Rehoboth Beach building department

The City of Rehoboth Beach Building & Licensing Department issues building, plumbing, demolition, house-move, sign, and tree permits inside city limits. It also inspects construction and licenses the businesses that work in town. The office is at City Hall, 229 Rehoboth Avenue. The lobby is open Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., and phone and office hours run until 4:30 p.m.

What needs a permit

All residential and commercial construction in city limits needs a city building permit before work starts. That includes new construction, remodeling, interior work, and additions. City Code § 270-84 says no one may start erecting or altering a building until a permit is issued. Demolitions, house moves, geothermal HVAC systems, and tree removal also need permits.

The city doesn’t publish a list of exempt work. Its checklist tells applicants to call the office when they aren’t sure. Fences, outdoor showers, sheds, walkways, driveways, pavers, and patios all have their own submittal requirements in the checklist. Starting work before the permit is issued can bring a penalty of three times the permit fee (§ 102-10).

Applying

There is no online portal. Download applications from the City Forms Center and submit them to Building & Licensing. Applications for new homes, demolitions, and house moves are taken by appointment only at (302) 227-6181 ext. 222. Every application needs a contract or proposal that describes the scope of work and gives the total cost of labor and materials, signed by the property owner. The person doing the work prepares it, whether that’s the contractor or a homeowner acting as their own contractor.

Project	Required documents
Re-roof, new siding, HVAC replacement, other finish work (no structural or lot-coverage change)	Application and signed contract. For HVAC with an outdoor unit, add a drawing that shows the unit’s location relative to setbacks
Shed, addition, walkway, driveway, patio, pavers (adds lot coverage)	Signed contract, one original sealed survey showing current lot coverage plus a copy marked with the new structure, and two sets of scaled plans. An as-built survey is due at completion
Fence or outdoor shower	Signed contract and an original sealed survey showing fence placement, length, and height. Showers also need construction plans, and a roofed shower needs a city-approved drain
New one- or two-family home, addition, or renovation	Two sets of plans, an original sealed survey, a survey showing tree protection and erosion and sediment control, REScheck for new homes and for additions or renovations over 500 sq ft, Manual J and S, and DNREC shoreline approval in the ocean blocks up to Lake Gerar
Commercial, or residential with three or more units	Three sets of sealed plans, COMcheck, and prior State Fire Marshal and Division of Public Health approval where required. Book an appointment with the building inspector first
Plumbing	Separate permit pulled by a city-licensed plumber, who also schedules plumbing inspections

Plans must be drawn to a standard architectural or engineering scale. They need a site plan showing all buildings, sidewalks, driveways, and trees, plus a dimensioned foundation plan and floor plans. Floor plans must show doors, windows, smoke detectors, plumbing fixtures, and the electrical panel. Plans also need elevations and wall sections with framing members. For demolitions involving hazardous materials, submit proof of filing the DNREC Air Quality Management form.

Covered decks, balconies, and porches count toward gross floor area, which is used to calculate floor area ratio. Check this before designing additions.

Fees

Fee	Amount
Building permit, residential (fewer than three units)	2% of job cost
Building permit, commercial or residential with more than three units	3% of job cost
Residential plan review: minor (decks, porches, interior) / major (structural) / new home	$25 / $200 / $500
Commercial plan review: minor / major / new construction	$150 / $300 / $1,000
Residential site plan review	$100
Tree plan review (new homes, demolitions, house moves, or more than 500 sq ft of disturbance)	$100
Demolition under 750 sq ft, no utilities / with utilities	$300 / $500
Re-inspection	$25
Board of Adjustment application	$1,000

Credit card payments carry a 2.5% convenience fee.

Contractor licensing and work rules

Every contractor and subcontractor needs a City of Rehoboth Beach business license before applying for a permit or starting work. That includes subcontractors hired directly by a homeowner. To get the license, you need a current State of Delaware contractor’s license and proof of liability insurance or bonding. Work can’t start until the permit is issued, paid for, and its placard is posted on site.

Period	Allowed construction hours
Monday–Friday, year-round	8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturdays, Nov. 1–Apr. 30	9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturdays, May 1–Oct. 31; all Sundays and holidays	No work

From May 15 to September 15, each contractor vehicle parked on a residential street needs a city parking permit. Call (302) 227-6184 for parking permits.

Local building code amendments

Chapter 102 of the City Code makes these changes to the adopted building code:

• Permit extensions: A permit can be extended up to two times, for no more than 180 days each. The Commissioners can grant more extensions for good cause.
• Summer material storage: Between May 15 and September 15, the Building Official won’t issue a permit unless all materials are stored on the construction site. They must not block pedestrians or traffic, and barriers and lighting must be in place.

The city’s permit checklist (revised July 2023) refers to the 2018 IBC and requires a 2018 residential energy code (REScheck) calculation.

Inspections

Call Building & Licensing to schedule inspections, giving 24 to 48 hours’ notice. City inspectors check:

• Footings
• Foundation and sill-plate anchorage, with a survey showing distances from property lines
• House wrap and flashing
• Underground and rough-in plumbing, with standing-water and pressure tests
• Framing
• Insulation
• Fire-rated assemblies

The city water department inspects exterior and underground water lines; schedule those at ext. 644. Electrical work is inspected by a state-approved electrical inspection agency.

You can book the final inspection only after the arborist and every outside agency (electrical, Fire Marshal, health department) have signed off. The project must be 100% complete, with required trees planted. You also need a final as-built survey. Once the inspector approves it, the survey must be recorded in Georgetown and returned to the city before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

Sussex County filing

Under 9 Del. C. § 6302, anyone building in Sussex County must file an application with the county, and the law covers incorporated towns. Section 6303 requires town building officials to report every permit they issue to the county, with its estimated cost.