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Montgomery County Deck Permit Cost (2026)

Residential deck building permit fees in Montgomery County, Maryland, pulled directly from the official Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Residential Construction Fee Schedule. Montgomery prices an open, unenclosed deck of 500 square feet or less at a flat $194.67, regardless of construction value. A deck larger than 500 square feet is billed at $0.767865 per square foot instead. Maryland has no statewide percentage levy, so there is no Virginia-style 2% add-on. The published DPS schedule carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (FY2022), so confirm current rates with DPS before budgeting.

Deck 500 sq ft or under
$194.67 flat
Deck over 500 sq ft
$0.767865 per sq ft
State / Local Percentage Levy
None (Maryland has no statewide levy)
Plan Review
Bundled (optional expedited +25%)
600 sq ft Deck Example
$460.72
Fee Status
Official DPS schedule - FY2022 printed date, verify current rates
What This Guide Covers - and What It Does Not

This guide covers: Montgomery County, Maryland residential deck building permit fees as published in the DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf). Coverage includes the flat $194.67 fee for decks 500 sq ft or under, the $0.767865 per square foot rate for decks over 500 sq ft, the bundled plan review, and the optional 25% expedited plan review fee.

This guide does NOT cover: Trade permits - the electrical permit for deck lighting, outlets, or a hot-tub circuit is filed separately on its own DPS schedule and is not priced here. Zoning, setback, and sediment-control approvals. HOA architectural approvals. Deck contractor labor and material costs. Development impact taxes and school facility payments (those apply to new dwellings, not decks).

Important note on fee schedule age: The DPS AllFees.pdf currently published by Montgomery County carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Because that printed date is more than 24 months old, confirm current rates with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on any figure for a load-bearing budget.

When a Montgomery deck permit is required: Montgomery County DPS lists decks as a permitted residential construction type, so a building permit is generally required to build a deck. Specific height and exemption thresholds are set by DPS and county code - confirm whether your specific deck requires a permit with DPS before assuming an exemption.

Key Takeaways
  • Montgomery County bills an open, unenclosed deck of 500 sq ft or less at a flat $194.67 - the construction value does not change the fee. This is fundamentally different from value-based jurisdictions like Fairfax County, where a deck permit scales with declared cost.
  • A deck larger than 500 sq ft switches to $0.767865 per square foot applied to the full deck area. A 600 sq ft deck is 600 × $0.767865 = $460.72; a 700 sq ft deck is $537.51. Crossing the 500 sq ft line is a real cliff: a 500 sq ft deck is $194.67, but a 501 sq ft deck jumps to about $384.70.
  • Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, so there is no 2% add-on like Virginia's USBC levy. The DPS deck fee is the entire building permit charge - there is no percentage surcharge stacked on top.
  • Standard plan review is bundled into the residential construction permit fee. An optional Expedited Plan Review Fee of 25% of the total permit fee is available if you need faster turnaround.
  • Deck electrical work - lighting, outlets, or a hot-tub circuit - is a separate electrical trade permit filed on its own DPS schedule. That trade-permit fee is not included in the $194.67 building permit figure and is not priced on this page; contact DPS for the current electrical permit rate.
  • At $194.67 flat, Montgomery's deck permit sits in the middle of the verified Maryland cluster - higher than Baltimore County ($85 up to 600 sq ft) but well below Fairfax County ($688.50 for a $15,000 deck) across the Potomac.
  • The DPS AllFees.pdf currently published carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Montgomery County may have adjusted rates since then. Always confirm the current deck fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before filing.
Open the Permit Fee Calculator All Montgomery County Permit Fees

Montgomery County Deck Permit Fee Structure

Montgomery County uses a two-tier structure for residential decks: a flat fee for small decks and a per-square-foot rate for large decks. There is no percentage levy and no separate plan review line - standard plan review is bundled into the permit fee.

Deck Size Building Permit Fee How It Is Calculated
500 sq ft or less $194.67 Flat fee. Applies regardless of declared construction value.
Over 500 sq ft $0.767865 / sq ft Rate applied to the full deck area. A 600 sq ft deck = 600 × $0.767865 = $460.72.
Plan review Bundled Standard plan review included. Optional expedited review = 25% of the total permit fee.
State / local percentage levy None Maryland has no statewide USBC-style percentage levy. No 2% add-on.

Source: Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf), Decks line. Printed effective period July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 (FY2022). Trade permits (electrical) are billed separately on their own DPS schedules. Confirm current rates with DPS before filing.

Worked Examples - Real Deck Projects in Montgomery County

Each example uses the same DPS deck fee structure. Because Montgomery prices small decks as a flat fee, the building permit cost does not change with construction value below the 500 sq ft line - only the size matters.

Example 1: 400 sq ft composite deck, $15,000 build, no electrical

A homeowner builds a 400 sq ft composite deck attached to a single-family dwelling. Declared construction cost $15,000. No deck lighting or outlets - no electrical trade permit triggered.

  • Deck is 500 sq ft or less: flat building permit fee = $194.67
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Total all-in deck building permit: $194.67

The $15,000 construction value is irrelevant to the fee - a $6,000 deck and a $25,000 deck of the same 400 sq ft footprint both pay $194.67.

