Legal Question in Construction Law in New Jersey

Re: permits

As much time as you have.

If a permit was required to make the replacement in the first place, the municipality can require a permit to cover work already done no matter how much time has expired. If the inspector feels really nasty about it, you can actually be required to remove the unit if it is not up to today's code standards, get a permit, and then replace it with one that complies. Code enforcement officials have more and different tricks to make the point that a permit is required before the work is begun. If they are just asking you to fill the gap for work already in place, count yourself lucky and do it.

See also: http://info.corbettlaw.net/lawguru.htm