Do I need a building permit?

A building permit is required for any property owner or their authorized agent who erect, construct, enlarge, alter, move, improve, remove, connect, demolish or raze any building or structure, change an exit or alter/install any equipment regulated by the Prince George's County Building Code. However, there are exceptions that include:

• Buildings (such as sheds) not intended for occupation, on a single or two-family property, with less than 150 square feet of floor space. Only one outbuilding is allowed. Any additional outbuilding, regardless of size, will require a permit.
• Concrete or asphalt paving of less than 500 square feet in area, except driveways.
• Retaining walls no greater than two feet in height.
• Fences no greater than four feet in height.
• Ordinary repairs (replacement in kind) of siding, roofing, shingles, downspouts, patios, awnings, private sidewalks, slabs, handrails, cabinets, windows, window screens, residential appliances, gas stoves, storm doors and windows, and re-circulating range hoods. However, it should be noted that ordinary repairs to a driveway may require a permit from the Department of Public Works and Transportation.

Ordinary repairs, including the cutting away of any wall, partition or bearing support; removing changing or rearranging any part of a structure affecting the exits; any standpipe or any pipe for water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, oil, waste vent or similar usage, or electric wiring and/or mechanical work that could affect the general public's health and safety, will require a permit.

If located within a municipality or under a homeowner’s association, it is the property owner's or their agent's responsibility to contact the municipality or homeowner's association for their requirements. Every municipality and homeowner's association is different and may have separate requirements regarding property under their jurisdiction.

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What information do I need to bring with me to the Permits Office?

The following information must be provided at the time of application:

1. Property information to include the land/tax account number, building address, town or area, lot and block number, liber and folio from record plot plan or from the Land Records or Tax Assessor's offices, and subdivision name if the property is located within a subdivision;
2. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of the owner/occupant, applicant, architect/engineer and contractor. Complete information including zip code must be included with the address. Post Office boxes cannot be accepted. A contact person's name, address and phone number must be included. The Company/Corporation officer must also be included;
3. Intended use and prior use;
4. Estimated construction cost (for building and grading permits);
5. Details regarding the structure:
   
   • dimension of the structure, height, depth, and width, number of floors, floor area
   • utilities information
   • documentation from the public utility of public water and sewer authorization or Health Department private well and septic system approval
   • site area, disturbed area, and number of parking spaces
6. License information.
   • New home construction: Contractors must be licensed with the Maryland Attorney General, Home Builder Registration Unit of the Consumer Protection Group and the Prince George's County Business License Section, prior to the issuance of building permits. Allow four weeks for approval. Individuals building their own homes are required to be licensed by the Prince George's County Business License Section and State Home Builder Licenses are also required.
   • Home improvement: For work done by a contractor and not the homeowner, the contractor's Home Improvement License number, issued by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission, must be included on the application. A copy of the Home Improvement License must be provided.
     
   • Electrical permits: Issued only to applicants who are licensed master electricians, limited master electricians and selected classes of heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanics that are licensed through the Business License Section. However, a homeowner may obtain his/her own electrical permit by completing a Homeowner's Certification and Hold Harmless Agreement Form.
     
7. The Homeowner Improvement Authorization Letter authorizes an individual to apply for a permit on the Homeowners behalf. This letter does not authorize the individual applying for the permit to perform the scope of work. The Licensed Contractor or the Homeowner, named on the PERMIT as contractor, is permitted to perform the scope of work at the address specified.
   

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What are the office hours?

The County Permits Office is open, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To ensure everyone is served, all customers should arrive prior to 3:00 p.m. The office closes daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. The County Permits Office is closed on all major holidays and weekends.

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Can I get my permit the same day?

The hours of operation for the walk-through permit process are indicated below:

Building review walk-through hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fire, Electrical and Mechanical walk-through hours are Tuesday and Thursday only, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The walk-through permit process is available for the following types of permits:

1. Commercial Tenant Permits with the accompanying Use and Occupancy Permit, when required. May be limited to the size and type of construction.
2. Applications for Use and Occupancy Permits without construction.  This procedure does not apply to buildings erected prior to 1971, properties serviced by private well and septic, or buildings with changes to the proposed use of the original building.
3. Building Sign Permits.
4. Fire sprinkler site releases.

Properties located in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, Historic Sites, and applications determined by any reviewing agency to be inappropriate for the walk-thru process must go through the regular review process..

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What are the fees?

The minimum fee for any commercial permit is $75. Fees are assessed based on the type of permit and must be paid in full prior to the issuance of any permit. Cash, check and money order are currently accepted forms of payment.
Other fees:

• Commercial Buildings - During the plan screening process, filing fees are calculated using the following formula.

[Gross Building Area] X [Cost per Square Foot Based on the Use Group and Construction Type] X [County Fee Multiplier; 0.006]
Example:

Based on the October 2004 issue of the Building Safety Journal:  

1. Commercial Buildings: For a 20,000 square foot Commercial building; construction type IIB and use group B, the building permit fee will be calculated as follows:

20,000 s.f. X $113.70/s.f. X 0.006 = $13,644

• Residential Buildings – the same formula is used for residential buildings.

[Gross Building Area] X [Cost per Square Foot Based on the Use Group and Construction Type] X [County Fee Multiplier; 0.006]
Example:

Based on the October 2004 issue of the Building Safety Journal:  

1. Single Family Dwellings: For a 6,000 square foot, two-story single family dwelling with unfinished basement and 500 square foot garage, the building permit fee will be calculated as follows:

For Unfinished Basement: 2,000 s.f. X $15/s.f. X 0.006 = $180
First and Second Floors: 4,000 s.f. X $78.35/s.f. X 0.006 = $1,880
Garage: 500 s.f. X $31.46/s.f. X 0.006 = $94

      Note: the permit fee for finished basements is $225

S.F. = Square Foot
The Use Group and Construction Type are located by using the most current issue of the "International Code Council's Building Safety Journal"

• Single Family Units - Filing Fee ($800.00) including M-NCPPC ($5.00) and Grading ($25.00)
• Townhouse - Filing Fee of ($500.00) per unit including M-NCPPC ($5.00) and Grading ($25.00)
• Fees calculated during plan screening are only approximate. The Engineering Management Unit determines final fees at the time of review and approval of permit.

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How do I check the status of my permit?

To check the status of your permit, please visit our Online Permit Status page.

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When do I need a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) Request Form?

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Form is required when requesting a copy of a building permit and/or related approved building plans. An FOIA form is also required to view any permit document file. By law, permission is required from the Architect of Record before the County can release a copy of the requested building plans.

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