Do you need a pool permit in Maryland?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
Of the 5 Maryland counties and cities we checked, 2 require a pool permit for every job and 3 require a pool permit only past a size or scope limit. The most common Maryland pool permit threshold is 24 inches, used by 2 of them.
- Always required
- 2
- of 5 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 3
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Pool Permit rules nationwide, beyond Maryland.
Requirements and size thresholds for pool 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 pool permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for pool 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 pool 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 | prefabricated pools; every in-ground pool and every hot tub needs a permit | Confirmed on official page |
| Baltimore County | Conditional | above-ground pool surface area, where the water depth is 24 inches or more; in-ground pools require a permit at any size | 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 | Conditional | prefabricated pools accessory to one- and two-family dwellings that are installed entirely above ground, hold no more than 5,000 gallons, and have a four-foot fence around the pool perimeter | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a pool 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). A pool also needs an electrical permit: "Residential swimming pool | $69.00" (electrical schedule, effective October 1, 2024).
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Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 07/01/26: Swimming Pool, Residential, Above Ground $60.00; Residential, In-ground $100.00; Automatic Pool Cover $30.00; Fence Around Pool $35.00 + $0.05 / linear ft over 250 linear ft, Minimum $35.00. Separate trade permits carry their own fees: Electrical Permit Fee Schedule effective 11/26/18, Swimming Pool, Residential $68.00; Plumbing Inspection Fee Schedule effective 11/26/18, Swimming Pool $79.00.
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$100 for above-ground pools; $250 for in-ground pools (Private Swimming Pools fee, includes fence and grading; FY2027 Building Permit Fee Schedule)
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$360.68 for a private in-ground swimming pool including its fence per DPS-Fees-ResConst-FY27.pdf effective 2026-07-01; pool electrical equipment needs a separate electrical permit
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DPIE Fee Schedule, effective March 2, 2025: "Swimming Pool (In-ground) - Residential", minimum permit fee $297, "Total Fee = Administrative Fee $66 + Building Permit Fee ($297) + $53 Grading Fee + $5 M-NCPPC. Plus Technology Fee 10%"; "Swimming Pool (Above-ground/Restoration) - Residential", minimum permit fee $132, same formula with a $132 building permit fee. A separate "Electrical Permit Fee - Swimming Pool" of $162 applies, plus the $66 administrative fee and the 10% technology fee.
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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 pool permits in Maryland
- Do I need a pool 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 5 Maryland jurisdictions we have verified for pool work, 2 require a permit outright, 3 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
- Is there a pool permit exemption in Maryland?
- 3 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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