You’re ready to update your home’s exterior, then a neighbor mentioned that your town has restrictions on vinyl siding for front walls. It’s frustrating to be in a position where a material fits your budget just right. But local laws might stop your entire project. Property owners across New Jersey face this same issue all of the time and it happens because each township has its own set of laws for what you can and can’t use on the outside of your home.
What’s at stake here is actually large. Installing the wrong material without getting the right approval first could leave you with fines or orders to remove your new siding and redo the entire project. On top of the expense, it’s also a hassle. And unapproved exterior work can become a big problem when you go to sell your home especially since buyers’ lenders usually want to see proof that your improvements were done by following local codes.
Each township across the state deals with exterior materials in its own way. Some of them have historic districts with strict preservation standards that you’ll need to follow. Other towns have architectural review boards that will look at your plans and either approve or reject your material options on a case-by-case basis. Some communities have written material restrictions right into their zoning codes. Where your property is located will determine which set of rules applies to you and how much flexibility you’ll actually have for picking your siding material.
Towns That Ban Vinyl Siding
A few New Jersey communities have set up historic districts over the past few decades as a way to preserve their architectural character. Some towns have created these areas when the residents got worried about losing the traditional look of the older neighborhoods. Most of these districts cover downtown areas and older residential streets with plenty of history.
If your property is located in one of these historic districts then you’ll probably need to get approval to make any changes to the exterior. Local historic commissions will review what you want to do and give advice about which materials and design options work well with the rest of the area. The whole idea is to make sure new work is in line with the character of the buildings around it.
Each town draws the boundaries of these districts a little differently. Communities can also expand or shrink them over time as they add or remove properties from the protected areas – it’s why it pays to check with your local planning or zoning office and confirm if your home is in one of these protected zones.
When you buy a house, the sale doesn’t always mention these restrictions. Plenty of people buy a property and only later find out that there are extra hoops to jump through for exterior work. Your town’s planning department can explain what permits you need and help you figure out how the approval process works.
Communities put these protections in place because they want to keep the look and feel of their historic neighborhoods the same. The review process does add an extra layer. But it also protects the visual character that makes these areas look great.
Local Boards That Rule Your Renovations
New Jersey communities have local boards that review any changes homeowners want to make to the outside of their homes. These boards can pop up in just about any town or neighborhood and you don’t need to live in a historic district to run into one. Their goal is to keep neighborhoods similar and to preserve the visual character of the area.
Where you live will determine if you’ll have to bring your renovation plans in front of one of these local boards before you can touch anything on your home’s exterior. The board is going to look at your material picks and compare them to what your neighbors already have on their homes. They’ll want to see if your changes match the general feel and style of the neighborhood. These boards look at the quality of whatever materials you want to install and how well they hold up over time. The color and texture matter quite a bit too. They want to make sure that your project complements the other homes on your street instead of looking out of place.
The review standards aren’t the same from one town to the next. The board membership changes from year to year and when new members join, their opinions and what matters to them can change the approval process. A material choice that sails through one board might get rejected by a different board in another community. Some materials get more pushback than others when they look different from the traditional materials that most homes in the area already have. Boards don’t usually ban materials outright (like vinyl siding). But they’ll review each project on a case-by-case basis and measure it against their design standards.
If you plan a renovation then you’ll have to dig into what your local board needs to see before you buy any materials or hire a contractor. Going to one of their meetings ahead of time will give you a sense of what they care about most and what types of projects they’ve approved recently. Be prepared to make some changes to your plans after you get their feedback.
Every town works with this process a little differently, so your best bet is to contact your local municipality and find out what rules apply to your property.
Rules for the Front and Back
Most towns across New Jersey have laws for what type of siding you can install on your home. Lots of them pay extra attention to the parts of your house that are visible from the street. The whole point is to keep the neighborhood looking the same and to protect the character of the residential areas.
Local codes usually treat the front of your home differently from other areas. The walls that face the street could have one set of standards and the sides that face your backyard will have another. Corner properties have to work with more restrictions since multiple sides of the house are visible from public roads and each town also has its own way of defining what counts as street – dealing with.
Some towns only care about the wall where your front door is located. Other places will include any part of your home that’s visible from a public road. Side walls and even parts of your backyard walls could be covered by these laws and it all can depend on the way that your property is laid out.
