Pole barns and barndominiums in Pasadena, Maryland.

Pasadena’s Patapsco shoreline puts part of the community in the Critical Area, where even a small shed needs a permit. We plan post-frame garages and storage buildings around that line.

Get a free quote Call 302-399-4420

Building in Pasadena.

Pasadena is the suburban stretch of northern Anne Arundel County centered on Mountain Road (MD 177). It reaches up the Marley Neck peninsula to the Baltimore city line, with the tidal Patapsco River along its eastern edge, and it had 32,979 residents in 2020. Downs Park, Fort Smallwood Park and Hancock’s Resolution are among its landmarks, and Governor Ritchie Highway (MD 2) and MD 100 serve it.

Pasadena is about 71 miles from our Dover office, roughly 102 minutes away, and Anne Arundel County is part of the area we build in. We start with where the Critical Area line falls on your lot, because it changes what the county will allow, then design, price, permit and build, with a 5-year workmanship warranty behind the work.

County: Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Population: 32,979 (2020 Census)
ZIP code: 21122
From our office: About 1 hr 42 min (71 miles) by car
Permits: Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits, Permit Center
Main roads: MD 2 (Governor Ritchie Highway), MD 177 (Mountain Road), MD 100, MD 648

Permits and rules in Pasadena.

Building permits for Pasadena come from the Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits; its Permit Center is at 2664 Riva Road in Annapolis, (410) 222-7730. Land within 1,000 feet of tidal water or tidal wetlands is in the Critical Area, and there every shed needs a permit, regardless of the usual small-shed exemption. Critical Area questions go to the county’s Critical Area team in the Office of Planning and Zoning, (410) 222-7960.

In the Limited Development and Resource Conservation Areas, impervious surfaces are limited to 15 to 31 percent of the site, and a 100-foot buffer is required. The buffer grows next to steep slopes: for slopes of 15 percent or more, it expands 4 feet for every 1 percent of slope or to 50 feet past the crest of the slope, whichever is greater. Building in the buffer generally needs a variance, and removing any tree or vegetation in the Critical Area needs a county-approved Vegetation Management Plan.

25 psfGround snow load115 mphDesign wind speed30 inFrost line depth

Anne Arundel County’s design criteria, from its adopted building code: the loads every building here is engineered to carry. Source

Who issues the permit

Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits, Permit Center

Address: Heritage Office Complex, 2664 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 222-7730
Website: Permit information(opens in a new tab)

Where this comes from

Permit details checked October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements for your parcel before anything is drawn.

Our guide to pole barn permits on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

What people build around Pasadena.

Away from the water, a Pasadena lot can take a detached garage, a workshop or a storage building for a boat trailer with fewer limits. Closer to the Patapsco, the same building has to fit the impervious-surface cap and stay out of the buffer, which can mean a smaller footprint or a different spot on the lot. A pavilion or pool house is another option that keeps the footprint modest.

Pasadena questions.

Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.

Does a small shed in Pasadena need a permit?

Outside the Critical Area, a shed no taller than 10 feet and no larger than 150 square feet is exempt in Anne Arundel County. Inside the Critical Area, every shed needs a permit, whatever its size. We check which applies to your lot.

Can I clear trees to make room for a garage near the water?

Only with approval. In Anne Arundel County’s Critical Area, any tree or vegetation removal needs a county-approved Vegetation Management Plan, and disturbing the 100-foot buffer generally takes a variance. We plan the building’s location to keep clearing to a minimum.

How far is Pasadena from your office?

About 71 miles, or around 102 minutes, from our office at 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover. We build in Pasadena and across Anne Arundel County for design, permits and construction.

Nearby towns we build in.

Let’s plan your building in Pasadena.

Tell us what you’d like to build and where, and we’ll come back with drawings and a free quote.

Get a free quote

302-399-4420

Email: 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: Pasadena and all of Anne Arundel County