Pole barns and barndominiums in Hockessin, Delaware.
Building in Hockessin.
The Wilmington and Western Railroad has its northern terminus in Hockessin, a village that dates to 1688. It lies on the east bank of Mill Creek, and its landmarks include the Hockessin Friends Meetinghouse and the Coffee Run Mission Site. Today it is home to 13,478 people, with DE 41, DE 48 and DE 7 tying it to the rest of New Castle County.
At about 50 miles from our Dover office, roughly a 68-minute drive, Hockessin is one of our longer trips. Our crews make it, and a project manager keeps you posted on timing from the first site visit to the final inspection. Along the way you get drawings, an organized quote and our 5-year workmanship warranty on the finished building.
- County
- New Castle County, Delaware
- Population
- 13,478 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 19707
- From our office
- About 1 hr 8 min (50 miles) by car
- Permits
- New Castle County Department of Land Use
- Main roads
- DE 41, DE 48, DE 7
Permits and rules in Hockessin.
Hockessin is unincorporated, so your permit comes from New Castle County rather than a town. The county’s Department of Land Use, 87 Reads Way in New Castle, (302) 395-5400, handles zoning review, the building permit and inspections, with applications filed through eApply/ePlans. Its requirements for an accessory structure include a signed and sealed plot plan, building plans and a licensed contractor, plus a sealed Lines and Grades plan at 480 square feet and up. The county’s shed permit packet adds that a homeowner cannot get the permit by listing a hired contractor; the contractor pulls it. We confirm current requirements with Land Use when we apply.
Who issues the permit
New Castle County Department of Land Use
- Address
- New Castle County Government Center, 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720
- Phone
- (302) 395-5400
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- newcastlede.gov (opens in a new tab)
- newcastlede.gov (opens in a new tab)
- newcastlede.gov (opens in a new tab)
- delcode.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 Hockessin.
A place with roots back to 1688 suits outbuildings that look settled rather than brand new. A garage or workshop with board-and-batten siding and a steeper roof sits well beside an older house, and post-frame keeps the inside open for cars, tools or a hobby shop. On a larger lot, a horse barn with a few stalls and a hay loft, or an equipment building for the tractor, can sit back from the house.
Hockessin questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
Who handles building permits in Hockessin?
The New Castle County Department of Land Use, because Hockessin is unincorporated. Call (302) 395-5400 for permits, inspections and planning. Applications go through eApply/ePlans, and when you hire a builder, the builder pulls the permit. We take care of that filing and the plans behind it.
Can my garage be as tall as my house in Hockessin?
On a lot over one acre, county guidance lets an accessory building that sits outside all setbacks match the height of the house. Otherwise the general limit is 20 feet, and the building belongs in the rear yard at least 3 feet from the side and rear lot lines. We confirm these limits with Land Use.
Do you travel as far north as Hockessin?
We do. Hockessin is about 50 miles from 575 N Dupont Hwy, roughly 68 minutes by car, which is well within the range our crews travel. A Hockessin address is no obstacle.
Is a horse barn on a Hockessin farm treated differently?
It can be. If the land qualifies as agricultural, for example farmland-assessed or in an Agricultural Preservation District, state law takes the barn out of county zoning and the county building code. The county’s requirement sheet lists a $50 Certificate of Use for Agricultural Purposes, with a plot plan, building plans, Conservation District approval and proof of agricultural use.
Let’s plan your building in Hockessin.
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
- Hockessin and all of New Castle County