Pole barns and barndominiums in Frederica, Delaware.
Building in Frederica.
Ships were built at Frederica, and the town grew on shipping along the navigable Murderkill River. It was laid out in 1772 and went by Johnny Cake Landing until 1796. The Frederica Historic District is on the National Register, Barratt’s Chapel stands nearby, and 1,073 people call it home (2020), reached by DE 1 at exits 83 and 86, DE 12, Frederica Road and Carpenter Bridge Road.
Frederica is a 20-minute drive from our office, with one local quirk worth knowing: several roads from town out to DE 1 frequently flood during very high tides and heavy rain, which matters when trucks need to reach a building site. Once the town signs off, our crews build, and every building comes with our 5-year workmanship warranty.
- County
- Kent County, Delaware
- Population
- 1,073 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 19946
- From our office
- About 20 minutes (14 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Frederica Town Hall
- Main roads
- DE 1 (exits 83 and 86), DE 12, Frederica Road, Carpenter Bridge Road
Permits and rules in Frederica.
Frederica issues its own permits, and Kent County lists it among the towns that require their own. The application goes to the Town of Frederica Town Hall at 2 West David St. (302-335-5417) and is signed off by Planning and by Town Council. It needs a plot plan showing the lot, setbacks, house height and accessory buildings, plus a copy of the contractor’s Frederica Contractor’s License. A new home also needs a Kent County sewer permit and a town plumbing permit.
In the Historic District Overlay Zone, building, altering, moving or demolishing a structure, or changing its exterior, takes a Historic District Review Certificate of Approval from the Planning Commission, and that certificate comes before any other development review. That covers a new garage or pole barn as much as a house. If your lot is in the overlay, we design with that review in mind from the start.
Who issues the permit
Town of Frederica Town Hall
- Address
- 2 West David St., PO Box 294, Frederica, DE 19946
- Phone
- (302) 335-5417
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- frederica.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- frederica.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- doverkentmpo.delaware.gov (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 Frederica.
Frederica’s Land Development Ordinance, as posted, puts detached garages and other accessory buildings in the rear yard, 5 ft from side and rear lines, 10 ft from the main building and 20 ft from a dwelling on the next lot, at up to 2 1/2 stories or 35 ft. In the AO district, agricultural accessory structures can reach 34 ft, enough for an equipment building or hay storage. On a town lot, that leaves room for a garage, a workshop or boat storage behind the house.
Frederica questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
How long is a Frederica building permit good for?
One year, with one 6-month extension. Because the ordinance text we work from was posted before several later amendments, we confirm the current setback and height numbers with Town Hall before your plans go to Planning and Town Council for sign-off.
How far is Frederica from your office?
Roughly 14 miles. The drive from our office at 575 N Dupont Hwy takes about 20 minutes, and we can meet you at the property or at the office, Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Is Frederica in the Air Force Base noise zone?
Part of it is. The Dover AFB Compatible Use Plan places a portion of town inside the DNL 65-69 dB aircraft-noise contour south of the base, where residential use without noise level reduction materials is considered incompatible. A garage is not a residence, but for a barndominium in that area we plan for those materials.
Let’s plan your building in Frederica.
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
- Frederica and all of Kent County