General contractor in Bloomfield, NJ
AB Contracting & Design works out of 65 Newark Ave, Unit 1, Belleville, NJ 07109, 1.7 miles from the center of Bloomfield. On Bloomfield Avenue we renovated the building at number 55 for Abuelo's Steakhouse, from the facade to the commercial kitchen.
For Bloomfield homes we remodel kitchens and bathrooms, finish basements, and build decks and additions. We also do the masonry, electrical and plumbing. Below are the township's permit steps, its historic district rules, how old its houses are, and what we charge.
- The same published prices as in Belleville: bathrooms from $12,000 with material, basements from $15,000 in labor, decks at $30 per sq ft in labor.
- New Jersey home improvement contractor #13VH11431800.
- Free phone estimates, or a $50 in-person estimate that comes off your contract.
Abuelo's Steakhouse, 55 Bloomfield Avenue
The job touched almost the whole building. We took the old stone and brick facade apart, opened the front wall, and carried it on a new header beam set with a material lift.
Inside, the dining room and back of house came down to the studs and joists. The small existing kitchen became a commercial cook line under a stainless exhaust hood, with six-burner ranges and a fryer. A restroom got large-format tile, and the storefront got black-framed windows and a new entry door.
Taking out a load-bearing wall at home is the same kind of work on a smaller scale. A beam sized for the load carries what the wall carried, and it needs a permit before the work starts.
Opening a new restaurant or shop in Bloomfield starts with zoning. The township's zoning FAQ sets the order: bring the proposed lease to Room 105 and file a change of use or occupancy form. Building permits and sign permits come after that.
Bloomfield's houses are older than most in New Jersey
Half of Bloomfield's 21,789 homes were built by 1950, and more than a third before 1940. About two in three are older than 1960.
About half are owner-occupied (50.7%). About 41% are single-family detached houses, and 28% sit in buildings with two to four units.
| Homes | Bloomfield | Essex County | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median year built | 1950 | 1958 | 1970 |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.7% | 29.1% | 17.4% |
| Built 1940 to 1959 | 26.3% | 23.5% | 20.3% |
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 estimates, tables B25035 and B25034. Percentages are shares of all housing units.
What that means for a renovation here
- Price after the walls are seen. Opening a wall in a house from the 1920s or 1940s can turn up old wiring, plaster over lath, or framing changed years ago. We price that after we've looked.
- The electrical service. An older panel may not carry a new kitchen or a finished basement. New Jersey's code doesn't let new fixtures overload a system unless it is upgraded (N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.6). Our electricians are master NJ-licensed.
- Radon, before a basement is finished. In the state's radon report, 880 of 6,380 Bloomfield homes tested, 14%, were at or above the 4 pCi/L action level (NJDEP). That is the highest share of the five towns nearest our office. Test before the walls close.
- The basement walls. Older Essex County houses often sit on block or stone foundations. We look at the walls and any water before we frame. What finishing a basement costs.
Permits in Bloomfield: zoning first, then construction
Bloomfield's permits come from the Community Development Department, Room 105 on the first floor of 1 Municipal Plaza (township page). The municipal building is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We file the permits and meet the inspectors.
The zoning permit comes first
The township asks for a zoning permit for “all types of development or improvements” to a property, whether you are adding or replacing. Its list includes:
- Finishing a basement or an attic
- Decks, patios and porches, and enclosing a porch
- Stairs, whether new, replaced or refaced
- Fences, sheds, driveways, walkways and retaining walls
- Additions and detached garages
- A new business or new owner in a commercial space, and business signs
What it takes, from the township's zoning permit form:
- A $40 application fee, non-refundable
- A copy of the property survey
- For an addition, two sets of plans signed and sealed by a New Jersey architect
- Up to 10 business days for review, under state law
- The permit is good for one year
Zoning rules that shape a project
- Decks, patios and terraces go in the rear yard only.
- Fences can be 4 feet high in a side yard and 6 feet in the rear. The R-1A zone allows none in the front yard.
- A finished basement or attic is checked against the zone's maximum floor area ratio.
- The residential zones are single- and two-family only. A third unit needs a use variance and site plan approval.
- Projects in Bloomfield Center or a historic district have extra steps.
Then the construction permit
After zoning, the construction permit follows the state's Uniform Construction Code, as in every New Jersey town. Inspections are booked by phone with the construction office, and permit status can be checked on the township's SDL Portal.
