Union County
Union County Division of Public Works, Bureau of Inspection
In short
Union County Division of Public Works, Bureau of Inspection issues 2 permits we publish for Union County, last verified 2026-10-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Road Opening Permit (Excavation in the County Road Right-of-Way)only if it applies to you | Union County Division of Public Works, Bureau of Inspection | Per the county's Policy and Procedures for Right of Way Excavations (adopted via ordinance on 12.18.2024): application fee $36.00 (normal) or $108.00 (non-reported opening); permit fee $48.00 up to 20 sq ft, $120.00 for 20 to 80 sq ft, plus $0.60 per sq ft over 80 sq ft, with a $48.00 minimum for each of multiple openings; refundable cash bond $800.00 up to 43 sq ft, $18.75 per sq ft per opening over 43 sq ft, $800.00 each for multiple openings, and a $10,000.00 minimum (or as determined by the County Engineer) on roads paved within the last 5 years | work must start within 20 working days of issue; the permit is valid for 60 working days from the start of work unless extended in writing by the Bureau of Inspection | 2026-10-08 |
| County Curb / Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road)only if it applies to you | Union County Division of Public Works, Bureau of Inspection | Per the county's Policy and Procedures for Right of Way Excavations (adopted via ordinance on 12.18.2024): application fee $24.00; permit fee $0.60 per linear foot, $30.00 minimum, for depressed curb and for full-height curb; a cash bond is also required | work must start within 20 working days of issue; the permit is valid for 60 working days from the start of work unless extended in writing by the Bureau of Inspection | 2026-10-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
County Road Opening Permit (Excavation in the County Road Right-of-Way)
The fee figures are those printed in the county's Policy and Procedures for Right of Way Excavations, linked from the county Engineering page, whose footer states that it was 'Adopted via ordinance on 12.18.2024'. Ordinance 852-2024 amends Chapter 46 of the Laws of Union County so that its regulations and fees 'reflect the amended policy as annexed hereto'; the scanned ordinance posted on the county site does not reproduce that annex, and states that copies are available through the Division of Public Works, Bureau of Inspections. The county's August 2025 road-opening packet prints the same application fee, permit fee and bond figures. Under §1 of the Policy, a permit is required for any person, firm, corporation, public utility, authority or municipality opening a county road right-of-way, including curbs, gutters and driveway connections. A separate permit is required for each opening, and permits are not transferable (§2). The cash bond is held until one year after final restoration. Contractors must also call New Jersey One Call (811) before digging (§9). The Bureau of Inspection is at 2371 South Avenue, Scotch Plains, 908-789-3658.
County Curb / Driveway Permit (Depressed or Full-Height Curb on a County Road)
The fee figures are those printed in the county's Policy and Procedures for Right of Way Excavations, linked from the county Engineering page, whose footer states that it was 'Adopted via ordinance on 12.18.2024'; Ordinance 852-2024 amends Chapter 46 of the Laws of Union County to reflect that policy. Section 1 of the Policy brings the 'creating or widening of a driveway' at its connection with a county road within the ordinance, so a business building a new driveway or widening an existing one onto a county road needs this permit, usually obtained by its contractor. The county's August 2025 road-opening packet prints the same $24.00 application fee and the $0.60 per linear foot permit fee with a $30.00 minimum. The Policy requires a cash bond for curb work; contact the Bureau of Inspection at 908-789-3658 for the current bond amount before applying.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Union County
- Phone
- 908-789-3658
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Laws of Union County (updated through January 2025)County of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Department of Engineering, Public Works and Facilities Management pageCounty of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Ordinance 852-2024 (amending Chapter 46, Laws of Union County)Union County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Policy and Procedures for Right of Way Excavations (footer: Adopted via ordinance on 12.18.2024)County of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Union County Road Opening in the Right-of-Way application packet (August 2025)County of Union, New Jersey · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Other offices serving Union County
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