Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
N/A; ePlans provides prescreen review, simultaneous discipline review, correction cycles, final review, and email status notifications, but no standard county timeline was published.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call (302) 395-5400 permits/planning; (302) 395-5572 inspections; (302) 395-5555 code enforcement if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
New Castle County Department of Land Use, Office of Inspections is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact (302) 395-5400 permits/planning; (302) 395-5572 inspections; (302) 395-5555 code enforcement.
N/A; ePlans provides prescreen review, simultaneous discipline review, correction cycles, final review, and email status notifications, but no standard county timeline was published.
Schedule, reschedule, or cancel inspections through the New Castle County inspection website, which provides 24/7 access, inspection results, notifications, assigned-inspector information, and estimated inspection time. Inspection questions: (302) 395-5572.
2024 International Building Code, 2024 International Residential Code, 2024 International Existing Building Code, and 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with New Castle County amendments, effective January 1, 2026. Electrical inspections are regulated by the State of Delaware; the county also enforces applicable county utility and fire-code provisions. Most construction, improvements, alterations, and repairs require a permit unless specifically exempted by Chapter 6. Listed exempt examples include non-fixed movable fixtures, cases, racks and counters; painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work. Electrical work is not permitted or inspected by the county and instead follows state requirements.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.