A dumpster on the street
It needs its own township dumpster permit: $300, or $100 to renew. It comes off the street within 15 days, sits on planking with reflectors at night, and never blocks a hydrant, a driveway or a metered space.
Work hours
The township's noise code lists building work outside 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays as a disturbing noise, except urgent work under a permit. The Board of Health code bars construction on weekends and holidays before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
Working in the historic district
Bloomfield's Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior work and site work on properties in the township's historic districts. That includes windows, doors, fences, decks and additions.
The Bloomfield Green Historic District covers the streets around the Green: Montgomery, Spruce, State, Liberty and Franklin Streets and Belleville Avenue. It has been on the State Register since 1977 and the National Register since 1978 (Master Plan).
The township's Historic District Property List names the properties by tax block. If yours is on it, the commission issues a Certificate of Appropriateness before the work starts.
What the application asks for
- Photos of the existing conditions
- A current survey, and a site plan or renderings
- Each element of the work, with materials, colors and manufacturer specs
- The architect, engineer or contractor on the job
The commission meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. The applicant appears at the meeting, and incomplete applications don't go on the agenda (application).
Recent minutes show the detail it looks at. In May 2026 it approved replacement windows in white, one-over-one and double-hung, the same size as the old ones. In June 2026 it found no adverse impact from a rear pool deck with composite boards and 36-inch railings.
What we do in Bloomfield, and what it costs
The same work and the same published prices as everywhere else we go.
- Commercial build-outsNew 1,000 sq ft restaurant: $400K+ on average
- BathroomsFull bathroom remodel: $12K+ including material
- Kitchens
- BasementsBasement renovation: $15K+ labor
- Decks & porchesDeck: $30 per sq ft labor + material
- Additions, framing & roofingNew finished space: about $400 per sq ft
- Masonry & retaining wallsRetaining wall: $40 per block, block included
- Trades & repairs
Bloomfield questions
Where is Bloomfield's building department?
Permits come from the Community Development Department, Room 105 on the first floor of 1 Municipal Plaza, Bloomfield. The municipal building is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Do I need a permit to finish a basement in Bloomfield?
Yes, and a zoning permit comes first. Bloomfield lists finishing a basement or an attic among the jobs that need one, and it checks the project against the zone's maximum floor area ratio. The construction permit follows.
Is my house in Bloomfield's historic district?
Check the township's Historic District Property List, which names the properties by tax block. If yours is on it, exterior work and site work go to the Historic Preservation Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness before they start.
Can I build a deck in my front yard in Bloomfield?
No. The township's zoning FAQ says decks, patios and terraces go in the rear yard only, and a deck needs a zoning permit before the construction permit.
Do contractors need a license in New Jersey?
Home improvement contractors must register with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, and the number goes on every contract. Ours is #13VH11431800. Electrical and plumbing work need licensed contractors; ours are master-licensed.
What hours can contractors work in Bloomfield?
Bloomfield's noise code lists building work outside 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays as a disturbing noise, except urgent work under a permit. The Board of Health code bars construction on weekends and holidays before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
How far are you from Bloomfield?
Our office at 65 Newark Ave, Unit 1, Belleville, NJ 07109 is 1.7 miles from the center of Bloomfield and 0.7 miles from Abuelo's Steakhouse, in a straight line.
Is the estimate free?
Phone estimates are free. An in-person estimate is $50, and that $50 comes off your contract when you sign.
Sources
- Bloomfield Township: Construction Permits, About Bloomfield (building hours), Zoning Permit Application, Zoning FAQ and Dumpster Permit.
- Bloomfield Historic Preservation Commission: commission page, application, property list, and minutes of May 19 and June 16, 2026.
- Bloomfield Master Plan, Historic Preservation Element, Table VIII-1.
- Bloomfield Township Code, chapters 380 and 635 (noise).
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: B25035, B25034, B25003 and B25024.
- NJDEP Radon Tier Assignment Report, 2015.
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, Hiring Home Improvement Contractors.
- Distances are straight lines from our office, to the Census Bureau's center point for Bloomfield and to 55 Bloomfield Avenue.
Tell us about your Bloomfield job
Call to talk the job through with Andrew, or send the details and Andrew will get back to you. An in-person estimate is $50, and it comes off your contract when you sign.