Pole barns and barndominiums in Georgetown, Delaware.
Building in Georgetown.
Georgetown has been the Sussex County seat since 1791, and the town is still laid out around The Circle, where Town Hall, state and county buildings and the historic Sussex County Courthouse stand. The area inside the one-mile town circle is a historic district on the National Register. US 113, US 9, DE 18 and DE 404 all serve the town.
Our Dover office is about 37 miles north, a 55-minute drive. Georgetown is also home to both offices your project runs through: the Town’s Planning Department at 37 The Circle and the Sussex County Building Permit Office at 2 The Circle. We draw the building, file with each office, build it, and keep you posted until the County signs off at the final inspection.
- County
- Sussex County, Delaware
- Population
- 7,134 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 19947
- From our office
- About 55 minutes (37 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Georgetown Planning Department (Community Development)
- Main roads
- US 113, US 9, DE 18, DE 404
Permits and rules in Georgetown.
A Georgetown project takes two permits. The Town of Georgetown Planning Department (Community Development), (302) 856-7391, issues the Town building permit and reviews zoning, and its application makes you responsible for meeting the Town’s setbacks and for getting a Sussex County building permit. Georgetown is one of the 14 towns where the Sussex County Building Code Office does the plan review and inspections and issues the certificate of occupancy. Every contractor needs a current Town business license.
Accessory buildings the Town permits are for personal use and personal storage only. You sign an Accessory Structure Non-Conversion Agreement that the building will not house a commercial business or habitable living space. Outside the Historic District, the 2005 Development Design Standards set street-facing garage doors at least 25 feet back from the front property line or sidewalk, call for alley access where an improved alley exists, and encourage rear or side garages.
Who issues the permit
Town of Georgetown Planning Department (Community Development)
- Address
- 37 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947
- Phone
- (302) 856-7391
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- georgetowndel.com (opens in a new tab)
- georgetowndel.com (opens in a new tab)
- georgetowndel.com (opens in a new tab)
- georgetowndel.com (opens in a new tab)
- georgetowndel.com (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 Georgetown.
Inside town limits, the rules favor modest, well-placed buildings: a detached garage set back from the street, a workshop reached from the alley, storage for the mower and the trailer. Beyond the town line is the county that ranked first among 3,027 U.S. counties in poultry and egg sales in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. On rural parcels there, a post-frame equipment building, farm shop, horse barn or barndominium has the space it needs.
Georgetown questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
Do I need both a Town and a County permit in Georgetown?
Yes. The Town permit covers zoning and setbacks, and the Sussex County permit covers the building code: the County reviews the plans, inspects the work and issues the certificate of occupancy. We prepare and file both.
How soon does work have to start after the Town permit is issued?
Within 90 days. A Town of Georgetown permit is void if work is not substantially commenced in that time, so it makes sense to have the build scheduled before the permit is issued. We plan the timing with you up front.
Does the Historic District change anything?
Yes. The Design Standards cover work outside the Historic District, which has its own standards and review process, and inside the district even exterior painting needs a Town permit. If your lot may be in the district, we check with the Planning Department before drawing.
How far is Georgetown from your Dover office?
About 37 miles, or 55 minutes by car, from 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover. Georgetown is within the area we serve, and the County permit office is right there on The Circle.
Let’s plan your building in Georgetown.
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
- Georgetown and all of Sussex County