Charles County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)
Residential building permit fees from the official Charles County Planning and Growth Management FY26 fee schedule. Charles County does not publish a single all-in flat or value-based permit fee - it builds each permit up from itemized parts: an application fee, a per-square-foot plan review, engineering/zoning/environmental reviews, and inspection fees that vary by project. Every component figure below is verified; any all-in number is a transparent build-up, labeled as such.
This page covers: Charles County residential building permit fee components from the official Planning and Growth Management FY26 Fees and Charges schedule (effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026) - the application fees, residential plan review rate, engineering/zoning/environmental review fees, the Home Builders Guaranty Fund fee, and the new-dwelling inspection fee that drives new-construction cost.
This page does NOT cover: Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical trade permits (each a separate $27 application plus trade inspection fees, with a $7 electrical admin fee); water and sewer connection charges; school, impact, and excise fees; and stormwater / sediment-and-erosion-control inspection fees.
Important note on the fee model: Charles County uses an additive, itemized model, not a single flat or value-based fee. The schedule verifies every component dollar amount, but it does not fully enumerate which inspection line items apply to every smaller project type (for example, a deck versus a finished basement). Any all-in total on this page is presented as a transparent build-up of the applicable components, not as a single verified flat fee.
Charles County, MD builds each permit fee from itemized parts: a $115 application fee for new construction, additions, and alterations ($58 for other permits), a plan review of $0.19 per square foot (minimum $139), engineering/zoning/environmental reviews, and inspection fees. A new 2,400 sq ft home runs about $3,575 on the building-permit side, driven by a $2,833 minimum new-dwelling inspection fee. A 5% Development Technology Fee may also apply - its base is ambiguous on the schedule, so confirm with the county before assuming it stacks. Maryland adds no statewide percentage levy.
- Charles County does not publish a single flat permit fee - a permit is summed from an application fee, a plan review, engineering/zoning/environmental reviews, and inspection fees.
- The application fee is $115 for new construction, additions, and alterations, and $58 for all other building, zoning, and critical-area permits.
- Residential plan review is $0.19 per square foot with a $139 minimum; a residential pool or spa plan review is a flat $139.
- New-construction cost is driven by the new-dwelling inspection fee: $0.75 per square foot with a $2,833 minimum, so most new homes pay the minimum.
- A 5% Development Technology Fee is listed county-wide, but the schedule does not state whether it applies to building and inspection fees - confirm the base with the county before adding it.
- Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy; a $50 Home Builders Guaranty Fund fee applies to new homes. The FY26 schedule is current (effective July 1, 2025).
Charles County Residential Building Permit Fee Components
Charles County builds a permit fee additively. The verified components below are summed for a given project; not every component applies to every project. Maryland adds no statewide levy. All amounts are from the official PGM FY26 Fees and Charges schedule.
| Fee Component | Amount | Basis / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee - new construction, addition, alteration | $115.00 | PGM149; per permit |
| Application fee - all other building / zoning / critical-area permits | $58.00 | PGM150; e.g. pools, sheds, fences, demolition |
| Residential building permit plan review | $0.19 / sq ft | PGM157; $139 minimum |
| Residential pool / spa plan review | $139.00 | PGM158; flat |
| Roof-mount solar plan review | $0.19 / sq ft | PGM163; $139 minimum (ground-mount $222 min) |
| Engineering review - Tier 1 (misc, demo, pool/spa, solar) | $46.00 | PGM166 |
| Engineering review - Tier 2 (new construction, additions, alterations, accessory) | $75.00 | PGM166 |
| Environmental plan review | $23.00 | PGM167; where applicable |
| Zoning plan review | $23.00 | PGM168; where applicable |
| New-dwelling inspection - SFD / townhouse / multi-family | $0.75 / sq ft | PGM185; $2,833 minimum (modular/manufactured $0.50/sq ft, $2,513 min) |
| Home Builders Guaranty Fund fee (new homes) | $50.00 | PGM154 |
| Trade permit application (electrical / plumbing / mechanical) | $27.00 each | PGM151; +$7 electrical admin (PGM152); separate trade inspections |
| Development Technology Fee | 5% (base uncertain) | PGM5; schedule does not state whether it applies to building/inspection fees |
Source: Charles County Planning and Growth Management FY26 Fees and Charges (Adopted), effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Extracted June 8, 2026. PGM codes are the schedule's own line-item references. Confirm current rates and which components apply with PGM before filing.
How Charles County Calculates Building Permit Fees
| Step | What Happens | Charles County Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application fee | Every permit starts with a flat application fee. | $115 for new construction, additions, and alterations; $58 for all other building, zoning, and critical-area permits. |
| 2. Plan review | A plan review fee is added based on the project. | Residential building $0.19/sq ft ($139 minimum); pool/spa flat $139; roof solar $0.19/sq ft ($139 min). |
| 3. Engineering / zoning / environmental review | Applicable review fees are added. | Tier 1 engineering $46 (misc/demo/pool/solar) or Tier 2 $75 (new/addition/alteration); environmental $23 and zoning $23 where applicable. |
| 4. Inspection fees | Inspection fees are added per applicable inspection and vary by project type. | New dwellings use $0.75/sq ft with a $2,833 minimum; smaller projects sum individual inspection line items the schedule does not fully enumerate per type. |
| 5. Guaranty fund + technology fee | New homes add the guaranty fund; a technology fee may apply. | $50 Home Builders Guaranty Fund on new homes; a 5% Development Technology Fee is listed county-wide with an ambiguous base - confirm before adding. |
| 6. No state percentage levy | Maryland imposes no statewide building-permit levy. | There is no 2% USBC-style add-on; the total is the sum of the applicable components above. |
Worked Examples
Example 1: Application fee for an addition or alteration
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee - new construction / addition / alteration (PGM149) | Flat | $115.00 |
Note: The $115 application fee is only the entry fee. A real addition or alteration also adds plan review ($0.19/sq ft, $139 minimum), Tier 2 engineering ($75), and applicable inspection fees. Other permit types (pools, sheds, fences, demolition) use the $58 application fee. Source: PGM FY26 schedule, PGM149/PGM150.
