Off-grid site report

Bergen County, NJ

40.9084, -74.0340 · 49 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Bergen County, NJ, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesBergen County, NJ

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyBergen County has no countywide zoning code; each of its roughly 70 municipalities sets its own zoning under New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law. The County Planning Board only coordinates subdivision and site-plan review. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNot confirmed at the county level; tiny homes and RV occupancy rules are set entirely by each municipality's own zoning and building department.

Building permits & codes

Generally allowedMunicipalities issue building permits under the state Uniform Construction Code; Bergen County runs a Construction Board of Appeals for appealing local permit decisions. source

Septic & composting toilets

Generally allowedThe Bergen County Department of Health Services (Consumer Health) directly oversees septic system installation, repair, and alteration countywide. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Bergen County or state-specific residential greywater rule was found; ask the county health department or your town for current guidance.

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo Bergen County ordinance or guidance on rain barrels or cisterns was found; this inherits the same ambiguity as the state baseline.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedThe Bergen County Department of Health Services oversees private well installation, abandonment, and water quality monitoring countywide, under the state's Private Well Testing Act. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyNo county ordinance mandates connection to public utilities, but municipal Certificates of Occupancy generally require an approved water supply and sewage disposal method, effectively requiring permitted well/septic; this is enforced town by town, not by the county.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.7 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 3.3 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,341 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 48 in/yr
Heating degree days: 4,981 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 4 to Nov 4

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital North Central Bronx Hospital: 8.2 mi
Fire station Prospect Fire Company Number 1: 1.7 mi
Hardware store Lowe's: 10.3 mi
Grocery: none within range

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 07661).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.