Montgomery County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)
Residential building permit fees from the official Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) fee schedule. New construction, additions, and alterations are priced per square foot; decks, pools, fences, and solar are flat fees. Maryland has no statewide percentage levy.
This page covers: Montgomery County residential building permit fees as published in the official DPS fee schedule (AllFees.pdf). This includes the per-square-foot rates for new one- and two-family construction, additions, and alterations, plus the flat fees for decks, swimming pools, retaining walls, accessory buildings, solar panels, demolition, and fences.
This page does NOT cover: Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing), which carry separate DPS fee schedules; fire alarm and protection permits; sediment control, right-of-way, well and septic permits; and development impact taxes and school facility payments, which are set separately and can add substantially to a new-home project.
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 per-square-foot rates with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on any figure for a load-bearing budget.
Montgomery County, MD charges a flat $194.67 for a deck of 500 square feet or less and $313.64 for a private in-ground swimming pool (the pool fee includes the required barrier fence). A fence permit is $77.87 and a residential solar panel permit is $227.12. New houses, additions, and alterations are priced per square foot - new detached construction runs $0.767865 per square foot for the first 5,000 square feet, with a separate filing fee. Unlike Virginia, Maryland adds no statewide percentage levy to the permit fee.
- Decks 500 sq ft or smaller are a flat $194.67. Larger decks are priced at $0.767865 per square foot.
- A private in-ground pool permit is $313.64 and includes the required barrier fence; an above-ground pool is $232.52.
- New one- and two-family detached houses are $0.767865 per sq ft for the first 5,000 sq ft, then $0.32445 per sq ft above 5,000 sq ft, plus a filing fee equal to 50% of the permit fee or $757.05, whichever is greater.
- Additions are $0.767865 per sq ft and alterations or repairs are $0.681345 per sq ft, each with a filing fee of 50% of the permit fee or $286.60 minimum.
- Maryland has no statewide percentage building-permit levy, so there is no 2% add-on like Virginia's USBC levy.
- The published DPS schedule carries a printed FY2022 effective date - confirm current rates with DPS before budgeting.
Montgomery County Residential Building Permit Fee Schedule
All fees below are the DPS building permit fee. Maryland adds no statewide levy. New construction, additions, and alterations also carry a separate filing fee - see the methodology section.
| Project Type | DPS Building Permit Fee | Basis / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deck (open, unenclosed) - 500 sq ft or less | $194.67 | Flat fee |
| Deck - more than 500 sq ft | $0.767865 / sq ft | Per square foot of deck area |
| Private in-ground swimming pool (includes fence) | $313.64 | Above-ground pool: $232.52 |
| Fence permit | $77.87 | Flat fee |
| Solar panels (rooftop) | $227.12 | Rooftop solar refer-back: $113.56 |
| Retaining wall | $194.67 | |
| Accessory building - 200 sq ft or less | $118.96 | Over 200 sq ft: $0.767865 / sq ft |
| Demolition permit | $156.82 | |
| New detached one- and two-family dwelling | $0.767865 / sq ft (first 5,000) | $0.32445 / sq ft above 5,000 sq ft; plus filing fee |
| New attached one- and two-family dwelling | $1,514.10 | MPDU unit: $1,081.50 |
| Addition | $0.767865 / sq ft | Plus filing fee (50% of permit or $286.60 min) |
| Alteration or repair | $0.681345 / sq ft | Plus filing fee (50% of permit or $286.60 min) |
Source: Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf). Printed effective period July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. Extracted and recorded June 1, 2026. Confirm current rates with DPS before filing.
How Montgomery County Calculates Building Permit Fees
| Step | What Happens | Montgomery County Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify project type | Match the project to the DPS fee schedule category. | Flat fee for decks, pools, fences, solar, demolition; per-square-foot for new construction, additions, and alterations. |
| 2. Apply the base fee | Use the flat fee or multiply the square footage by the per-sq-ft rate. | Examples: deck (≤500 sq ft) = $194.67; addition = sq ft × $0.767865; alteration = sq ft × $0.681345. |
| 3. Add the filing fee (construction projects) | New construction, additions, and alterations carry a filing fee in addition to the permit fee. | New detached: 50% of permit or $757.05, whichever is greater. Additions and alterations: 50% of permit or $286.60, whichever is greater. |
| 4. No state percentage levy | Maryland does not impose a statewide building-permit levy. | There is no 2% add-on. The fee is the DPS fee plus any filing fee only. |
| 5. Add optional and separate items | Expedited review and trade permits are separate. | Optional Expedited Plan Review Fee = 25% of total permit fee. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are billed on separate DPS schedules. |
Worked Examples
Example 1: Deck Permit, 400 sq ft (flat fee applies)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DPS Building Permit - Deck (≤500 sq ft) | Flat fee | $194.67 |
| State Levy | Maryland has none | $0.00 |
| Estimated Total | Flat deck fee | $194.67 |
Note: Any open deck 500 sq ft or smaller is the flat $194.67 regardless of construction value. A deck larger than 500 sq ft is priced at $0.767865 per square foot instead - a 600 sq ft deck would be 600 × $0.767865 = $460.72. Trade permits (e.g., electrical for a hot tub or lighting) are separate. Source: DPS AllFees.pdf, printed effective FY2022.
