Montgomery County Demolition Permit Cost (2026)
Demolition 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 a residential demolition permit at a flat $156.82, regardless of the structure's size or value. Maryland has no statewide percentage levy and the DPS schedule carries no technology fee, so the flat figure is the building permit charge. Utility disconnects and trade permits are handled separately. The published DPS schedule carries a printed effective period of FY2022, so confirm the current figure with DPS before relying on it.
This guide covers: Montgomery County, Maryland residential demolition building permit fees as published in the Montgomery County DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf). The demolition permit is a flat $156.82.
This guide does NOT cover: Utility disconnects - water, sewer, gas, and electric service must be disconnected by the utility or under a separate permit before demolition, and those charges are not part of the $156.82 building permit. Trade permits for capping plumbing or gas lines. Asbestos and lead surveys or abatement, which are governed by Maryland Department of the Environment rules, not the county fee schedule. Sediment control and right-of-way permits, which DPS lists on separate schedules. Hauling and disposal. Contractor labor.
Source-age caveat: The DPS AllFees.pdf currently published carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 (FY2022). It is the version Montgomery County serves at its official assets path, but the printed effective date is more than 24 months old, so confirm the current demolition fee with DPS (240-777-0311) before treating $156.82 as a load-bearing budget figure.
When a Montgomery County demolition permit is required: A permit is generally required to demolish a residential structure. Pulling the permit and arranging the required utility disconnects first keeps you clear of penalties for unpermitted work. Confirm the exact scope, and the required utility disconnect sequence, with DPS before starting.
A Montgomery County, MD residential demolition building permit costs a flat $156.82, regardless of the structure's size or value. Maryland adds no statewide percentage levy and the DPS schedule carries no technology fee, so the flat figure is the entire building permit charge. Utility disconnects, asbestos surveys, and trade caps are separate and are not priced here. This figure comes from the DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule, which carries an FY2022 printed effective date; confirm the current amount with DPS at 240-777-0311.
- Montgomery County bills residential demolition at a flat $156.82 - the structure's size, square footage, and value do not change the building permit fee.
- Unlike the per-square-foot building permits Montgomery uses for new construction ($0.767865/sq ft) and alterations ($0.681345/sq ft), demolition is a single flat line with no filing-fee floor stacked on top.
- Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, and the DPS schedule carries no technology fee, so there is no percentage add-on like Virginia's 2% USBC levy or Prince George's County's 10% technology fee. The $156.82 is the whole building permit charge.
- Utility disconnects (water, sewer, gas, electric), asbestos and lead surveys, and any trade caps are separate from the demolition building permit and are not priced on this page. On a full house teardown these can exceed the permit fee itself.
- Montgomery's flat $156.82 sits between Carroll County's $60 and Harford County's $175 - and well below Charles County, where demolition is built up additively from about $243 before inspections.
- The DPS AllFees.pdf carries an FY2022 printed effective date, so this is a source-age-flagged figure; confirm the current demolition fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on it for a budget.
Montgomery County Demolition Permit Fee Structure
Montgomery County uses a flat fee for demolition. There is no per-square-foot tier, no percentage levy, and no technology fee on the demolition line. This is different from Montgomery's new-construction and alteration permits, which are priced per square foot and add a filing fee.
| Item | Building Permit Fee | How It Is Calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Residential demolition | $156.82 | Flat fee. Applies regardless of structure size or value. |
| Per-square-foot tier | None | Demolition is a single flat line - no square-foot math. |
| Filing-fee floor | N/A on demolition | The 50%/minimum filing fee applies to per-SF permits, not the flat demolition line. |
| State levy / technology fee | None | Maryland has no statewide levy; the DPS schedule has no technology fee. |
| Utility disconnects | Separate | Water, sewer, gas, electric - arranged with each utility, not in the permit. |
Source: Montgomery County DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf), Demolition Permit line. Printed effective period FY2022 (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022) - source-age flagged. Utility disconnects, asbestos surveys, and trade caps are separate and are not part of the demolition building permit. Confirm current rates with DPS before filing.
Worked Examples - Real Demolition Projects in Montgomery County
Each example uses the flat residential demolition fee for the building permit. Because Montgomery prices demolition as a flat fee, the building permit cost does not change with the structure's size. Utility disconnects and surveys are separate and not priced here.
A homeowner demolishes a detached two-car garage to clear the lot for a new build. No utilities run to the structure.
- Residential demolition: flat building permit fee = $156.82
- Maryland percentage levy / technology fee: $0.00 (none)
- Total all-in demolition building permit: $156.82
The garage's size does not change the fee - a small shed-sized garage and a large detached garage both pay $156.82.
A homeowner demolishes an existing single-family house before rebuilding. The building permit fee is the same flat $156.82, but utility disconnects and an asbestos survey are separate, larger costs.
Demolition building permit:
- Residential demolition flat fee = $156.82
- Maryland percentage levy / technology fee: $0.00 (none)
- Building permit subtotal: $156.82
Separate costs (not county building permit fees):
- Water, sewer, gas, and electric disconnects - arranged with each utility, not priced here
- Asbestos / lead survey and any abatement - Maryland Department of the Environment rules, not priced here
- Sediment control / right-of-way if applicable - separate DPS schedules, not priced here
On a full teardown, the separate disconnect and survey costs frequently exceed the $156.82 county permit fee. PermitPrice prices only the building permit line.
A homeowner gutting the interior before a renovation should check with DPS whether the work is filed as a standalone demolition permit or rolled into the alteration permit for the remodel.
- Standalone demolition permit = $156.82 flat
- Interior alteration permit (if the remodel is permitted) = $0.681345/sq ft + filing fee
- Confirm with DPS which permit applies before filing.
Whether interior strip-out is a separate demolition permit or part of the alteration permit depends on the project; DPS makes that call at intake. See our Montgomery finished basement guide for how alterations are priced.
Montgomery County Demolition Cost vs Other Verified Jurisdictions
The comparison below uses verified Maryland demolition fees. Montgomery, Harford, and Carroll price demolition as a single flat line; Charles County builds the fee up from application, plan review, and engineering. Utility disconnects and surveys are excluded everywhere.
| Jurisdiction | Residential Demolition Fee Basis | Typical Demolition Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, MD | $156.82 flat | $156.82 |
| Carroll County, MD | $60 flat (category H) | $60.00 |
| Harford County, MD | $175 flat | $175.00 |
| Charles County, MD | additive (app + review + eng) | from $243.00 |
Montgomery, Carroll, and Harford price demolition by a single flat fee ($156.82, $60, $175); Charles County builds it up from a $58 application, a $139 demolition plan review, and a $46 engineering review (the $243 is a floor before any inspection line items). All exclude utility disconnects and surveys. Harford and Charles are current schedules; Montgomery's carries an FY2022 printed date and Carroll's an April 6, 2021 printed date. For the Virginia approach, see the statewide demolition guide.
See the full Montgomery fee picture and compare neighboring counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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Montgomery County DPS - Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf) Printed effective FY2022 (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022) - Montgomery County, MD - Primary source for the demolition permit fee ($156.82). Extracted and recorded June 1, 2026 Verify current
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Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Accessed June 2026 - Montgomery County, MD - Official permitting department landing page. Phone 240-777-0311
Confirm your specific Montgomery demolition cost or compare against neighbors.