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Montgomery County Fence Permit Cost (2026)

Residential fence building permit fees in Montgomery County, Maryland, pulled directly from the official Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Residential Construction Fee Schedule. When a fence permit is required, Montgomery charges a flat $77.87, regardless of fence length or material. Maryland has no statewide percentage levy, so there is no Virginia-style 2% add-on. Whether your specific fence needs a permit - and any height limits - is set by county code separately from the fee, so confirm with DPS. The published DPS schedule carries a printed effective period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (FY2022).

Fence Building Permit
$77.87 flat
Fee Basis
Flat - not by length or value
State / Local Percentage Levy
None (Maryland has no statewide levy)
Pool Barrier Fence
Included in in-ground pool permit
Height / Zoning Limits
Set by county code - verify with DPS
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 fence building permit fees as published in the DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf): the flat $77.87 fence permit fee. It also covers the bundled plan review and the optional 25% expedited plan review fee.

This guide does NOT cover: The county-code rules that determine whether a fence permit is required and any maximum fence height or setback limits - those are zoning and building-code questions set separately from the fee schedule, and PermitPrice does not list specific Montgomery height thresholds because they are not part of the verified fee data on this page. HOA architectural approvals. Fence contractor labor and material costs. Retaining walls, which are a separate DPS line.

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 fence permit is required: Montgomery County DPS lists a fence permit fee, which indicates that fences are a permitted construction type. Specific height limits, exemptions, and the question of whether your particular fence needs a permit are set by county code - confirm with DPS before assuming an exemption.

Key Takeaways
  • Montgomery County charges a flat $77.87 for a residential fence building permit when one is required. The fee does not scale with fence length, height, or material - it is a single flat charge.
  • Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, so there is no 2% add-on like Virginia's USBC levy. The DPS fence fee is the entire building permit charge.
  • Whether your specific fence needs a permit at all - and any maximum height - is a county-code question handled separately from the fee schedule. This guide does not list a Montgomery height threshold because that detail is not part of the verified fee data; confirm with DPS before assuming an exemption.
  • If the fence is the required safety barrier for a new in-ground pool, you generally do not file a separate fence permit: the Montgomery in-ground pool permit ($313.64) already includes the fence per the DPS schedule line.
  • At $77.87 flat, Montgomery's fence permit is higher than Baltimore County's $25 residential fence permit and Washington, DC's $36.30, but the comparison depends heavily on whether each jurisdiction requires a fence permit in the first place. In Fairfax County, most standard residential fences need no permit at all.
  • Standard plan review is bundled into the permit fee. An optional Expedited Plan Review Fee of 25% of the total permit fee is available if you need faster turnaround.
  • 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 fence fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before filing.
Open the Permit Fee Calculator All Montgomery County Permit Fees

Montgomery County Fence Permit Fee Structure

Montgomery County uses a single flat building permit fee for residential fences. There is no percentage levy, no per-linear-foot rate, and no separate plan review line - standard plan review is bundled into the permit fee.

Item Fee Notes
Fence building permit $77.87 Flat fee. Does not change with fence length, height, or material.
Pool barrier fence Included The required barrier for a new in-ground pool is bundled into the pool permit ($313.64).
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.
Height / zoning limits By code Set by county code separately from the fee. Verify with DPS before designing.

Source: Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf), Fence Permit line. Printed effective period July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 (FY2022). Confirm current rates and whether your fence requires a permit with DPS before filing.

Worked Examples - Real Fence Projects in Montgomery County

Because Montgomery prices a fence permit as a single flat fee, the math is simple: when a permit is required, the fee is $77.87. The examples below illustrate the common scenarios.

Example 1: Backyard privacy fence

A homeowner installs a wood privacy fence around the back yard of a single-family lot, within the height allowed by county code.

  • Fence building permit (flat): $77.87
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Total all-in fence building permit: $77.87

The fence's length and material do not change the fee - a 60-foot fence and a 200-foot fence both pay $77.87 when a permit is required.

