City building department · New Jersey
Elizabeth building department
Permits, inspections, and official contacts for Elizabeth Bureau of Construction.
Verified Checked against 7 official sources
Contacts & online services
- Phone
- (908) 820-4080 construction official; (908) 820-4093 permits
- Office
- 50 Winfield Scott Plaza, Room 401, Elizabeth, NJ 07201
Get directions (opens in a new tab) - Serves
- Elizabeth · Union County
- Online services
- Applications · Inspections
Check your address first. Elizabeth Bureau of Construction handles building permits for property inside Elizabeth city limits. Property outside city limits is usually served by Union County or another municipality, even when the mailing address says Elizabeth.
On this page
Elizabeth’s Bureau of Construction sits in the Department of Planning and Community Development and works out of Room 401 at City Hall, 50 Winfield Scott Plaza. It reviews construction applications against the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC), issues permits, performs inspections and keeps the permit records required by state law. Union County does not issue building permits for Elizabeth addresses.
Applying for a permit
Permit paperwork is the standard New Jersey construction permit jacket plus the subcode technical sections. The bureau posts its own copies on the Construction page:
- Construction Permit Application
- Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Elevator and Mechanical technical sections
- Driveway form, Chimney Replacement form and Demolition Checklist
- Land Use form and the Planning Board / Zoning Board package for projects that need board action
- Open Air Dining checklist, Crane Boom required-documents list and a cannabis license application
The city’s GovPilot portal handles four construction-related requests online: construction inspection requests, crane permits, dumpster permits and public pole replacement. The page does not offer a full online permit application, so plan on submitting the permit jacket and technical sections to the bureau.
The city directory routes questions about building permits, additions, bathroom remodels, decks, fences, pools, driveways, demolitions, fuel-oil tanks and zone maps to the Construction line at (908) 820-4093.
Who to call
| Role | Phone |
|---|---|
| Construction Official | (908) 820-4080 |
| Assistant Construction Official | (908) 820-4728 |
| Technical Assistant (permits) | (908) 820-4093 |
| Building Subcode Official | (908) 820-4233 |
| Electrical Subcode Official | (908) 820-4091 |
| Plumbing Subcode Official | (908) 820-4086 |
| Fire Subcode Official | (908) 820-4122 |
The bureau’s fax is (908) 820-4245. The directory lists (908) 820-4026 for new additions and addition inspections and (908) 820-4096 for property complaints.
Inspections
Request inspections through the GovPilot construction inspection form linked from the Construction page. The bureau’s Required Inspection Checklist shows which inspections it expects for common jobs:
| Project | Inspections listed |
|---|---|
| New construction or addition | Footing, foundation/backfill, slab, sheathing, rough electric and service, rough plumbing, frame and firestop, insulation, then finals for fire, plumbing, electric and building |
| Kitchen or bathroom | Rough electric, rough plumbing, frame, insulation, final electric, final plumbing, final building |
| Finished basement | Rough electric, rough plumbing, rough fire, frame, insulation, finals |
| Pool | Footing, foundation/backfill, steel, rough electric and bonding, trench, rough plumbing and drains, finals (final fire only for a pool heater) |
| Deck | Footing, framing, final electric, final building |
| Roofing and siding | Final building |
| Boiler, furnace or water heater | Final electric, final fire, final plumbing, final building |
| Generator | Plumbing air test, trench, final electric, final plumbing, final fire, final building |
| Solar panels | Rough electric, final electric, final building |
| Gas or electric service reconnect | Plumbing air test |
The checklist also sets the order of work:
- the footing inspection is done at the bottom of the trench before concrete is poured
- the foundation inspection comes before backfill, and the foundation location survey is due right after it
- the framing inspection happens only after rough electric and plumbing pass, and before insulation
- the insulation inspection comes before gypsum board goes up
- the final building inspection can be scheduled together with the electric, fire and plumbing finals
Demolition permits
The Demolition Checklist (last updated March 18, 2025) lists what you need before a demolition permit is issued:
- a certificate of approval for the sewer cap-off, which needs its own permit and inspection
- an asbestos certification from an accredited testing agency
- proof that American Water, Elizabethtown Gas, PSEG, cable and telephone are disconnected
- a Request for Determination of Non-Applicability from Somerset-Union Soil Conservation
- certified-mail proof that the neighbors were notified
- pesticide-treatment approval from the city’s Health and Human Services Department
During the work, the site needs:
- water spray for dust
- a permitted dumpster
- silt fence or hay bales around the demolition area
- a portable toilet
A Fire Prevention permit is required if you use a cutting torch. Footings and slabs must be removed and inspected before clean fill goes in.
| Demolition permit fee (city checklist) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Garage (up to 3 cars) or shed | $50 |
| One- and two-family | $100 |
| Three-family and up | $125 |
| Commercial up to 5,000 sq ft | $225 |
| Commercial over 5,000 sq ft | $275 |
| Sewer cap-off | $75 |
Related city offices
- Engineering, (908) 820-4271: flood zone maps, wetlands maps, site plan copies, tax maps and street openings for curbs and sidewalks
- Fire Department, (908) 820-2800
- Main City Hall line, (908) 820-4000
Codes in effect
New Jersey’s construction codes are set statewide, not by the city. The state Department of Community Affairs lists the current editions with an adoption date of August 17, 2026:
- IBC 2024, NJ edition
- IRC 2024, NJ edition
- National Standard Plumbing Code 2024, NJ edition
- NEC 2023
- IMC 2024 and IFGC 2024
- IECC 2024 for low-rise residential, and ASHRAE 90.1-2022 for other buildings
Planning a project?
These guides explain the national model-code rules most departments start from. Elizabeth Bureau of Construction decides what applies in Elizabeth, so use them to prepare your questions.
More New Jersey building departments
Not the right office? If your property is outside Elizabeth city limits, one of these may handle it.