Pole barns and barndominiums in Delmar, Delaware.
Building in Delmar.
Delmar was founded in 1859 where the Delaware Railroad reached the state border, and it still straddles the Delaware-Maryland line. The Highball Signal and two potato houses, the Dickerson Potato House and the West Potato House, are among its landmarks, and US 13 and DE/MD 54 run through town. Everything on this page is about the Delaware side.
Delmar sits about 52 miles south of our Dover office, roughly 72 minutes by car. Because one Town office serves both states, we start by confirming your lot is on the Delaware side. From there we draw the building to the Town’s joint regulations, file with the Town and Sussex County, and our crews build it.
- County
- Sussex County and Wicomico County, Delaware
- Population
- 2,027 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 19940
- From our office
- About 1 hr 12 min (52 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Delmar Code Enforcement / Planning & Zoning
- Main roads
- US 13, DE/MD 54
Permits and rules in Delmar.
Delmar, Delaware and Delmar, Maryland share one Town office: Town of Delmar Code Enforcement / Planning & Zoning, 100 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Delmar, MD 21875, reachable on its Delaware number, (302) 846-2664. The Code Enforcement Officer and the Planning & Zoning Commission handle residential and accessory-building permits under the joint 2015 Planning & Zoning Regulations, with building and zoning approvals and Town inspections. Sussex County does not inspect here, but it still requires a county permit for accessory structures on the Delaware side.
Any detached structure 14 by 14 feet or larger goes before the Planning & Zoning Commission for review and approval. On an interior lot, a detached garage or carport needs at least 5 feet from the rear line and 3 feet from the side; a corner lot needs two 25-foot front and two 10-foot side setbacks. Footings reach 24 inches below finished grade, or 12 inches for an accessory building under 600 square feet, with footing, foundation, framing and final inspections.
On the Maryland side of Delmar, the Town issues its own building permits and zoning approvals at Town Hall, 100 S. Pennsylvania Ave. (410-896-2777 for Maryland; 302-846-2664 for Delaware). Applications go to the Code Enforcement Officer, and one set of 2015 Planning & Zoning Regulations covers both sides of town. Any detached structure 14 by 14 feet or larger goes before the Planning & Zoning Commission, and the Planning & Zoning Director handles plan review for the Commission and the Maryland Board of Zoning Appeals. Outside town limits, the Permits & Inspections office of the Wicomico County Department of Planning, Zoning & Community Development (410-548-4810) issues the permit.
Who issues the permit
Town of Delmar Code Enforcement / Planning & Zoning
- Address
- 100 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Delmar, MD 21875
- Phone
- (302) 846-2664
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- townofdelmar.us (opens in a new tab)
- townofdelmar.us (opens in a new tab)
- townofdelmar.us (opens in a new tab)
- townofdelmar.us (opens in a new tab)
Permit details checked October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements for your parcel before anything is drawn.
What people build around Delmar.
On a town lot, a detached garage, carport or workshop has to work within the Town’s setbacks and the 20-foot height limit for accessory structures in the R-1 district. On larger parcels outside town on the Delaware side, Sussex County rules apply, and an equipment building, farm shop or horse barn has more room. Either way, we size the building to the lot before anything is drawn.
Delmar questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
Which office handles permits in Delmar?
One Town office serves both Delmar, Delaware and Delmar, Maryland: Town of Delmar Code Enforcement / Planning & Zoning, whose Delaware number is (302) 846-2664. It issues the Town permit and inspects the work. On the Delaware side, Sussex County requires its own permit for accessory structures as well.
What does a contractor need to work in Delmar?
A Maryland/Delaware home improvement license, which the Town asks contractors to show with a residential permit. The application also calls for two complete, scaled plan sets that meet the International Residential Code. We prepare the plan sets and handle the filing.
Do you serve Delmar?
We do. The drive is about 72 minutes, roughly 52 miles from 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover, and we handle Delaware-side projects in Delmar from design through the final inspection.
Let’s plan your building in Delmar.
Tell us what you’d like to build and where, and we’ll come back with drawings and a free quote.
- info@pbuincde.com
- Office
- 575 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901 (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
- Hours
- Mon to Fri, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
- We build in
- Delmar and all of Sussex County