Newark building department

Newark’s Building Division, the Office of Uniform Construction Code (UCC), issues building permits and inspects construction, renovation and rehabilitation work on residential and commercial buildings across the city. Its office is in City Hall, Room B23, 920 Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson Blvd. Essex County does not issue building permits for Newark properties.

Filing a permit: mostly in person

Newark uses a FastTrackGov e-government portal. For construction permits, though, it is mainly a payment and inspection tool. The city says that because state rules require raised seals on plans, the portal currently accepts online applications only for tank removal permits. Every other construction permit application has to be brought to the office.

Through the portal you can:

• pay construction permit balances
• pay recurring device invoices
• request inspections on UCC permits already issued by the Building Department

You need a portal account (user name and password) for these functions.

The UCC office’s portal contact page lists phone (973) 733-5632, fax (973) 733-6070 and email [email protected].

Newark’s 2026 submission checklist

The Building Department’s Contractor Permit Submission Guide (the 2026 construction checklist) sets out what a complete package contains.

Technical sheets

• Building technical sheet. New construction also needs an architect-signed and sealed area and volume letter.
• Electrical, plumbing, fire and elevator technical sheets where that work is involved
• A completed Certificate of Occupancy application, filed up front with the permit

Drawings and licenses

• Two sets of signed and sealed architectural drawings
• The right license for each party:
  • Home Improvement Contractor registration
  • New Home Builder registration for new one- and two-family homes
  • City of Newark Contractor License for commercial work
  • State electrical business license
  • State plumbing license
  • HVAC contractor license

Fire protection

• A fire technical sheet for the sprinkler contractor on buildings of three or more families
• The fire protection contractor’s license
• Two sets of sprinkler shop drawings, plus hydraulic calculations
• A fire technical sheet for water heater installations and replacements in buildings of two or more families

Energy

• REScheck for residential projects
• COMcheck/ASHRAE 90.1 report for commercial projects

Outside approvals

Approval	Contact listed on the checklist
Zoning approval	(973) 733-6333
Soil erosion and sediment control certification (if required)	920 Broad St, Room 412
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) approval	If applicable
Water and sewer connections	(973) 733-8151 or (973) 733-3896
Utility markout before digging	1-800-272-1000

Common reasons for rejection

The checklist names these as the most frequent mistakes:

• unsigned applications
• contractor licenses that are missing, expired or unsigned
• a permit scope that does not match the plans
• missing trade technical sheets
• plans not signed and sealed by the design professional
• missing zoning or outside-agency approvals
• missing water or sewer payment receipts

The office also asks you not to use cross-outs or white-out, and to fill in forms in black or blue ink only.

Code Enforcement certificates are separate

Engineering’s Division of Code Enforcement, in the same portal, handles Certificates of Habitability, Certificates of Code Compliance and property inspection requests. These certificates are not construction certificates of occupancy, and a UCC permit does not replace them.

The same division runs vacant, abandoned and foreclosed property registration. The fees are $1,000 initially, $2,000 for the first renewal and $3,000 for later renewals. Any mortgagee holding a mortgage on Newark property must also register.

Street and sidewalk permits (sidewalk repair, street or sidewalk occupancy, and openings) go through the Department of Engineering, Traffic and Signals in the same portal. Fire permits go through the Division of Fire Prevention and Life Safety.

Codes in effect

New Jersey adopts its construction codes statewide. The 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 and IFGC 2024
• IECC 2024 for low-rise residential, and ASHRAE 90.1-2022 for other buildings

Newark’s checklist asks for REScheck and COMcheck reports to show energy-code compliance.