Pole barns and barndominiums in Kent County, Maryland.

In unincorporated Kent County, permits come from the Kent County Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning at the Kent County Government Center, 400 High Street (1st Floor), Chestertown, (410) 778-7423. A permit is required before any building is erected, moved or enlarged, and there is no small-shed exemption: every shed, even one on skids, needs a permit, plans and inspections. Middle Department Inspection Agency does the plan review and inspections, and its cost is built into the accessory-building fee. Permits last six months, with six-month extensions, and the county says to allow at least 30 business days.

For a detached garage or pole building, the county wants its application, the fee of $0.21 per sq ft with an $85 minimum, plus $85 for Environmental Health review on a well or septic property, a site plan and two hard-copy sets of plans showing the footing type, materials, member sizes, hardware, spacing and anchoring. The site plan shows distances to every property line and to water and wetlands, the Critical Area buffer, floodplain and lot coverage. Stormwater approval comes before any grading or building permit, and electricians and plumbers must be registered with the county. On parcels under 5 acres, outbuildings are capped at 2,000 sq ft or the height of the house without an administrative special exception.

Farm buildings still need a county permit, at a reduced fee of $25 up to 500 sq ft or $50 above that, as long as the project stays exempt from inspections. County Code Sec. 73-9 exempts storage and utility buildings on farms from all inspections except electrical and plumbing, which covers animal housing, equipment and farm storage but not homes. The UDO defines a farm as at least 20 acres used for agriculture, and barns, stables, sheds and silos are accessory uses only on farms. Farm accessory buildings sit at least 25 feet from side and rear lines, and in the AZD and RCD, storage of farm materials, equipment or chemicals sits at least 200 feet from every line.

In the Critical Area, lot coverage in the Limited Development and Resource Conservation areas is capped at 15%, and every shed, garage and pole building counts. The Buffer runs at least 100 feet from tidal water and wetlands, wider on steep slopes and erodible soils, and no new structures, farm buildings included, go in it; the county asks for no Buffer disturbance from March 1 to May 15. In the floodplain, the flood protection elevation is 3 feet above the 100-year flood. A detached garage under 600 sq ft for parking and storage can sit below it with a conditional permit, a recorded declaration and a venting affidavit; larger ones must be raised.