Pole barns and barndominiums in Trappe, Maryland.
Building in Trappe.
US 50 and MD 565, an old alignment of the same highway, are Trappe’s main roads, and the town is also the site of Lakeside, or Trappe East, a large mixed-use development. West and southwest of town, two National Register properties, Compton on Howell Point Road and The Wilderness on Island Neck Road, date their listings to 1974. The town had 1,177 residents in 2020, and its permit form lists eight zoning districts, from R1 to A (Agriculture) and VO.
Inside town, the A district allows more accessory uses than the residential districts, so the parcel’s zoning comes first. From there we draw the building and the site plans, carry the single town application through its four sign-offs and build, with a project manager keeping you in the loop. Outside town limits, Talbot County’s permit office takes over.
- County
- Talbot County, Maryland
- Population
- 1,177 (2020 Census)
- ZIP code
- 21673
- From our office
- About 1 hr 23 min (56 miles) by car
- Permits
- Town of Trappe Town Office
- Main roads
- US 50, MD 565 (follows an old alignment of US 50)
Permits and rules in Trappe.
The Town of Trappe Town Office at 4011 Powell Ave, 410-443-0087, handles permits in town, and the county permit office has no jurisdiction there. A single application covers both zoning and building. It needs at least two to-scale site plans showing the parcel’s dimensions, existing structures and the new building, plus the owner’s sign-off, and it is signed by the Zoning Administrator, the Building Inspector, the Fire Marshal and the Town Clerk. Garages, carports and most buildings require inspection.
Permits expire 180 days after they issue unless the town extends them in writing, so we schedule the build to start well inside that window. The town’s published fees are flat: $200 for a garage under 500 sq ft, $225 over 500 sq ft, $310 for buildings under 3,500 sq ft, and a call to the town for anything larger. Building without a permit costs double.
Who issues the permit
Town of Trappe Town Office
- Address
- 4011 Powell Ave (PO Box 162), Trappe, MD 21673
- Phone
- 410-443-0087
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- img1.wsimg.com (opens in a new tab)
- trappemd.net (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 Trappe.
Accessory buildings in Trappe go in the rear or side yard. Past 250 sq ft, a building needs 8 feet from the side lot lines and 15 feet from the rear line, while smaller ones need 3 feet, and 15 feet from the street pavement on a corner lot. A garage or pole barn can go up with the house or after it, never before, and the Planning Commission decides what counts as accessory. The A district allows more accessory uses, which helps on farm parcels.
Trappe questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
Do I need a separate zoning permit in Trappe?
No. Trappe uses one application for zoning and building, signed off by the Zoning Administrator, Building Inspector, Fire Marshal and Town Clerk. We prepare the site plans, fill out the form and file it with the Town Office for you.
Is Trappe in the Critical Area?
The state’s Critical Area maps show no part of Trappe inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, and FEMA maps a Zone A flood area over only a small part of town. Critical Area lot coverage and buffer rules generally don’t come into play, though we still check your parcel.
How far is Trappe from Dover?
The drive is about 56 miles, around 83 minutes, from 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover. We set the start date so the build begins well before the 180-day permit clock runs out.
Let’s plan your building in Trappe.
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
- Trappe and all of Talbot County