Example 2: Room Addition, 400 sq ft
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DPS Building Permit - Addition | 400 sq ft × $0.767865 | $307.15 |
| Filing Fee | Greater of 50% ($153.57) or $286.60 | $286.60 |
| Estimated Total | $307.15 + $286.60 | $593.75 |
Note: The filing fee floor of $286.60 governs here because 50% of the $307.15 permit fee ($153.57) is lower. Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) are billed separately on their own DPS schedules. Source: DPS AllFees.pdf, printed effective FY2022.
Example 3: New Detached House, 2,400 sq ft
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DPS Building Permit (first 5,000 sq ft tier) | 2,400 sq ft × $0.767865 | $1,842.88 |
| Filing Fee | Greater of 50% ($921.44) or $757.05 | $921.44 |
| Estimated Building Permit Total | $1,842.88 + $921.44 | $2,764.32 |
Note: This is the building permit fee only. A new house also requires separate trade permits and, critically, development impact taxes and school facility payments that are set separately by Montgomery County and can add several thousand dollars - they are not part of the DPS building permit fee shown here. Above 5,000 sq ft, the rate drops to $0.32445 per sq ft for the area over 5,000. Source: DPS AllFees.pdf, printed effective FY2022.
Practitioner Insight
Montgomery County's structure rewards small, well-defined projects and penalizes nothing by construction value - the deck fee is the same whether your deck costs $6,000 or $40,000. Where Montgomery County differs sharply from neighboring Virginia is the absence of any statewide percentage levy. Virginia adds a mandatory 2% USBC levy to every permit; Maryland does not, so the DPS fee (plus any filing fee) is the whole building-permit number.
The figure that surprises new-home buyers is not the permit fee at all - it is the development impact tax and school facility payment, which Montgomery County sets separately and which dwarf the building permit on a new house. Treat the per-square-foot permit fee as the floor of your government cost, not the ceiling. When in doubt about which fee category your project falls in, call DPS at 240-777-0311 before filing.
Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
Department of Permitting Services (DPS)
Montgomery County Government
240-777-0311
MC311 / DPS main line
montgomerycountymd.gov/dps
Fees, forms, and inspections
DPS ePermits / Eplans
Apply and pay at permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov
When This Estimate May Not Apply
Fee schedule age
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. These figures are recorded from the official published PDF, but confirm current per-square-foot rates with DPS at 240-777-0311 before relying on any number for a budget.
Development impact taxes and school facility payments
New residential construction in Montgomery County triggers development impact taxes and school facility payments that are set separately and are not part of the DPS building permit fee. For a new house these can add several thousand dollars and depend on location and unit size. They are excluded from every figure on this page.
Trade permits are separate
Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits each carry their own DPS fee schedules and are not included in the building permit fees shown here. A project with significant trade work will cost more than the building permit alone.
Commercial or multi-family construction
This page covers one- and two-family residential construction only. Montgomery County uses separate fee schedules for commercial and multi-family buildings. Do not apply these residential rates to commercial or multi-unit projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
-
Montgomery County DPS - Residential Construction Fee Schedule (AllFees.pdf) Printed effective period July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 (FY2022) - Montgomery County, MD - Primary source for all building permit fees on this page - Extracted and recorded June 1, 2026 FY2022 - verify current
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Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Current - Department home page - Contact information, fees, forms, and the ePermits application portal
Compare Montgomery County against Prince George's County, or check how the DMV's Virginia and DC jurisdictions price the same project.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Montgomery County permit cost, two related numbers complete your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted deck or addition increases your assessed value in Montgomery County. See how Maryland jurisdictions calculate the ongoing property tax impact at CountyTaxTools.com.
Development impact taxes and school facility payments
For new construction, Montgomery County's development impact taxes and school facility payments can exceed the building permit fee many times over. Research them at ZoneFee.com.