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

Howard County, Maryland now allows bigger permit-free sheds and taller permit-free fences under its updated building code (CB24-2025, effective September 7, 2025). A detached accessory structure like a shed, playhouse, or gazebo can be up to 200 square feet with a roof eave no higher than 10 feet without a permit, up from the old 120 square foot limit. A fence can go up to 7 feet high without a permit, and a permit is only required if it exceeds that height or encloses a swimming pool. None of these exemptions apply to structures in the floodplain, and several other small jobs on existing single-family homes, like reroofing without structural work, small decks under 25 square feet, or short retaining walls, were also added to the permit-exempt list.