Princeton building department

Princeton’s Building & Construction Department, at 400 Witherspoon Street, reviews plans, issues construction permits and inspects work under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC). The Construction/Building Official is Dan Taglieri. Princeton is a single municipality: the former Borough and Township merged. Some zoning forms are still split by the old Borough and Township districts.

Office and inspection hours

	Hours
Office	Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Building, electrical and plumbing inspections	Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
Fire inspections	Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
Permitted construction work	Weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; no Sunday work

The phone is (609) 921-7078 and the fax is (609) 688-2043.

Get prior approvals first

The construction office will not accept a permit application for a new dwelling or building until the New Build prior-approval sheet is signed by each department, in this order:

1. Tax Assessor: block and lot, plus the affordable-housing development fee, half paid at the start of work and half at completion
2. Health Department: well, septic, food service, pools and spas, day care
3. Princeton Sewer Operating Committee (PSOC): sewer easements and the sewer connection checklist
4. Zoning: zoning permit, plus Historic Preservation Office review where it applies
5. Engineering: wetlands and transition areas, floodplain, tree protection and tree removal, local soil erosion approval, road-opening permits for utilities and driveways, performance bonds, site plan conditions and sewer connection

In a floodplain, an elevation certificate is required before the certificate of occupancy is issued. The checklist must include a plot plan showing utility elevations, first-floor and basement elevations, contours, decks, porches and driveways.

What to submit by project type

• New single-family home:
  • two sets of signed and sealed plans, or three if you are also applying for footings and foundation
  • the permit jacket and subcode technical sections
  • New Jersey New Home Builder registration
  • a PSOC sewer connect permit
  • the prior-approval signoff sheet
• Addition:
  • two sets of signed and sealed plans
  • the jacket and technical sections
  • zoning approval, with plans that show the HVAC if it is being added or replaced
  • PSOC sign-off. If the addition adds a bedroom, get the sewer sign-off before you apply.
• Demolition of a single-family home:
  • the jacket and building technical section
  • a New Jersey builder’s license
  • PSOC disconnect sign-off
  • the prior-approval sheet
  • releases from the gas and electric company, the water company and a pest-control firm

The department uses the state’s standard construction permit forms (linked from its Permits & Applications page). It does not take building permit applications online.

Engineering review for site work

On one- and two-family lots, Engineering must approve a site plan before you file with Zoning or Building when:

• the project creates more than 400 square feet of net new impervious area (roofs, driveways, patios, decks, pools). These projects need on-site stormwater management.
• you are demolishing a house

Projects adding 400 to 4,999.99 square feet are “small” and those adding 5,000 square feet or more are “large.” Each size has its own requirements under Ordinances 2020-38 and 2020-39. If you disturb 5,000 square feet or more of land, you also need Mercer County Soil Conservation District approval.

Engineering Site Review applications, right-of-way excavation permits and tree removal permits are filed in Princeton’s OpenGov portal. Call Engineering at (609) 921-7077 at least 48 hours before:

• installing stormwater facilities
• final grading
• any excavation in the public right-of-way

Engineering does a final inspection before the Building Department issues a CO.

Inspections

Call for an inspection at least 48 hours before you need it. Inspections are done within 3 to 5 business days of the requested time. Keep a full set of the approved plans on site.

For one- and two-family homes, the required inspections are:

• footing trenches before concrete
• foundations before backfill
• framing before it is covered
• rough electrical and plumbing
• insulation
• finals for every subcode

Princeton also publishes a framing checklist, a residential deck guide and a basement renovation guide.

Temporary certificates of occupancy

A residential TCO needs:

• an approved final from each subcode, with no life-safety issues
• all fees and violations cleared
• final or TCO approvals from Engineering and Sewer where they apply
• a potable-water chlorination report, backflow certification and a final balancing report

Each time you renew a TCO, you must collect updated sign-offs from every department and get new building, fire, electrical and plumbing inspections.

Fees

Highlights from the department’s posted building fee schedule (no effective date shown):

Item	Fee
Fence	$75
Above-ground pool	$100
In-ground pool	$200
Demolition, one- or two-family under 5,000 sq ft and 30 ft	$100
Demolition, other structures	$150
Certificate of Continued Occupancy	$200
Underground oil tank removal	$150
Aboveground oil tank removal	$75 plus DCA fee

Zoning

The Zoning Office, (609) 921-1359, issues zoning permits for:

• additions and new buildings
• decks, patios, porches and gazebos
• fences and sheds
• driveway paving or expansion
• A/C condensers and generators
• solar panels and pools
• business signs

It also supports the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Codes in effect

The state Department of Community Affairs lists the current UCC model codes with an adoption date of August 17, 2026:

• IBC and IRC 2024, NJ editions
• National Standard Plumbing Code 2024
• NEC 2023
• IMC and IFGC 2024
• IECC 2024 and ASHRAE 90.1-2022 for energy