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Harford vs Howard County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of two Maryland counties, using official fee schedule data verified from both harfordcountymd.gov and howardcountymd.gov. Both counties price new construction and additions per square foot - but at different rates and with different add-ons. Harford charges $0.15 per square foot plus a flat $100 application fee and nothing else. Howard charges $0.25 per square foot plus a filing fee and a 10% technology fee on top. Maryland adds no statewide levy for either, and both add the same $50 MHIC fee on a new home.

Calculate Your Project Harford Fees Howard Fees

Evidence and Source Confidence

Both jurisdictions in this comparison have official, current PermitPrice fee verifications, and both schedules are the current published rate sheets. The math below uses verified inputs from each county's published fee schedule.

Harford County

Verified

Source: Harford County DILP Fee Schedule (Bill 24-013). Extracted via pdfplumber from harfordcountymd.gov and verified June 8, 2026.

Current schedule: Effective January 1, 2025, with PDF footers reading "Revised 01/01/2026." The $0.15/sq ft rate, $100 application fee, $50 MHIC fee, and the separate $10,000 impact fee (Bill 24-033) are itemized on the official schedule. Verify with DILP at 410-638-3122 before filing.

Howard County

Verified

Source: Howard County DILP FY26 Building Permit Fee Schedule (Council Resolution #96-2025). Extracted via pdfplumber from howardcountymd.gov.

Current schedule: Effective July 1, 2025 (FY2026). The $0.25/sq ft single-family rate, the flat alteration fees ($50 / $100), the filing fees, and the 10% technology fee are on the official schedule. Verify with DILP at 410-313-2455 before filing.

Fee Structure Side-by-Side

Both counties use a per-square-foot building permit for new construction and additions, so this is a rare apples-to-apples comparison. The differences are the rate ($0.15 vs $0.25 per sq ft), the fixed add-ons (Harford's $100 application fee vs Howard's filing fee plus 10% technology fee), and how each handles small alterations.

Project Type Harford County Howard County
New construction / addition $0.15 per sq ft
+ $100 application fee		 $0.25 per sq ft
+ filing fee + 10% tech fee
Per-square-foot rate $0.15 / sq ft $0.25 / sq ft
Small alteration / repair $0.15/sq ft + $100
($100 fee is the floor)		 $50 flat (≤200 sq ft)
$100 flat (over 200 sq ft)
Fixed application / filing fee $100 (all per-SF permits) $100 new / $50 addition / $25 alteration
Technology fee None 10% of building permit fee
State percentage levy None (Maryland) None (Maryland)
MHIC guaranty fund fee (new home) $50 $50
In-ground pool $200 + $0.10/ft fence Per DILP schedule (not modeled)
Separate new-construction charges $10,000 impact fee (Bill 24-033) Excise tax + school surcharge + MIHU

Sources: Harford County DILP Fee Schedule (Bill 24-013, eff. Jan 1, 2025) and Howard County DILP FY26 Building Permit Fee Schedule (CR #96-2025, eff. July 1, 2025). Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) are separate in both counties and not modeled. The "separate new-construction charges" row is the most important scope difference: Harford's $10,000 impact fee and Howard's excise/school/MIHU charges are each far larger than the building permit fee and are excluded from every building-permit figure below.

Three Worked Examples - Same Project, Both Counties

Each example uses identical project assumptions and walks through the building permit math from each county's official schedule. All arithmetic is reproducible from the verified inputs. These are building-permit figures only; the large separate new-construction charges are noted but not added to the totals.

Example 1: 400 sq ft room addition

A homeowner builds a 400 sq ft single-story addition.

Harford County

  • Building permit (400 × $0.15): $60.00
  • Application fee: $100.00
  • Technology fee: none
  • State levy: none

Total: $160.00

Howard County

  • Building permit (400 × $0.25): $100.00
  • Filing fee (addition): $50.00
  • Technology fee (10% of $100): $10.00
  • State levy: none

Total: $160.00

It is a tie at $160.00. At 400 sq ft the two structures land on exactly the same number: Harford's lower $0.15 rate plus its larger $100 fixed fee equals Howard's higher $0.25 rate plus its smaller $50 filing fee and $10 technology fee. 400 sq ft is the crossover point - below it Howard is cheaper, above it Harford is cheaper (see the decision section).

Example 2: New 2,400 sq ft detached home

A builder pulls a permit for a new 2,400 sq ft single-family home (building-permit side only).

Harford County

  • Building permit (2,400 × $0.15): $360.00
  • Application fee: $100.00
  • MHIC fee: $50.00

Total: $510.00

Howard County

  • Building permit (2,400 × $0.25): $600.00
  • Filing fee (new residential): $100.00
  • Technology fee (10% of $600): $60.00
  • MHIC fee: $50.00

Total: $810.00

Harford wins by $300.00. On a full house, Harford's $0.15/sq ft rate and absence of a technology fee pull well ahead of Howard's $0.25/sq ft plus 10% technology fee. Important: both totals are building-permit only. A new home in Harford also owes a $10,000 impact fee, and a new home in Howard owes excise tax, a school facility surcharge, and an MIHU fee-in-lieu - each far larger than the permit fee and each excluded here.

Example 3: Small bathroom remodel (~100 sq ft alteration)

A homeowner remodels a single bathroom of about 100 sq ft. Note the basis difference: Harford prices alterations per square foot with its $100 application-fee floor; Howard uses a flat alteration tier.

