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

Paramus limits residential fences to 6 feet in rear and side yards, while front yard fences within the 35-foot setback may not exceed 3 feet whether solid or see-through.

Paramus requires in-ground pool barriers at least 4 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates that swing outward away from the pool and prevent access beneath, through, or over the fence.

Paramus requires a zoning permit before installing or replacing a fence. Applications go through the Building Department at 1 Jockish Square and must show fence location, height, and materials on a property survey.

Paramus regulates retaining walls by exposed height: walls under 4 feet need a zoning permit, while 4-foot and taller walls require a construction permit with engineering. Setbacks scale with wall height.

Paramus treats hot tubs and spas like private pools, requiring the same ten-foot lot line setback, equipment clearance, and barrier protections as backyard pools.

Paramus requires pool barriers at least four feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates that swing outward away from the pool to prevent unauthorized access.

Paramus regulates above-ground pools with the same setback, fencing, and permit requirements as in-ground pools, including ten-foot lot-line clearances.

Paramus pool owners must enclose pools, restrict access, and meet location standards designed to keep children and unauthorized persons away from the water.

Paramus requires zoning, building, electrical, and plumbing permits before installing any swimming pool, with sequenced inspections through the Borough Building Department.

Paramus does not authorize stand-alone accessory dwelling units in its residential zones. Chapter 429 (Zoning) of the Borough Code, governing the R-50, R-75, R-100, R-150 and R-2F residential districts, allows accessory buildings only as uses subordinate and customarily incidental to a permitted principal use, and expressly prohibits living quarters in any accessory building. State authority is the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et seq.

Paramus regulates shed placement based on size, with stricter setbacks for sheds exceeding 100 square feet of floor area in residential zones.

Paramus regulates trimming of street trees and trees in public spaces under Chapter 453, requiring permission from the Shade Tree and Parks Commission before any pruning, planting, or care work occurs in the public right-of-way.

Paramus requires Shade Tree and Parks Commission approval before removing any street tree or any tree on undeveloped land or in a required planted buffer, and homeowners must pay replacement value for approved removals of public trees.