Pole barns and barndominiums in Galena, Maryland.
Building in Galena.
Galena keeps its history close: the Town Hall lobby holds a Days of Old display, and the St. Dennis Roman Catholic Church Complex joined the National Register in 2023. The town began in 1763 as Down’s Cross Roads, took the name Galena in 1858 and still sits where MD 213 meets MD 290, with MD 313 also serving it. The community park has a pavilion and playground.
Galena is 45 minutes from our Dover office, about 25 miles, so site visits and staking are easy to fit in. We design the building, prepare the plans the town and its inspection agency review, and our crew builds it once the permit is in hand. Outside town limits, the Kent County Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning handles permits instead.
- County
- Kent County, Maryland
- Population
- 539 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 21635
- From our office
- About 45 minutes (25 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Galena, Town Office (Zoning Coordinator / Planning & Zoning Commission)
- Main roads
- MD 213, MD 290, MD 313
Permits and rules in Galena.
Applications go in online through the town’s Forms & Permits page, with fees paid to the Town of Galena, Town Office, at 101 South Main Street, (410) 648-5151. The town issues its own building and accessory-structure permits, from sheds, fences, signs and pools to garages. The Planning Commission and Zoning Coordinator review the plans, a permit may need Planning Commission approval, and a request the ordinance doesn’t cover goes to the Board of Appeals. In-town zoning comes from Galena’s own ordinances, not the county’s.
Middle Department Inspection Agency reviews the plans and does the inspections, and its fees, $150 per inspection, are added to the town’s. Allow at least two weeks for MDIA’s review. Under the schedule effective August 4, 2025, an accessory building over 200 sq ft costs $0.15 per sq ft with a $100 minimum, and a garage, attached or detached, is priced the same way.
Who issues the permit
Town of Galena, Town Office (Zoning Coordinator / Planning & Zoning Commission)
- Address
- 101 South Main Street, Galena, MD 21635
- Phone
- (410) 648-5151
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- img1.wsimg.com (opens in a new tab)
- kentcounty.com (opens in a new tab)
- townofgalena.com (opens in a new tab)
- img1.wsimg.com (opens in a new tab)
- mdgeodata.md.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 Galena.
State maps show no Critical Area and no FEMA flood zone inside Galena, so a town lot generally avoids the buffer and lot coverage rules that shape Kent County’s waterfront towns, though we confirm the parcel. The 2025 zoning map splits the town into R-1 and R-2 residential, C-1 and C-2 commercial and an institutional district, and a garage or workshop has to fit its district’s setbacks. Out in the county, Kent’s grain farms suit equipment sheds and hay storage.
Galena questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
How do I apply for a pole barn permit in Galena?
Online, through the Town of Galena’s Forms & Permits page, with fees paid to the town. The Planning Commission and Zoning Coordinator review the plans, and Middle Department Inspection Agency reviews and inspects the work. We put the package together and track it through approval.
How long does a Galena permit take?
The town says to allow at least two weeks for MDIA’s review, and some permits also need Planning Commission approval, which follows the commission’s meeting schedule. We build that time into the plan so the crew isn’t waiting on paperwork.
How far is Galena from Dover?
A 45-minute drive covers the 25 miles from 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover to Galena, and the town sits well inside our service area, along with the Kent County farms around it.
Let’s plan your building in Galena.
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
- Galena and all of Kent County