Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Houston, Delaware

Town of Houston’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Houston town limits: the town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Town of Houston Chapter 550 Zoning)

  • Article I applies the town zoning ordinance to land annexed into the town, which must receive a zoning classification consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan.
  • Article II establishes the town's own zoning districts (R, RM, C, I, P per the Chapter 550 table of contents).
  • This record does not establish whether county zoning applies inside town limits; not verified.

  “section 6. unzoned land. all land which may hereafter be annexed to the town shall have applied to it a zoning classification consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Houston town limits

  • Districts named in the table of contents: R residential, RM residential modular, C commercial, I industrial, P preservation (Article II).
  • Zoning district map appears as a Chapter 550 appendix in the table of contents; the map itself was not opened.
  • Status reflects a published rule, not a permission.

  “article ii zoning district regulations section 1. establishment of zoning districts section 2. zoning district map section 3. r-residential district section 3a. rm-residential modular district section 4. c-commercial district section 5. i-industrial district section 6. p-preservation district”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  New detached single-family modular homes (not relocatable mobile homes) in the town's Residential Modular (RM) district

  • Modular homes are allowed only as new detached single-family homes in the RM district.
  • Relocatable mobile homes are excluded.
  • Other RM conditions (lot, setback, bulk) were not captured.

  “3a.2 permitted uses a building or land shall be used only for the following purposes: 1. new detached single-family modular homes, but not relocatable mobile homes.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Relocatable (mobile) homes on land in the town's Residential (R) district

    “3.2 permitted uses a building or land shall be used only for the following purposes: 1. detached single-family dwellings, but not relocatable mobile home.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Minor subdivisions inside Houston town limits

  • Minor subdivisions may be approved administratively only if the conditions in Article VII section 1.2 are met (including the listed provisos a through c).
  • Minor subdivision plans must contain the information required by appendix M (administrative plan requirements).
  • Major subdivisions and cluster subdivisions are handled under Article VII section 2 and were not opened.

  maximum parcels for administrative minor subdivision (including residual): <= 4 parcels (other subdivisions handled under Article VII section 2)

  “1.2 a minor subdivision is one that creates a total of four or fewer parcels of land (including any residual) either on an existing public roadway or on a private road and may be approved administratively, provided:”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application for construction inside Houston town limits

  • The town forms page lists a building permit application form; the form's steps, documents and review timing were not opened.
  • Status here reflects a published rule/form, not a permission.

  “following are forms commonly needed building permit application business license / application”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Houston or Kent County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Houston town limits
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Houston town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Houston town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Houston town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the town's Residential (R) district

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.