Do you need a deck permit in Maryland?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
Of the 5 Maryland counties and cities we checked, 3 require a deck permit for every job and 2 require a deck permit only past a size or scope limit.
- Always required
- 3
- of 5 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 2
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Deck Permit rules nationwide, beyond Maryland.
Requirements and size thresholds for deck permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Maryland county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See deck permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for deck permits come from the model code rather than from Maryland law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a deck permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Maryland jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County | Conditional | detached residential deck not more than 30 inches above grade and not attached to any structure; attached decks and decks in the critical area always need a permit | Confirmed on official page |
| Baltimore County | Conditional | deck floor area, with a permit also required for any deck more than 16 inches above the lowest grade | Confirmed on official page |
| Howard County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Montgomery County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Prince George's County | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a deck permit costs in Maryland
5 Maryland jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
Building permits are valuation-based: "$0-$3,000 | $86.00" rising to "Above $25,000 | $242.00 plus .010 times estimated cost above $25,000.00", plus "A non-refundable application fee of $43.00 will be added to all building permits." Minimum Building Permit Fee $86.00 (Permit Fees page, effective October 1, 2024).
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Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 07/01/26: Decks (Open Deck) (under 600 sf) $105.00; Decks with Roof (under 600 sf) $105 + $20 occupancy fee; Decks (Open Deck) (600 sf and over) $150.00; Decks with Roof (600 sf and over) $150 + $20 occupancy fee. The $75.00 residential permit application fee is charged in addition.
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$50 per structure (Miscellaneous Structures Accessory permit, FY2027 Building Permit Fee Schedule)
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$223.87 flat for an open unenclosed deck 500 sq ft or less, or $0.8830 per sq ft for decks over 500 sq ft, per DPS-Fees-ResConst-FY27.pdf effective 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30
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DPIE Fee Schedule, effective March 2, 2025, line item "Deck or Pergola", minimum permit fee $151.00: "Total Fee = Administrative Fee $66 + Building Permit Fee $151 + $53 Grading Fee + $5 M-NCPPC. Plus Technology Fee 10%." Enclosing an existing porch or deck is routed to "Alteration/Repair interior" instead.
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about deck permits in Maryland
- Do I need a deck permit in Maryland?
- In most of Maryland, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Maryland city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 5 Maryland jurisdictions we have verified for deck work, 3 require a permit outright, 2 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
- Is there a deck permit exemption in Maryland?
- 2 of the 5 Maryland jurisdictions we cover set a threshold rather than a flat rule, so the same job can be exempt in one Maryland county and permitted in the next. The table above lists each Maryland jurisdiction's published threshold in its own words, with the source and the date we verified it.
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