Zoning & Property Maintenance Officer: Richard M. Wolff, rwolff@southplainfieldnj.com , 908-226-7630

Zoning/Planning Board Secretary: Stephanie Merola, smerola@southplainfieldnj.com , 732-215-6383

Code Enforcement/Asst Zoning Official: Christopher Czuba, cczuba@southplainfieldnj.com , 908-226-7632

Borough of South Plainfield Zoning Ordinance

Borough Zoning Map

*Updated June 17, 2026*

GRASS CUTTING:  PLEASE ENSURE YOUR YARD (FRONT & REAR PLUS ANY UTILITY STRIP BY THE SIDEWALK/CURB) IS KEPT WITHIN REGULATIONS (NO HIGHER THAN 6 INCHES TALL). LOTS WITH NO STRUCTURES THAT ARE VACANT ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP THE GRASS CUT AT LEAST 10-FEET INSIDE THE FRONT PROPERTY LINE.

ADDITIONALLY, CORNER LOTS HAVE SPECIFIC RULES REGARDING OBSTRUCTING VIEWS IN THE "SIGHT TRIANGLE." PLEASE REFER TO 540-18: OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT INTERSECTIONS, TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE. COMPLAINTS WILL RESULT IN AN INSPECTION AND A NOTICE BEING SENT TO THE OWNER TO CORRECT ANY VIOLATIONS.  

GRASS CLIPPINGS MAY NOT BE BLOWN INTO THE STREET  Rubbish or refuse on sidewalks.  YOU MAY BE CITED FOR CLOGGING STORM DRAINS FOR DOING SO. UP TO THREE THIRTY-GALLON BAGS OF GRASS CLIPPINGS MAY BE TAKEN TO THE MUNICIPAL YARD WASTE SITE IN YOUR OWN NON-COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WITH A YARD WASTE DECAL. SEE THE PUBLIC WORKS WEBPAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

ANY COMPLAINTS MUST BE IN WRITING AND SUBMITTED BY MAIL, EMAIL OR IN PERSON. SEE COMPLAINT FORM ABOVE. VIOLATIONS ARE ADDRESSED ON A FIRST COME BASIS, AND IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN BY THE PROPERTY OWNER, A SUMMONS TO APPEAR IN MUNICIPAL COURT WILL BE ISSUED. PENALTIES CAN BE $2,000/PER OFFENSE AND WARNINGS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS. 

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The Zoning and Property Maintenance Department is responsible for enforcing Municipal Code regulations on private property throughout the Borough. The South Plainfield Municipal Code has rules regulating Zoning, Property Maintenance, and other conditions on residential, commercial, and industrial properties. We also oversee Vacant and Abandoned Property maintenance, as well as Parking Violations on private property. If you have a street parking complaint, please contact the Police Department.

The Zoning Officer is charged with overseeing community and neighborhood land use requirements, such as the use of a structure, location of any improvements, the configuration/placement of any accessory structure and the maximum size requirements. There are other considerations as well such as the height as Building Permits may be required for oversized permitted structures. 

Storing unregistered or disabled vehicles on your property is NOT permitted on ANY property unless specifically approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Parking on unimproved surfaces is also not permitted and property owners may be cited for parking in front yards on any area not designed for parking such as a front lawn. If you are unsure if where you are parking is an approved area, please email the Zoning Official and send a photo of the area you have a question about. The renting or leasing of a piece of property for parking vehicles or storing equipment/materials is NOT a permitted use in any zone. If you are unsure about using your property in any fashion, please contact the Zoning Official who can explain what is possible and what is not. 

Running a business out of your home is only permitted by the Zoning Official or the Zoning Board of Adjustment when a Use Variance is given. Please email the Zoning Official if you have any questions before you engage in any commercial activities on a residential lot. There are restrictions you need to be made aware of. DO NOT purchase or lease a Residential Lot with the intention of using it for your Commercial Business without approvals. You will be cited and directed by the Zoning Official to remove all Commercial Vehicles AND equipment. This includes contractor/landscaping trailers/vehicles/equipment/materials.

If you are thinking about opening a business in South Plainfield, please do not sign into a lease agreement until you have applied for and have received a Zoning Permit. Failure to obtain a Zoning Permit may result in a summons/fine being issued and the immediate stopage of all operations until such time that approvals are obtained. If you receive a Denial Letter to operate your business at a desired location, the Zoning Official can explain options for you to apply for a variance.

Code Enforcement oversees exterior maintenance such as garbage and debris, vegetative overgrowth, abandoned or inoperable vehicles on private property, parking vehicles on unimproved surfaces, or other visual and hazardous nuisances on commercial, industrial, and residential properties. This includes blocking public access to public rights of way (example: sidewalks) and overgrown bamboo affecting neighboring properties.