Example 2: Residential plan review, 1,000 sq ft project
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Residential building plan review (PGM157) | 1,000 sq ft × $0.19 | $190.00 |
Note: Plan review is $0.19 per square foot with a $139 minimum, so any project under about 732 sq ft pays the $139 floor. This is the plan-review component only - the application fee, engineering/zoning/environmental reviews, and inspection fees are added on top. Source: PGM FY26 schedule, PGM157.
Example 3: Residential pool or spa (build-up)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (other permit, PGM150) | Flat | $58.00 |
| Pool / spa plan review (PGM158) | Flat | $139.00 |
| Tier 1 engineering review (PGM166) | Flat | $46.00 |
| Build-up subtotal (before inspection) | $58 + $139 + $46 | $243.00 |
| Pool inspection fee(s) | Per applicable inspection | Added - verify |
Note: The $243 subtotal is the verified application + plan review + engineering build-up. Pool inspection line items are added on top and the schedule does not enumerate exactly which apply, so treat $243 as a floor and confirm the inspection total with PGM. Pool electrical is a separate $27 trade permit (+$7 admin). Source: PGM FY26 schedule, PGM150/PGM158/PGM166.
Example 4: New detached house, 2,400 sq ft (build-up)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (PGM149) | Flat | $115.00 |
| Plan review (PGM157) | 2,400 sq ft × $0.19 | $456.00 |
| New-dwelling inspection (PGM185) | $0.75 × 2,400 = $1,800; $2,833 min applies | $2,833.00 |
| Tier 2 engineering review (PGM166) | Flat | $75.00 |
| Environmental + zoning review (PGM167/168) | $23 + $23 | $46.00 |
| Home Builders Guaranty Fund (PGM154) | Flat | $50.00 |
| Estimated Building Permit Total | $115 + $456 + $2,833 + $75 + $46 + $50 | $3,575.00 |
| 5% Development Technology Fee (base uncertain) | PGM5 | Verify before adding |
Note: The $3,575 build-up is the sum of the verified building-permit components, before any 5% Development Technology Fee (whose base the schedule leaves ambiguous) and before separate trade permits, water/sewer, school, impact, and excise fees. The single largest driver is the $2,833 new-dwelling inspection minimum, which most homes pay because $0.75/sq ft only exceeds it above about 3,777 sq ft. Source: PGM FY26 schedule, PGM149/157/185/166/167/168/154.
Practitioner Insight
Charles County is one of the few Maryland counties that does not give you a single permit number to look up - you assemble it from line items. For small jobs that means the cost is dominated by the application fee and the $139 plan-review floor; the per-square-foot math barely moves the needle until you get to a full house.
On new construction the story flips entirely: the $2,833 minimum new-dwelling inspection fee is the headline, and almost every house pays it because $0.75 per square foot does not exceed $2,833 until roughly 3,777 sq ft. Before you budget, ask Planning and Growth Management two specific questions - which inspection line items apply to your project, and whether the 5% Development Technology Fee is charged on building and inspection fees - because the published schedule does not settle either one. Call PGM at 301-645-0692.
Charles County Planning and Growth Management
Planning and Growth Management (PGM)
Charles County Government
301-645-0692
PGM main line
PGMadmin@charlescountymd.gov
Permits and fee questions
PGM FY26 Fees and Charges
Effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026
When This Estimate May Not Apply
Inspection line items vary by project
The schedule does not fully enumerate which inspection fees apply to every smaller project type, so all-in totals for projects other than new dwellings are presented as build-ups with the inspection portion flagged for confirmation.
5% Development Technology Fee base is ambiguous
The schedule lists a 5% Development Technology Fee (PGM5) but does not state whether it applies to building and inspection fees or only to development-review fees. No 5% is added to the totals on this page; confirm the base with PGM.
Trade and connection fees are separate
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits are $27 each plus trade inspections (electrical adds a $7 admin fee). Water and sewer connection charges, school, impact, and excise fees, and stormwater inspection fees are not part of the building permit.
FY27 schedule already adopted
A FY27 schedule effective July 1, 2026 is adopted and posted. These figures are the FY26 schedule in effect through June 30, 2026; confirm which schedule applies to your application date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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Charles County PGM FY26 Fees and Charges (Adopted) Effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 - Charles County, MD - Primary source for all building permit fee components on this page - Extracted June 8, 2026.
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Charles County PGM - Fees and Charges Current - Official index page hosting the adopted PGM and water/sewer fee schedules.
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Charles County Planning and Growth Management Current - Department home page - permits, contact, applications.
See how Charles County's itemized model compares to Carroll County's flat fees, or browse the rest of the Maryland jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Charles County permit cost, two related numbers complete your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or new home increases your assessed value in Charles County. See how Maryland jurisdictions calculate the ongoing property tax impact at CountyTaxTools.com.
Development impact and county surcharges
Charles County's school, impact, and excise fees on new construction are separate from the building permit. Research development impact charges at ZoneFee.com.