Harford County

  • Building permit (100 × $0.15): $15.00
  • Application fee: $100.00

Total: $115.00

Howard County

  • Building permit (alteration ≤200 sq ft): $50.00
  • Filing fee: $25.00
  • Technology fee (10% of $50): $5.00

Total: $80.00

Howard wins by $35.00. On small jobs, Howard's flat $50 alteration tier beats Harford's per-square-foot fee, because Harford's $100 application fee is a floor on any per-SF permit no matter how small the work. The basis differs - Harford is per square foot, Howard is a flat tier - so read this as a realistic small remodel rather than a like-for-like formula match.

When Each County Is Cheaper

The decision comes down to project size and type. Harford's lower $0.15/sq ft rate (and no technology fee) wins on anything large; Howard's flat alteration tiers and smaller fixed fees win on small jobs. This table summarizes which county wins each category.

Project Type Cheaper County Why
New construction (any size) Harford $0.15/sq ft with no technology fee beats $0.25/sq ft + 10% tech; the fixed fees ($150 each with MHIC) cancel out.
Addition over 400 sq ft Harford Above the 400 sq ft crossover, Harford's cheaper per-SF rate outweighs its larger $100 application fee.
Addition of exactly 400 sq ft Tie ($160) $60 + $100 (Harford) equals $100 + $50 + $10 (Howard).
Addition under 400 sq ft Howard Below the crossover, Howard's smaller $50 filing fee beats Harford's $100 application fee.
Small alteration / remodel Howard Howard's flat $50 tier (~$80 all-in) beats Harford's $100 application-fee floor on per-SF alterations.
Small shed (200 sq ft or under) Harford Harford bills a 1-2 family accessory structure 200 sq ft or under at a flat $20 with no inspection.

Caveat: this comparison covers building permit fees only. The biggest dollars on new construction are the separate charges - Harford's $10,000 impact fee and Howard's excise tax, school facility surcharge, and MIHU fee-in-lieu - which are set under their own ordinances, are far larger than the permit fee, and are not modeled here. Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical), zoning, and Health Department fees are also separate in both counties. The small-alteration row compares a per-square-foot fee (Harford) against a flat tier (Howard).

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the project. Harford is cheaper on new construction and large additions because its $0.15/sq ft rate (with no technology fee) undercuts Howard's $0.25/sq ft plus a 10% technology fee. Howard is cheaper on small alterations and small additions, because its flat $50 alteration tier and smaller $50 filing fee beat Harford's $100 application-fee floor. For additions, the crossover is about 400 sq ft, where both come to exactly $160.
Coincidence of the math at that size. Harford: 400 × $0.15 = $60, plus a $100 application fee = $160. Howard: 400 × $0.25 = $100, plus a $50 filing fee and a $10 technology fee (10% of $100) = $160. Harford's lower rate but larger fixed fee exactly offsets Howard's higher rate but smaller fixed fees at 400 sq ft. Below 400 sq ft Howard is cheaper; above it, Harford.
About 400 sq ft. Harford's addition fee is sq ft × $0.15 + $100; Howard's is sq ft × $0.25 × 1.10 + $50 = sq ft × $0.275 + $50. Setting them equal: 0.15·SF + 100 = 0.275·SF + 50, which gives SF = 400. Below 400 sq ft Howard wins; above it Harford wins. For new construction (where Howard's filing fee is $100, matching Harford's $100 + $50 MHIC against Howard's $100 + $50 MHIC), Harford's lower rate means it is cheaper at every size.
No. Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, so neither Harford nor Howard adds a Virginia-style 2% USBC levy. Harford adds no technology fee at all; Howard adds a 10% technology fee on the building permit fee. Both add the same $50 Maryland Home Builder Guaranty Fund (MHIC) fee on a new home.
Harford charges a $10,000 impact fee per new single-family or townhouse unit (Bill 24-033, effective March 1, 2025). Howard charges an excise tax, a Public School Facility Surcharge, and a Moderate Income Housing (MIHU) fee-in-lieu, each under its own county resolution. In both counties these separate charges far exceed the building permit fee and are excluded from the building-permit totals on this page.
Just the county building permit fee. The figures here cover the building permit and its fixed fees. They do not cover trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical - separate in both counties), the large separate new-construction charges (Harford's impact fee; Howard's excise/school/MIHU), zoning, Health Department well/septic fees, contractor labor, or materials. Your contractor's quote is the source of truth for total project cost.

Calculate Your Specific Project

Get the full fee schedule for either county, or dive into a specific project type with a dedicated guide.

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified June 2026
Next Step

Get the full fee schedule for either county, or check more Maryland comparisons.

Verify current fees with both counties before relying on this comparison for filing. Harford County DILP: 410-638-3122. Howard County DILP: 410-313-2455. Both fee schedules are the current published sheets - Harford effective January 1, 2025 and Howard effective July 1, 2025. Always confirm current rates and project classification before submitting an application in either county.
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by Harford County DILP or Howard County DILP at the time of application. The large separate new-construction charges - Harford's $10,000 impact fee and Howard's excise tax, school facility surcharge, and MIHU fee-in-lieu - are set under their own ordinances and are excluded from every building-permit figure in this comparison. Trade permits, zoning, and Health Department fees are also separate and not modeled here.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.