Pole barns and barndominiums in Houston, Delaware.
Building in Houston.
Houston, with 381 residents in 2020, was incorporated in 1913 and named for John W. Houston, Delaware’s Secretary of State from 1841 to 1844. The Delmarva Central Railroad’s Indian River Subdivision runs east to west through town, and its roads include DE 14, Broad Street and Killens Pond Road, also known as Deep Grass Lane.
Houston is 35 minutes from our office on North Dupont Highway. The town’s application asks for a lot up front, from well and septic permits to three copies of the plans, so we treat the paperwork as part of the design and assemble the full package before it goes in. Our crews build once the town and the county have both signed off.
- County
- Kent County, Delaware
- Population
- 381 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 19954
- From our office
- About 35 minutes (22 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Houston (Town Council)
- Main roads
- DE 14, Broad Street, Killens Pond Road / Deep Grass Lane
Permits and rules in Houston.
Under Houston’s zoning code, no building may be erected or enlarged without a building permit from the Town Council, issued only with a certificate of zoning compliance. In residential districts, homes, attached and detached garages, sheds, additions, decks, patios and pools get a town permit without a council meeting, and a new structure goes to the Council meeting on the first Thursday of the month when the Building Code Official deems it necessary. The town has 10 days to act on a complete application, and its permit is valid for one year. You then take the town-approved application to Kent County’s Office of Inspection and Enforcement. Contact the town at 302-632-0853 or townofhouston@gmail.com.
Who issues the permit
Town of Houston (Town Council)
- Address
- PO Box 196, Houston, DE 19954
- Phone
- 302-632-0853 (town contact per Kent County municipal list; town site lists email)
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- houston.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- houston.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- houston.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- houston.delaware.gov (opens in a new tab)
- houston.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 Houston.
Houston’s submittal list includes well and septic permits, and on a parcel with room to spare, bigger post-frame buildings make sense. Equipment and machinery storage, hay barns and horse barns fit here, and so does a barndominium that puts the house and the shop on the same parcel. On a street-facing lot, remember that accessory buildings may not project beyond a required yard line.
Houston questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
What does Houston need with a permit application?
Well and septic permits, three copies of the plot and construction plans, Kent Conservation approval if the building exceeds 2,500 sq ft, and DelDOT approval if the property is on a state-maintained road. We put the package together so the town’s 10-day clock starts on a complete application.
How far is Houston from your office?
It is about 22 miles from our office at 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover, roughly 35 minutes by car. Houston is within the Kent County area we serve, and Chapter 125 of the town code lets Kent County enforce its building codes there.
What does a town permit cost in Houston?
Under the 2025-2026 fee schedule, new construction with site inspections is 2% of build cost, additions are 0.5% and renovations $100, and the basic permit for a portable shed or a fence is free. Professional review fees are billable to the applicant. The schedule does not say whether a detached garage counts as new construction, so we confirm that with the town.
Let’s plan your building in Houston.
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
- Houston and all of Kent County