Example 2: 600 sq ft deck - crossing the 500 sq ft line

A homeowner builds a 600 sq ft pressure-treated deck. Because it is larger than 500 sq ft, the flat fee no longer applies and the per-square-foot rate governs the full area.

  • 600 sq ft × $0.767865 = $460.72
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Total all-in deck building permit: $460.72

The 500 sq ft line is a cliff: a 500 sq ft deck is the flat $194.67, but a 501 sq ft deck is 501 × $0.767865 = about $384.70. If your design is near 500 sq ft, it can be worth confirming the exact square-footage measurement DPS uses.

Example 3: 700 sq ft deck with built-in lighting and outlets

A homeowner builds a 700 sq ft custom deck with recessed step lighting and two GFCI outlets. The deck building permit uses the per-square-foot rate, and the electrical work is a separate trade permit.

Deck building permit:

  • 700 sq ft × $0.767865 = $537.51
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Building permit subtotal: $537.51

Electrical trade permit (lighting and outlets):

  • Filed separately on the DPS electrical permit schedule - not priced here
  • Contact DPS at 240-777-0311 for the current electrical permit fee for your scope.

PermitPrice does not estimate the Montgomery electrical trade-permit amount because it is set on a separate DPS schedule that is not part of the residential construction fee data verified for this page.

Montgomery County Deck Permit Cost vs Other Verified Jurisdictions

Montgomery's $194.67 flat deck permit sits in the middle of the verified cluster. The comparison below mixes fee bases - flat, flat-by-area, value-tiered, and percentage - so read the basis column, not just the dollar figure.

Jurisdiction Deck Fee Basis Typical Deck Permit
Montgomery County, MD $194.67 flat (≤500 sq ft) $194.67
Baltimore County, MD $85 flat (≤600 sq ft) $85.00
Anne Arundel County, MD value-tiered + $43 application $207.00 ($15k)
Fairfax County, VA 3% of value + 50% PR + 2% levy $688.50 ($15k)
Washington, DC alteration tier + 10% Enhanced $384.45 ($15k)

Montgomery and Baltimore County price decks by area; Anne Arundel by declared value; Fairfax by a percentage of construction cost; DC by an alteration valuation tier. A $15,000 figure is shown where the fee depends on value. Trade permits (electrical) are excluded because they vary by deck scope. Montgomery figures carry an FY2022 printed effective date.

Side-by-Side Math

See how Montgomery compares head-to-head against its Maryland neighbors.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Montgomery County residential deck building permit costs a flat $194.67 for an open, unenclosed deck of 500 square feet or less, regardless of the construction value. A deck larger than 500 square feet is billed at $0.767865 per square foot applied to the full area - a 600 sq ft deck is $460.72 and a 700 sq ft deck is $537.51. Maryland adds no statewide percentage levy. These figures come from the DPS schedule carrying an FY2022 printed effective date; confirm current rates with DPS at 240-777-0311.
No. Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy. In Virginia, every permit carries a mandatory 2% USBC state levy on top of the local fee. In Montgomery County, the DPS deck permit fee is the entire building permit charge - there is no percentage add-on. This is part of why a flat $194.67 Montgomery deck permit can look very different from a Virginia deck permit of similar size.
No. Deck electrical work - lighting, outlets, or a hot-tub circuit - is filed as a separate electrical trade permit on its own DPS schedule. That fee is not included in the $194.67 building permit figure and is not priced on this page because it comes from a separate DPS schedule. Contact DPS at 240-777-0311 for the current electrical permit fee for your scope.
Montgomery County prices residential decks by physical size, not declared value. A deck of 500 square feet or less is a flat $194.67 whether the build cost is $6,000 or $25,000. Only when the deck exceeds 500 square feet does the fee switch to a per-square-foot rate. This is structurally different from value-based jurisdictions like Fairfax County, where the deck permit is a percentage of declared construction cost.
The 500 sq ft line is a step. A deck of exactly 500 square feet is the flat $194.67. A deck of 501 square feet is billed at the per-square-foot rate on the full area: 501 × $0.767865 = about $384.70. Because the jump is significant, if your design is near 500 square feet it can be worth confirming the exact square-footage measurement DPS uses before finalizing the plan.
The figure comes from the DPS AllFees.pdf that Montgomery County currently publishes, which carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (FY2022). PermitPrice records the schedule's own printed effective date rather than the file-path date. Because that printed date is more than 24 months old, we flag a source-age caveat and recommend confirming the current deck fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on the figure for a budget.
No. The $194.67 Montgomery deck permit fee is the county building permit cost only. It does not include any deck contractor work. A 400 sq ft composite deck installed in the suburban Maryland market typically runs $15,000-$25,000 for the contractor scope. The permit fee is a small line item in your overall deck project budget.

Sources

Official Sources - Recorded June 2026
Next Step

Confirm your specific Montgomery deck permit cost or compare against neighbors.

Always verify current deck permit fees directly with Montgomery County DPS before budgeting or filing. The DPS AllFees.pdf carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. Montgomery County may have adjusted rates since then. Call 240-777-0311 or visit the ePermits portal at permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov to confirm current deck and electrical permit rates before submitting an application.
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services at the time of application. Fee schedules, filing fees, and permit requirements can change without notice. The published DPS fee schedule carries an FY2022 printed effective date; confirm current rates before relying on any figure. Electrical and other trade permits are billed separately and are excluded from the figures on this page.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.