDEP drought-stage declarations under the New Jersey Water Supply Management Act (N.J.S.A. 58:1A) and rules of the two water suppliers serving Edison: Middlesex Water Company and New Jersey-American Water. During NJDEP Drought Watch or Warning, odd/even-address outdoor-watering restrictions apply, and during Drought Emergency the Governor may order mandatory cuts.

Tree trimming on private property in Edison is generally permitted without a permit when the tree is wholly on the owner's property and not designated a heritage or specimen tree. Street trees in the public right-of-way and county-road trees require Edison Public Works or Middlesex County coordination. Trimming or pruning of overhanging branches up to the property line is allowed under New Jersey common law, but the cut may not damage the trunk or kill the tree.

Tree removal in Edison Township is governed by the New Jersey statewide stormwater rules (N.J.A.C. 7:8) requiring municipalities to adopt tree-protection ordinances, plus local Chapter 37 (Zoning) provisions on lot coverage and street-tree protection. Removal of street trees requires Edison Public Works approval. Major site-disturbance projects must comply with Township soil-erosion permits coordinated with the Middlesex County Soil Conservation District.