The enforcement of property maintenance and nuisance codes helps to ensure that there is a minimum standard  for maintaining all properties in South Plainfield. We appreciate all those who maintain their property in a clean and sanitary condition. If you receive a warning for a property maintenance violation, please contact us so we can explain what actions need to be taken. We will give you time to abate the violation and avoid a summons being issued and paying fines in Municipal Court.

Business Information

First, Thank You for selecting South Plainfield as your choice to operate your business! We are a business-friendly town and will assist you in making your application process as seemless as possible. A couple of things to consider: You will need a Commercial Zoning Permit before applying for your Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) with the Building Department. If you do not have a State registered business, you can't receive a Zoning Permit. If you need to get your business registered, go here https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/gettingregistered.shtml . You will also need an EIN or Employee Identification Number from the IRS. There are links on the State website that can guide you in the right direction. If you are unsure if a property can be used for a certain type of business, please email the Zoning Official to understand the Zone Requirements and Permitted Uses. 

Business Signage

Residential Information

Residents of South Plainfield must complete a Residential Zoning Application for many improvements on their property. Some kinds of improvements that require a Zoning Permit are for sheds, retaining walls, driveways, gazebos, pools, jacuzzis, decks, generators, HVAC condensers, additions, changes in the use of the property, and garages. Please consult the Borough's " Schedule of Bulk Requirements " to understand how far improvements and accessory structures must be from your lot lines.

*Sheds are the only accessory structure that have different setback requirements. For Metal Sheds, the setback must be at least 2 feet from any rear or side property line. Any other style of shed must be at least 3 feet from any rear or side property line. Under no circumstance will a shed be permitted in the front yard unless a variance is given by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The maximum number of sheds any residential property may have is 2 (two) and the maximum amount of size between two sheds is 200 square feet. Example: one 8x10 (80SF) shed and one 10x12 (120SF)  shed is acceptable. If you would like to build a shed over the 200 square feet requirement, you must seek a variance through the Zoning Board. If you have any questions at all, please refer to the "Shed Requirements" posted at the top of this page.*

Driveways (unless otherwise built closer when the property was initially developed) may not be closer than (5) five feet to a property line and a separate Curb Cut Permit (if necessary) must be obtained through the Public Works Department. Please keep in mind that minor repairs do not require a zoning permit, but if you are replacing your driveway, then a permit is required. Wooden or Plastic Sheds may not be any closer than (3) three feet from a rear or side property line. You can always E-mail us to ask a question if necessary.

Any improvements attached to the home become part of the Principal Structure, everything else is accessory to the use of the property. An easy way to locate what Zone your property is in, is to find it's location on the Zoning Map and see the Zone labeled for that area of the Borough.

Fences do require a Zoning Permit, so please complete an application prior to replacing or placing a new fence. Corner lots must adhere to more stringent Zoning rules as they are considered to have Front Yard Setbacks on two sides of the property. The rear yard of corner lots is considered the yard opposite of the street address of the property. You can be cited for placing fencing that is not permitted or placing it incorrectly after receiving a Zoning Permit. You can view the Borough Code that addresses Fencing and Additions here, General Regulations . 

A Property Survey is required for any external property changes to ensure improvements meet setback and other Bulk Regulation standards. It is the Property Owner's responsibility to supply a copy of their property survey as the Borough does not keep a record of every property survey.

Residential Signage

Unapproved Commercial Yard Sign on Residential Property

Solar Panels

All Solar projects require a Zoning Permit as a prior approval before Construction Permits can be obtained. Please submit the Residential Zoning Application ($75 fee) for all residential homes. Property of a Commercial or Industrial nature must submit the Commercial Zoning Application ($125). Solar installers can submit both Zoning and Building Permit forms at the same time. A survey is not required for residential rooftop Solar projects if plans are submitted. 

Clothing Bins

Clothing Bins are only permitted by the Borough through an application process. If you would like to place a clothing bin on a piece of property, please contact the Borough Clerk's Office to obtain an application. If you place a bin without proper approvals, they can and will be removed and/or destroyed by the property owner. The clothing bin owner may be issued a summons and the maximum fine for illegally placing a bin is $20,000. See the Code HERE . 

Violations

If you receive a Violation Notice from our department, please note the timeframe in which to comply. If the violation is not abated (removed) from the property within the timeframe, you may receive a summons to appear in Municipal court, and may receive a fine from the court. If you are unable to abate the violation by the due date, please email or call us so we can understand your situation. We may grant extensions based upon our discussion.  

Complaints

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns you would like to be addressed. A Complaint Form is linked above on this page. You can drop it off at Borough Hall, E-mail it to us, or mail it in. Please provide as much information as possible such as the address of the violation, the specific location of the violation, and your contact information so we can reach out if we need further information. Sometimes a suspected violation is not, and if you do not provide your contact information, there is no way of explaining why no action was taken. Please supply at least your name and email so we can get back to you.