That’s why some homeowners use different materials on different parts of their homes. Premium materials might go on the street – facing walls and the more budget-friendly options can work fine for the less visible areas – this way you can balance the cost with the local code.
Codes and laws change over time and can be very different from one town to the next. Make sure to check with your local building department before you start any siding project. They’ll be able to tell you which parts of your home fall under stricter standards and what materials are allowed in each area.
How to Get Your Township Approval
If you replace your home’s siding in New Jersey, you’re going to have to get approval from your township first. Every township deals with this a little differently and what they ask for can change quite a bit depending on where your property is located. What your neighbor deals with in the next town over could be very different from the process that you’ll go through.
Most townships are going to ask you for paperwork before you can start any exterior work on your house – this usually means you’ll need to put together some drawings that show what you’re planning for. Plenty of townships also want to see physical samples of whatever materials you’re planning to install. How much detail they want from you can depend on the township you’re in.
Every township charges different fees and it takes different amounts of time to process the applications. Some will get through your paperwork pretty fast and others can drag it out for weeks or months. Your best move is to call your local building department right away to find out what they charge and how long you should plan to wait. Before you fill anything out, it’s worth having a conversation with someone at your building department. A quick phone call can tell you what they expect to see in your application and it can save you from having to redo everything later because you missed something.
Another idea is to take a walk around your neighborhood and see what other homeowners have done with similar projects. If there are some homes nearby that already have the materials you’re thinking about, that’s worth bringing up when you submit your application. Working with a local contractor who already knows your township’s process well can make this whole process way easier. These contractors have been through your building department dozens of times and they know exactly what paperwork to submit and how to answer any questions that might come up.
Just be prepared for the possibility that your first application might come back with requested changes. Most townships will let you resubmit or file an appeal if they need you to adjust something. Some homeowners hire experts who can take care of the entire permit process for them – this will add to the cost.
What Happens When You Break the Rules
Once a complaint gets filed with the township, they usually get a warning letter. Not responding to that warning means the next step is a stop-work order, and all construction has to stop right away. The township will start hitting you with fines each day. Every township sets its own penalty amounts, and the bills add up fast – we’re talking about serious money here.
The regulations around existing vinyl siding are very different from one township to another. Some townships will grandfather in the vinyl siding that was installed before today’s requirements took effect. Other townships take a different strategy completely – they don’t care about the installation date. If it violates today’s codes and they find out about it, you’ll have to remove it – it’s an expensive problem that can blindside homeowners who had no idea they were out of compliance.
This whole situation can turn into a serious problem when selling your house. Potential buyers might walk away from the deal once they discover the compliance problems, or they might demand a big price reduction to compensate for the problem they’d be inheriting. Experienced buyers and their agents will specifically check for these kinds of violations during the due diligence process. Enforcement varies by the town you’re in. Some places will chase down every violation they can find, and others won’t do anything unless the house looks completely wrong for the area.
Economic conditions actually have a big effect on how strictly townships enforce their regulations. When the economy takes a hit, townships have to make tough decisions about where to spend their already limited budgets and siding violations usually fall pretty far down on the list of priorities.
The financial consequences of non-compliance are brutal when your only option is tearing down and replacing every bit of siding. After you add up the removal work, disposal fees and the new installation, homeowners face bills that are reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
Contact Our Team Today to Start Your Project
Township laws can take a bit of effort to figure out. But they do matter if you’re planning any changes to your home’s exterior. Every community works with these matters a little differently and what works in one location might not fly in another.
Maybe that means a visit to your local building department, a conversation with neighbors who have done similar projects or a partnership with a person who already knows the local setup inside and out – whatever way you choose, a little preparation goes a long way. Nobody wants to run into compliance problems or unexpected costs after the work is already done.
That way, you can make the right calls about materials and design that fit your vision and your township’s laws.
When it comes to making your home improvement project a reality, Magnolia Home Remodeling Group has spent more than three decades helping New Jersey homeowners bring their ideas to life. Our team knows how to work with local codes and turn your plans into beautiful results that are built to last. Maybe you want new siding, replacement windows, roofing updates or other exterior improvements – we’re here to talk with you about every part of the process. Check out our project gallery to see what we’ve accomplished for families just like yours, download our free catalog for ideas and inspiration or request a no-obligation estimate to get started. Financing options are available for qualifying homeowners throughout New Jersey.
Let’s work together to create the home you’ve always wanted – contact Magnolia Home Remodeling Group and see how we help you make it happen.
