Maryland permit requirements

We have read and dated 46 permit rules across 4 jurisdictions in Maryland. They do not all say the same thing: fence thresholds alone run from 4 to 7 feet across 2 of them.

Jurisdictions: 4
Verified rules: 46
Permit always required: 18
Depends on the project: 24

Do you need a building permit in Maryland?

Usually it depends on the size of the job, and the size that decides it is not set by Maryland: permits are issued by the city or county, not the state, so the rule that governs your project is the one your own jurisdiction publishes. 18 of those local rules require a permit outright, 24 depend on a size or scope condition the office publishes, and 3 need none. Maryland sets the building code those local rules derive from; your city or county sets the threshold and the fee.

Recent rule changes in Maryland

Howard County, MD raises shed and fence permit-exemption limits (CB24-2025)

Effective September 7, 2025, Howard County's updated building code exempts sheds up to 200 square feet and fences up to 7 feet from permits, with no exemptions for structures in the floodplain.

Howard County, MD · CB24-2025 (Bill No. 24-2025) · published 25 Jul 2026

Montgomery County, MD FY27 permit fee schedules take effect

Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services published new fee schedules covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, raising costs across residential construction, electrical, and mechanical permits.

Montgomery County, MD · FY27 Fee Schedule (Council-approved FY27 Budget) · published 25 Jul 2026

Do Maryland jurisdictions agree?

Every row below is a measurement at least two Maryland jurisdictions publish, compared against each other. This is the question a statewide answer cannot settle, because the number that governs your project is the one your own city or county publishes.

Project	Published threshold	Jurisdictions	Agreement
Fence	4 to 7 feet	2	2 different numbers
Shed	120 to 200 sq ft	3	3 different numbers

0 of 2 comparable measurements are uniform across Maryland; 2 are not. Latest verification 2026-08-16.

Where Maryland jurisdictions split

The verdict for each project across the 4 Maryland jurisdictions we cover. On 9 of 13 projects they do not give the same answer, which is why a statewide answer is not one.

Project	Permit required	Depends	No permit	Across the state
Deck	3	1		Answer varies
Electrical	3	1		Answer varies
Fence	1	3		Answer varies
HVAC	1	3		Answer varies
Plumbing	3	1		Answer varies
Pool	2	2		Answer varies
Roof Replacement		3	1	Answer varies
Shed	1	3		Answer varies
Patio		1	2	Answer varies
Solar	4			Same answer everywhere
Bathroom Remodel		2		Same answer everywhere
EV Charger		2		Same answer everywhere
Water Heater		2		Same answer everywhere

Building without a permit in Maryland

In Maryland, penalties for building without a permit are set by each county and municipality, not by state building law. The Maryland Building Performance Standards adopt the IBC statewide, but the subtitle contains no fine, misdemeanor, or stop-work provision for unpermitted work.

Penalties, the as-built path, and what the statute actually says

What you can build without a permit in Maryland

3 of the 45 answered rules across Maryland need no permit at all and 24 turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, by project and jurisdiction, in each office's own words.

The exemptions and conditions, jurisdiction by jurisdiction

What a permit costs in Maryland

There is no single Maryland permit fee. Each jurisdiction in Maryland sets and publishes its own, and they do not use the same pricing model, so the figure that applies to your project is the one your own city or county publishes. Below is every Maryland project where we have quoted one, verbatim, from the office's own schedule.

Project in Maryland	Jurisdictions publishing a fee
Deck	4
Electrical	4
Fence	4
HVAC	4
Pool	4
Shed	4
Solar	4

Each row links to the Maryland table carrying every quoted fee, its source and its verification date. We do not publish a Maryland average: the notes mix flat minimums, valuation percentages and per-fixture charges, so an average would be a number no office charges.

Building code in Maryland

Maryland Building Performance Standards (MBPS). Adopts the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) statewide.

Administered by Maryland Department of Labor. Official source

Local jurisdictions adopt and enforce the MBPS and may add local amendments.

Most local permit thresholds derive from this code. See our sources and standards.

What each Maryland jurisdiction publishes

One line per jurisdiction, written from its own rules rather than from a state summary. This is the section that used to be a list of links, and the states with the fewest jurisdictions to compare are the ones it says the most about.

Baltimore County 10 rules
2 of 9 projects always need a permit and 7 turn on the size or scope of the work. Only plumbing and solar work always needs one. Published thresholds include deck at 120 sq ft and fence at 42 inches. 1 question is unresolved because the jurisdiction publishes no answer.
Howard County 13 rules
12 of 13 projects need a permit, and 1 does not. No permit at all for patio. Published thresholds include shed at 200 sq ft and fence at 7 feet.
Montgomery County 13 rules
11 of 13 projects need a permit, and 2 do not. The ones that depend on the project are bathroom remodel, EV Charger and water heater. No permit at all for patio and roof replacement.
Prince George's County 10 rules
3 of 10 projects always need a permit and 7 turn on the size or scope of the work. Only deck, electrical and solar work always needs one. Published thresholds include fence at 4 feet and shed at 150 sq ft.