Beach Haven Borough

Ocean County

Text Client checklist

Certificate of Occupancy

Required

Certificate

Resale Certificate of Occupancy (resale inspection)

Issued by

Borough of Beach Haven Zoning Department (Construction and Zoning)

Requirements

Visual inspection only, not a structural inspection
General condition of the lot, exterior and interior
Porch, deck and stair condition
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarm(s)
Acceptable electrical and plumbing systems
Proper venting of heating equipment
Relief valves on water heaters and boilers piped down to within 6 inches of the floor (no plastic or galvanized pipe); water heater cabinets open for the inspection
Proper fire separation between an attached garage and living areas
Bedroom windows open easily for escape
House numbers on the building (3 inch numbers for homes)
Door locks on exit doors work and are not double-keyed
Portable fire extinguisher (2A:10B:C, no more than 10 lbs) mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen and no more than 5 feet above the floor (still listed on the Borough's 2024 sheet)
Current plot plan survey and flood elevation certificate with raised seals in the buyer's name
No open permits: all open permits must be finaled before the resale inspection
Property must be unoccupied, alarm systems disabled and dogs removed or crated at the inspection

Fees

Resale Certificate of Occupancy, each residential unit	$75.00
Resale Certificate of Occupancy, reinspection	$20.00
Resale Certificate of Occupancy, duplex (form)	$150.00

Timing

Allow 2 weeks to schedule the inspection; resale inspections are done Tuesday and Thursday afternoons

Phone

609-492-0111 x224

Application Official page

Smoke and CO alarm certificate

Required

Requirements

Smoke alarms on every living level including the basement, and within 10 feet of bedrooms on levels with bedrooms
All smoke alarms, including hardwired, must be under 10 years old
Battery-only smoke alarms must be 10-year sealed battery units (since January 1, 2019); homes built before 1978 need at least one on each level
Homes built 1978 to 1983 need hardwired alarms on each level; 1984 to 1990 interconnected hardwired alarms with battery backup on each level; 1991 and later also in every bedroom
Hardwired alarms that need replacing must be replaced with hardwired alarms, not battery alarms
Carbon monoxide alarm near the sleeping areas if the home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage; battery and plug-in CO alarms should be under 5 years old
Homes with a generator, solar panels or battery storage need a printed caution label (for example CAUTION: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER) within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and the electric meter
A monitored low-voltage fire alarm system needs an NFPA 72 test report sent to the Fire Marshal before closing
Portable fire extinguishers are no longer required (as of February 3, 2025)
Do not mount alarms in unfinished attics, garages, stairwells, the top of basement stairs or kitchens

Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office (county fire code enforcing agency), Residential Resale and Rental Home Inspections

Fees

Smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and secondary power source label certificate, application received more than 10 business days before the change of occupancy	$45.00
Certificate, application received 4 to 10 business days before the change of occupancy	$90.00
Certificate, application received 3 business days or less before the change of occupancy	$161.00
Missed appointment or no entry to the home	$30.00
Reinspection (the first reinspection after a failed inspection may be free)	$30
Returned check processing fee	$15.00
Credit card convenience fee	$6.95
E-check convenience fee	$1.99

Timing

Apply more than 10 business days before closing for the lowest fee; the office calls to schedule the inspection after the application is submitted. The certificate is valid 12 months from the inspection.

Phone

(732) 929-2088