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Montgomery County Pool Permit Cost (2026)

Residential swimming pool building permit fees in Montgomery County, Maryland, pulled directly from the official Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Residential Construction Fee Schedule. A private in-ground pool permit is a flat $313.64 - and per the DPS schedule line, that fee includes the fence. An above-ground pool is a flat $232.52. 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.

In-Ground Pool (fence included)
$313.64 flat
Above-Ground Pool
$232.52 flat
State / Local Percentage Levy
None (Maryland has no statewide levy)
Pool Equipment Electrical
Separate DPS trade permit
Plan Review
Bundled (optional expedited +25%)
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 swimming pool building permit fees as published in the DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf): the flat $313.64 in-ground pool permit (which includes the fence per the schedule line) and the flat $232.52 above-ground pool permit. It also covers the bundled plan review and the optional 25% expedited plan review fee.

This guide does NOT cover: Trade permits - the electrical permit for the pool pump, heater, or lighting is filed separately on its own DPS schedule and is not priced here. Plumbing/gas permits for a pool heater. Zoning, setback, and sediment-control approvals. HOA architectural approvals. Pool contractor construction costs. Any health-department bathing-facility requirements that apply to non-private pools.

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.

Note on the included fence: The DPS schedule line for a private in-ground pool reads "including fence," meaning the required safety-barrier fence is covered by the single $313.64 permit fee rather than billed as a separate fence permit. Confirm the specific barrier code requirements for your installation with DPS.

Key Takeaways
  • Montgomery County charges a flat $313.64 for a private in-ground pool building permit, and the DPS schedule line specifies that this fee includes the fence. The construction value of the pool does not change the permit fee.
  • An above-ground pool is cheaper at a flat $232.52. The roughly $81 difference reflects the in-ground pool's larger structural and barrier scope.
  • Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, so there is no 2% add-on like Virginia's USBC levy. The DPS pool fee is the entire building permit charge.
  • The pool equipment electrical permit - for the pump, heater, or lighting - is a separate electrical trade permit filed on its own DPS schedule. That fee is not included in the $313.64 figure and is not priced on this page; contact DPS for the current electrical permit rate.
  • Because the in-ground fee already bundles the fence, Montgomery's pool permit can be simpler to budget than jurisdictions that bill the pool and the barrier separately. Compare against Fairfax County's $413.10 in-ground pool permit across the Potomac.
  • 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 pool fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before filing.
Open the Permit Fee Calculator All Montgomery County Permit Fees

Montgomery County Pool Permit Fee Structure

Montgomery County uses flat building permit fees for residential pools - one for in-ground, one for above-ground. There is no percentage levy and no separate plan review line; standard plan review is bundled into the permit fee.

Pool Type Building Permit Fee Notes
In-ground (private) $313.64 Flat fee. Per the DPS schedule line, includes the fence (safety barrier).
Above-ground $232.52 Flat fee. Confirm barrier requirements for your installation with DPS.
Pool equipment electrical Separate Electrical trade permit for pump, heater, or lighting - filed on its own DPS schedule, not priced here.
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), swimming pool lines. Printed effective period July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 (FY2022). Trade permits (electrical, gas/plumbing for heaters) are billed separately on their own DPS schedules. Confirm current rates with DPS before filing.

Worked Examples - Real Pool Projects in Montgomery County

Each example uses the same DPS pool fee structure. Because Montgomery prices pools as flat fees, the construction value of the pool does not change the building permit cost - only the pool type matters.

Example 1: $60,000 in-ground gunite pool with required barrier

A homeowner installs a $60,000 in-ground gunite pool with the required safety-barrier fence. Because the DPS in-ground pool line includes the fence, the barrier is covered by the single building permit fee.

  • In-ground pool building permit (fence included): $313.64
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Building permit subtotal: $313.64

The pool's $60,000 construction value is irrelevant to the building permit fee - a $40,000 pool and an $80,000 pool of the same type both pay $313.64. The pool pump and heater electrical work is a separate trade permit (see Example 3).

Example 2: Above-ground pool

A homeowner installs an above-ground pool. The flat above-ground building permit fee applies.

  • Above-ground pool building permit: $232.52
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Building permit subtotal: $232.52

An above-ground pool still typically requires a safety barrier. Confirm whether a separate fence permit or barrier inspection applies to your above-ground installation with DPS.

Example 3: In-ground pool with pump, heater, and lighting

A homeowner installs an in-ground pool with an electric heat pump, a circulation pump, and underwater lighting. The pool building permit covers the structure and barrier; the electrical work is a separate trade permit.

Pool building permit:

  • In-ground pool permit (fence included): $313.64
  • Maryland percentage levy: $0.00 (none)
  • Building permit subtotal: $313.64

Electrical trade permit (pump, heater, lighting):

  • 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 Pool Permit Cost vs Other Verified Jurisdictions

Montgomery's $313.64 in-ground pool permit (fence included) is mid-pack among the verified cluster. The comparison below mixes fee bases - flat and value-based - so read the basis column, not just the dollar figure.

Jurisdiction In-Ground Pool Basis Typical Pool Permit
Montgomery County, MD $313.64 flat (fence included) $313.64
Fairfax County, VA $270 + 50% PR + 2% levy $413.10
Washington, DC $260 + 10% Enhanced (≤15K gal) $286.00
Henrico County, VA value-based ($30k pool) $255.00
Chesterfield County, VA flat fee $108.14

Montgomery, Fairfax, and Chesterfield price in-ground pools by a flat or near-flat structure; Henrico is value-based (a $30,000 pool is shown); DC uses a flat pool category plus its 10% Enhanced Fee. Montgomery's figure uniquely bundles the safety-barrier fence. Pool equipment electrical permits are excluded everywhere. 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 private in-ground swimming pool building permit costs a flat $313.64, and per the DPS schedule that fee includes the fence. An above-ground pool is a flat $232.52. The construction value of the pool does not change the fee. 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.
Per the DPS Residential Construction Fee Schedule, the private in-ground swimming pool line reads "including fence." That means the required safety-barrier fence is covered by the single $313.64 permit fee rather than billed as a separate fence permit. The specific barrier code requirements - height, gate self-latching, and so on - are set by county code; confirm the requirements for your installation with DPS.
No. The electrical work for the pool pump, heater, and lighting is filed as a separate electrical trade permit on its own DPS schedule. A gas or plumbing permit may also apply to a pool heater. Those trade-permit fees are not included in the $313.64 building permit figure and are not priced on this page. Contact DPS at 240-777-0311 for the current trade-permit fees for your scope.
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 pool permit fee is the entire building permit charge - there is no percentage add-on.
Montgomery County sets a flat $232.52 fee for above-ground pools versus $313.64 for in-ground pools. The roughly $81 difference reflects the in-ground pool's larger structural review and barrier scope; the in-ground line also explicitly bundles the fence. The pool's construction value does not affect either fee.
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 pool fee with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on the figure for a budget.
No. The $313.64 Montgomery in-ground pool permit fee is the county building permit cost only. It does not include any pool contractor work. An in-ground gunite pool in the suburban Maryland market commonly runs $50,000-$90,000 for the contractor scope, plus separate electrical and any heater trade permits. The permit fee is a small line item in your overall pool project budget.

Sources

Official Sources - Recorded June 2026
Next Step

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

Always verify current pool 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 pool, barrier, 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.