Howard County vs Anne Arundel County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)
Howard County and Anne Arundel County price residential building permits on completely different bases. Howard charges by area - $0.25 per square foot for new construction and additions, with flat fees for alterations and a 10% technology fee. Anne Arundel charges by declared value - a tiered table topping out at $242 plus 1% of value above $25,000, with a flat $43 application fee on every permit. Because Howard meters square footage and Anne Arundel meters dollars, Howard comes out lower on the projects below, and the gap widens sharply as project value rises.
For a 400 square foot, $60,000 room addition, Howard County charges about $160 ($100 permit at $0.25/sq ft + $10 technology fee + $50 filing) while Anne Arundel County charges about $635 ($242 + 1% of value above $25,000 = $592, plus a $43 application fee). For a new 2,400 square foot, $400,000 house, Howard is about $810 and Anne Arundel about $4,085 on the building-permit side. Both add the $50 Maryland Home Builder Guaranty Fund fee on new homes; neither adds a statewide percentage levy.
- Howard County prices by area ($0.25/sq ft new and additions; flat $50/$100 alterations) plus a 10% technology fee. Anne Arundel prices by declared value on a tiered table plus a flat $43 application fee.
- A $60,000 / 400 sq ft addition: about $160 in Howard vs about $635 in Anne Arundel.
- A $30,000 finished basement / remodel: about $135 in Howard vs about $335 in Anne Arundel.
- A new 2,400 sq ft / $400,000 house (building-permit side): about $810 in Howard vs about $4,085 in Anne Arundel.
- The gap grows with project value because Anne Arundel adds 1% of value above $25,000, while Howard's fee depends only on square footage.
- Neither county adds a statewide Maryland levy; both add the $50 Home Builder Guaranty Fund fee on new homes; large impact, excise, and school facility charges on new construction are excluded here.
Howard vs Anne Arundel: Fee Structure Side by Side
| Fee Element | Howard County (DILP) | Anne Arundel County (I&P) |
|---|---|---|
| Fee basis | Square footage (area) | Declared value of work |
| New SF construction / addition | $0.25 / sq ft | Tiered by value; $242 + 1% above $25k |
| Alteration / remodel | Flat: $50 (≤200 sq ft) or $100 (over) | Same value table (min $86) |
| Application / filing fee | $25 alteration, $50 addition, $100 new home | $43 flat on every permit |
| Technology fee | 10% of permit fee | None |
| Minimum permit fee | Effectively $80 (small alteration all-in) | $86 + $43 = $129 |
| State levy | None (Maryland) | None (Maryland) |
| New-home guaranty fund | $50 | $50 |
| Fee schedule effective | July 1, 2025 (FY2026) | October 1, 2024 |
The fundamental difference: Howard's fee depends on how big the project is, Anne Arundel's depends on how much it costs. A spacious-but-modest project is cheap in Howard; a small-but-expensive project costs more in Anne Arundel.
Shared-Assumption Worked Examples
Because the two counties use different bases, each example fixes both a square footage (for Howard) and a declared value (for Anne Arundel) for the same project. Trade permits are excluded on both sides.
Example 1: Room Addition - 400 sq ft, $60,000 value
| Fee Component | Howard County | Anne Arundel County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 400 × $0.25 = $100.00 | $242 + 1% × $35,000 = $592.00 |
| Application / filing fee | $50.00 | $43.00 |
| Technology fee (10%) | $10.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $160.00 | $635.00 |
Note: Same project, two bases. Howard reads 400 sq ft; Anne Arundel reads a $60,000 declared value. Anne Arundel is about 4x Howard here, driven by the 1% value charge above $25,000.
Example 2: Finished Basement / Remodel - over 200 sq ft, $30,000 value
| Fee Component | Howard County | Anne Arundel County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Flat $100.00 (over 200 sq ft) | $242 + 1% × $5,000 = $292.00 |
| Application / filing fee | $25.00 | $43.00 |
| Technology fee (10%) | $10.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $135.00 | $335.00 |
Note: Howard's flat $100 alteration fee is fixed regardless of value; Anne Arundel's $30,000 declared value lands at $292 plus the $43 application fee.
Example 3: New Detached House - 2,400 sq ft, $400,000 value
| Fee Component | Howard County | Anne Arundel County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 2,400 × $0.25 = $600.00 | $242 + 1% × $375,000 = $3,992.00 |
| Application / filing fee | $100.00 | $43.00 |
| Technology fee (10%) | $60.00 | $0.00 |
| MD Home Builder Guaranty Fund | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Total (building-permit side) | $810.00 | $4,085.00 |
Note: Building-permit side only. Both counties assess large separate impact, excise, and school facility charges on new homes, excluded here. Anne Arundel is about 5x Howard at this value because of the 1% charge on $375,000.
Which County Is Cheaper for Your Project?
| Scenario | Lower Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small remodel (~$5,000) | Howard ($80 vs $146) | Anne Arundel's $86 minimum + $43 application sets a $129 floor |
| Finished basement (~$30,000) | Howard ($135 vs $335) | Howard's flat $100 alteration fee ignores value |
| Room addition (~$60,000) | Howard ($160 vs $635) | The 1% value charge above $25,000 dominates in Anne Arundel |
| New house (~$400,000) | Howard ($810 vs $4,085) | 1% of $375,000 alone is $3,750 in Anne Arundel |
| Spacious but low-cost project | Anne Arundel can win | A very large but low-value project pays per sq ft in Howard but stays low-tier in Anne Arundel |
Across typical residential market values, Howard County's building permit fee is lower - often several times lower - and the gap widens with project value. Anne Arundel only pulls ahead in the unusual case of a very large footprint at an unusually low declared value, where Howard's per-square-foot charge outruns Anne Arundel's low value tier.
Practitioner Insight
These two counties answer different questions when they price a permit. Howard County asks "how big is it?" and charges $0.25 a square foot with small flat add-ons, so a luxury finish in a modest footprint stays cheap. Anne Arundel County asks "how much is it worth?" and charges 1% of declared value above $25,000, so the same luxury finish costs more. For nearly every residential project at real market values - a $60,000 addition, a $30,000 basement, a $400,000 new home - Howard's building permit fee comes out lower, and the spread grows as the dollar value climbs. Anne Arundel's one structural advantage is predictability at the low end: its $86 minimum plus $43 application is a known floor, and its value table is identical whether a project is 100 or 1,000 square feet. Both add the $50 Maryland guaranty fund fee on new homes, and on a new house the separate impact, excise, and school facility charges dwarf either county's permit fee. Confirm Howard's rates at 410-313-2455 and Anne Arundel's at 410-222-7730.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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Howard County DILP - FY26 Building Permit Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2025 - Howard County, MD
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Anne Arundel County - Permit Fees (Inspections and Permits) Effective October 1, 2024 - Anne Arundel County, MD
See each county's full fee page, or compare more Maryland jurisdictions.