Example 2: Corner-lot or front-yard fence

A homeowner wants a fence along a corner lot's street-facing side. The permit fee is the same flat $77.87, but corner lots and front yards often have stricter height and sight-distance limits under county code.

  • Fence building permit (flat): $77.87
  • Total all-in fence building permit: $77.87

The cost driver here is not the permit fee but compliance: confirm the allowed fence height for your lot position with DPS and check any sight-triangle rules before ordering materials.

Example 3: Pool safety-barrier fence (no separate fence permit)

A homeowner is installing a new in-ground pool and needs the required safety-barrier fence. Because the DPS in-ground pool permit line includes the fence, the barrier is generally covered by the pool permit rather than a separate fence permit.

  • In-ground pool permit (fence included): $313.64
  • Separate fence permit for the barrier: $0.00 (bundled into pool permit)
  • No additional fence permit charge for the pool barrier.

If you later add or extend a non-pool fence elsewhere on the property, that would be its own $77.87 fence permit. See the Montgomery pool permit guide for the full pool barrier detail. Confirm with DPS.

Montgomery County Fence Permit Cost vs Other Verified Jurisdictions

Fence permitting varies widely - some jurisdictions charge a flat fee, while others exempt most standard residential fences entirely. Read the "permit required?" column alongside the fee.

Jurisdiction Fence Permit Fee Notes
Montgomery County, MD $77.87 flat When required. Height/exemption rules set by county code.
Baltimore County, MD $25.00 flat Residential fence permit (2018 schedule).
Washington, DC $36.30 $33 + 10% Enhanced Fee.
Fairfax County, VA $0 (most fences) Standard fences under 7 ft exempt; $110.16 floor when a permit is triggered.

The biggest driver of fence permit cost is often whether a permit is required at all, not the fee amount. Montgomery, Baltimore County, and DC charge a distinct flat fence permit fee; Fairfax County exempts most standard residential fences. Confirm your jurisdiction's permit trigger before assuming a cost. Montgomery and Baltimore County figures carry source-age caveats (FY2022 and 2018 respectively).

Side-by-Side Math

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

Frequently Asked Questions

A Montgomery County residential fence building permit costs a flat $77.87 when a permit is required. The fee does not change with the fence's length, height, or material. Maryland adds no statewide percentage levy. This figure comes from the DPS schedule carrying an FY2022 printed effective date; confirm current rates with DPS at 240-777-0311.
Montgomery County DPS lists a fence permit fee, which indicates fences are a permitted construction type. Whether your specific fence requires a permit - and any maximum height or setback - is set by county code separately from the fee schedule. PermitPrice does not publish a specific Montgomery fence-height threshold because that detail is not part of the verified fee data on this page. Confirm with DPS at 240-777-0311 before assuming an exemption.
Generally no. The DPS in-ground pool permit line reads "including fence," so the required safety-barrier fence for a new in-ground pool is bundled into the $313.64 pool permit rather than a separate $77.87 fence permit. A non-pool fence elsewhere on the property would be its own fence permit. See the Montgomery pool permit guide for detail, and confirm with DPS.
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 fence permit fee is the entire building permit charge - there is no percentage add-on.
No. The Montgomery fence permit is a single flat $77.87 regardless of fence length or material. Height matters for code compliance - a fence above the allowed height may not be permittable in that location - but it does not raise the permit fee itself. Confirm the allowed height for your lot with DPS.
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 fence fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on the figure for a budget.
No. The $77.87 Montgomery fence permit fee is the county building permit cost only. It does not include any fence contractor work or materials. A typical residential fence install in the suburban Maryland market runs several thousand dollars for the contractor scope depending on length and material. The permit fee is a small line item in your overall fence project budget.

Sources

Official Sources - Recorded June 2026
Next Step

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

Always verify current fence permit fees and requirements 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 the current fence permit fee, whether your fence requires a permit, and any height limits 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, permit requirements, and fence height limits can change without notice and are set by county code separately from the fee. The published DPS fee schedule carries an FY2022 printed effective date; confirm current rates and requirements before relying on any figure.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.