Maryland Building Permits
Building permits in Maryland are issued by cities and counties, not the state, so the rules depend on where your home is. These are the Maryland city we cover: Baltimore.
Maryland Permit Activity at a Glance
Across the city below, we counted 7,716 issued permits for the home projects we track between October 30, 2025 and October 30, 2026. The counts come straight from each city's open permit data and are refreshed monthly. The busiest category was HVAC work in Baltimore, with 3,941 permits.
Baltimore Building Permits
4 project guides · 7,716 permits in 12 months · Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
In Baltimore, residential permits are issued by the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD). Our counts use the city's Open Baltimore: DHCD Permits dataset. Short answers for each project we cover:
- Roof replacement: Often no. Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit for one- and two-family homes includes replacing roof shingles and replacing roof tarring. Structural roof work, such as replacing rafters or decking, is an alteration and needs a permit.
- AC or furnace replacement: Yes. Under Baltimore Building Code §2802, no HVACR work may start before a permit is issued, including like-for-like replacement. The permit can only be issued to a City-licensed HVACR contractor.
- New fence: Yes. Fences are not on Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit, so a fence needs a permit. Fencing gets a footing inspection when needed and a final inspection.
- New deck or porch: Yes. Decks are not on Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit, so building one needs a building permit. The City requires a footing inspection and a final inspection for decks.
| Project Guide | Permit Needed? | Permits in 12 Months | Median Days to Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Roofing Permits | Often no | 2,090 | Not in city data |
| Baltimore HVAC Permits | Yes | 3,941 | Not in city data |
| Baltimore Fence Permits | Yes | 912 | Not in city data |
| Baltimore Deck Permits | Yes | 773 | Not in city data |
Not yet covered for Baltimore: solar panel installation. We only publish a project guide when the city's open data identifies that work clearly enough to count at least 10 permits in 12 months and we have checked the rule against an official city source. Until then, ask the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) directly before starting one of these projects.
How to Use These Maryland Guides
Start with the city that issues permits for your address. If you live outside city limits, your county or township usually handles permits instead, and its rules can differ from the city pages here. Each project guide quotes the official rule, lists any fee the city publishes, and links to the source so you can confirm it before you start work. Permit counts show how often each kind of job is permitted locally, and median days to issue show how long a typical application took over the last 12 months. Rules and fees change, so treat the official source as final and call the permit office if your project is unusual.
Data last refreshed October 30, 2026.