Do I need a plumbing 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 plumbing work, 3 require a permit outright, 2 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.

Is there a plumbing 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.

Maryland

Do you need a plumbing permit in Maryland?

By Mario Bailey Last checked 30 Oct 2026

Of the 5 Maryland counties and cities we checked, 3 require a plumbing permit for every job and 2 require a plumbing 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

Plumbing Permit rules nationwide, beyond Maryland.

A plumber tightens a fitting on water supply pipes

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

The application steps and inspection sequence for plumbing 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 plumbing 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	Before adding, relocating or replacing fixtures or piping	Confirmed on official page
Baltimore County	Yes	Any size	Confirmed on official page
Howard County	Yes	Any size	Confirmed on official page
Montgomery County	Yes	Any size	From an official source
Prince George's County	Conditional	Before installing new plumbing or natural gas piping, before replacing a water heater...	Confirmed on official page
No localities match your filter.

What a plumbing permit costs in Maryland

3 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.

Anne Arundel County by formula

Plumbing, "Reconstruction or addition to any existing residential plumbing and all commercial plumbing work": "First plumbing fixture | $51.00", "Each additional plumbing fixture | $8.00", plus a $43.00 non-refundable application fee; minimum plumbing fee $51.00 (effective October 1, 2024).

last checked 30 Oct 2026

Baltimore County by formula

Plumbing Inspection Fee Schedule effective 11/26/18: Inspection, New, for 1st fixture $30.00 plus $6.00 each additional; Hot Water Heater, Oil/Electric $30.00; Water Service (each connection) $30.00; On-Site Water (each) $79.00 plus $14.00 each lateral; Swimming Pool $79.00. Gas Permits start at $30.00 for the 1st appliance plus $14.00 each additional. Work started without a permit adds a $60.00 investigation fee.

last checked 16 Aug 2026

Howard County $50

$50 non-refundable filing fee (other than Express Plumbing Permit); residential minimum charge $25 including first fixture, $5 per additional fixture; FY2027 Plumbing Permit Fee Schedule

last checked 6 Jul 2026

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

Common questions about plumbing permits in Maryland

Do I need a plumbing 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 plumbing work, 3 require a permit outright, 2 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Is there a plumbing 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.

Do you need a plumbing permit in Maryland?

What a plumbing permit costs in Maryland

Common questions about plumbing permits in Maryland

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