Do I need a fence permit in Maryland?

In Maryland it depends on the size of the job. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Maryland city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 4 Maryland jurisdictions we have verified for fence work, 1 requires a permit outright, 3 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.

Is there a fence permit exemption in Maryland?

3 of the 4 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.

Maryland

Do you need a fence permit in Maryland?

By Mario Bailey Last checked 16 Aug 2026

Always required: 1; of 4 jurisdictions
Conditional: 3; depends on size or scope
Not required: 0; exempt outright

Fence Permit rules nationwide, beyond Maryland.

Wood privacy fences between houses in a suburban subdivision

Requirements and size thresholds for fence 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 fence permit rules across every locality we cover.

The application steps and inspection sequence for fence 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 fence 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
Baltimore County	Conditional	fence height measured vertical to ground, including a fence set on top of a wall	Confirmed on official page
Howard County	Conditional	fences 7 ft or under, not enclosing a pool, are exempt from a building permit; over 7 ft or enclosing a pool requires a Miscellaneous Structures building permit	Confirmed on official page
Montgomery County	Yes	Not specified	Confirmed on official page
Prince George's County	Conditional	fence height above grade, with a permit required at any height on a corner lot, in a historic or protected area, or in the 100-year floodplain	Confirmed on official page
No localities match your filter.

What a fence permit costs in Maryland

4 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.

Baltimore County by formula

Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 07/01/26 lists Fences, Residential: $35.00 + $0.05 / linear ft, Over 250 linear ft, Minimum $35.00. A residential permit application fee of $75.00 is charged in addition.

last checked 16 Aug 2026

Howard County $50

$50 per structure for fences over 7 feet high or enclosing a pool (Miscellaneous Structures Accessory permit, FY2027 fee schedule); no permit fee for fences at or under 7 feet not enclosing a pool

last checked 6 Jul 2026

Montgomery County $89.54

$89.54 flat Fence Permit fee per DPS-Fees-ResConst-FY27.pdf effective 2026-07-01; a pool's own perimeter fence is bundled into the pool permit fee instead of charged separately

last checked 18 Jun 2026

Prince George's County by formula

DPIE Fee Schedule, effective March 2, 2025, line item "Fence - Residential", minimum permit fee $145: "Total Fee = Administrative Fee $66 + Building Permit Fee $145 + $53 Grading Fee + $5 M-NCPPC. Plus Technology Fee 10%." The schedule states it is the table referenced in Prince George's County Code Subtitle 2, Division 14C, Section 2-253.63.

last checked 16 Aug 2026

Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.

Common questions about fence permits in Maryland

Do I need a fence permit in Maryland?: In Maryland it depends on the size of the job. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Maryland city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 4 Maryland jurisdictions we have verified for fence work, 1 requires a permit outright, 3 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Is there a fence permit exemption in Maryland?: 3 of the 4 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.

Do you need a fence permit in Maryland?

What a fence permit costs in Maryland

Common questions about fence permits in Maryland

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