Pole barns and barndominiums in Somerset County, Maryland.

Outside Crisfield and Princess Anne, permits come from the Somerset County Department of Technical and Community Services (DTCS), Planning & Zoning / Building and Permitting, at the Somerset County Office Complex, 11916 Somerset Avenue, Suite 211, Princess Anne. Its page says to call 410-651-1424 to get a building permit. Every structure needs a Zoning Certificate, and a Building Permit is required at 200 square feet and up. The application takes two sets of plans: a site plan to the property lines, foundation and floor plans, door and window sizes, cross sections and elevations, plus an Elevation Certificate where required. Footings go at least 18 inches below grade with two continuous #4 bars, and hurricane clips go on every truss and rafter.

Farm buildings are handled one way by the building code and another by zoning. Ordinance 1194 adds “Group U: Agricultural Buildings (appendix)” to the exceptions from the Somerset County Building Code, but Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9.5(b) says, “A zoning certificate shall also be required for any agricultural structure.” Agricultural buildings skip detailed site plan review, though the Zoning Administrator can still ask for a basic plot plan, and the ordinance defines a farm as a parcel over 5 acres used for agriculture. In the Critical Area, farm-related permits come only after Critical Area review. We confirm with DTCS whether a given farm building still needs a building permit or inspections.

Within 1,000 feet of tidal wetlands and the heads of tide, the CA-1 Critical Area Overlay District applies, under Critical Area Ordinance No. 1226, adopted June 16, 2026. A buffer of at least 100 feet runs landward from tidal water and wetlands and widens for steep slopes, nontidal wetlands and wet or erodible soils. In Limited Development Areas lot coverage is capped at 15% of the site, and it counts gravel, stone, shell and pavers along with roofs and driveways, so a barn’s gravel apron counts against the cap. On a waterfront lot, development can also mean planting the buffer under a Buffer Management Plan.

Floodplain Management Ordinance No. 1193 requires a County permit before any development in a flood hazard area and sets the flood protection elevation at base flood elevation plus 1 foot. An accessory building can stay at ground level if it is used only for parking or limited storage, built of flood-resistant materials, anchored and fitted with flood openings, with its electrical and mechanical equipment at or above base flood elevation. Over 300 square feet, a non-conversion agreement is recorded on the deed before the permit, and over 900 square feet the building must meet elevation or floodproofing rules. In V zones, accessory buildings are capped at 300 square feet, and land surveyed below base flood elevation counts as flood zone even off the map.