Baltimore building department

Baltimore is an independent city, so Baltimore County’s permit office has no role inside city limits. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) issues building, trade, razing, use-and-occupancy and temporary-event permits at 417 East Fayette Street. Its Permits Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the walk-in One Stop Shop with an application kiosk is in Room 100, open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

E-Permits and ePlans

DHCD moved to a new E-Permits portal, which runs on Accela, and the change also affects older accounts. Anyone who had an account on the old system must create a new account so that permits and license registrations link correctly. Former ProjectDox (ePlans) users who want to see permits created before February 3, 2025 must register with the same email address and connect the old records through a PIN process. DHCD recommends Chrome or Edge. In the portal you can:

• search permits and licenses without logging in
• apply for a permit
• pay fees
• schedule inspections
• amend, extend or reinstate a permit
• print documents

Projects that need full plan review upload drawings to a separate ePlans site on Avolve. You can book a consultation with a plans reviewer before submitting. You track status in E-Permits.

Permit categories

• One and Two Family Combo Permit: covers construction, additions, alterations, trade work and underpinning on houses and duplexes.
• New construction and additions under 600 sq ft: you submit a site plan, floor plans, foundation and roof plans, elevations and cross-sections.
• New construction and additions over 600 sq ft: you submit the same set, and it also goes through plans review.
• Like-for-like replacements: swapping an element of the same size in the same location needs minimal documentation. Structural changes need floor plans and cross-sections.
• Underpinning: requires structural drawings, a statement of responsibility from the architect or engineer, and the contractor’s registered license.

Work that needs no permit

DHCD’s exemption sheet (rev. 09/24) lists the following for one- and two-family dwellings:

• one-story detached sheds, playhouses and similar structures up to 120 sq ft
• prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
• interior painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops
• replacing roof shingles or roof tarring
• minor drywall or plaster patching
• boarding openings with plywood
• swings and playground equipment

For sheds, pools and play equipment, check zoning approval with the Zoning Office at (410) 396-4126. Small portable or low-voltage electrical, gas and mechanical items are also exempt. Fences and decks are not on the list. DHCD’s general rule is that alterations need a permit and ordinary maintenance does not.

Fees

The Permits Office posts a downloadable fee estimator spreadsheet. Every application has these parts:

• a $25 application fee
• the permit fee under Building Code §109
• a plan review fee where review applies
• a 5% Building Code permit tax

Fees from other agencies, such as CHAP, Public Works and Transportation, are charged separately. DHCD’s worked example is a 1,400 sq ft rowhouse renovation with 8 plumbing fixtures, an electric water heater, 12 circuits and a 200-amp service. With plan review, that job costs about $737. Paying by check in E-Permits is free, while card payments carry a processing fee. Permits are emailed once paid.

Inspections

Book inspections in E-Permits by 2:30 p.m. the day before the date you want.

• Building work: inspectors check footing or foundation after excavation and rebar, check the slab before the pour, and check framing after sheathing and rough trades are approved.
• Razing: you need an on-site consultation before the permit is issued, and an inspector must be present when demolition starts.
• Trade permits: most electrical, mechanical, plumbing and HVACR permits need a rough-in inspection, and all need a final.
• Certificate of Occupancy: every permit needs a final inspection before a CO is issued. Restaurants, day cares, schools and similar uses also need Fire and Health Department inspections. In multifamily buildings, which the city defines as 3 or more units, the Fire Department inspects first when there are 4 or more units, and the building inspection must come last.

The permit, and the approved plans where plans were required, must stay on the job site. Call Miss Utility at 1-800-257-7777 at least 48 hours before you dig.

Office	Phone
Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections	(410) 396-3470
Plans Review	(410) 396-3460
Zoning	(410) 396-4126
Fire Department inspections	(410) 396-5752
CHAP (historic preservation)	(410) 396-7526

Historic districts and other referrals

The Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) oversees 38 local historic districts and more than 200 landmarks. CHAP must approve exterior changes in those areas and issue a Notice to Proceed before DHCD releases the permit. CHAP is on the 8th floor of 417 East Fayette Street.

Other agencies review some permits before issue:

• Department of Planning: design review for new construction, rowhouses, additions and large commercial projects (within 15 days of a complete application), and forest conservation review for disturbance of 5,000 sq ft or more.
• Floodplain managers: review properties in mapped flood-risk areas.
• Department of Transportation: issues minor privilege permits for anything that projects into the public right-of-way, such as signs, outdoor seating, vaults and bay windows.

Codes and contractors

The 2024 Building, Fire, and Related Codes of Baltimore City (Ordinance 24-341) took effect May 22, 2024. They apply to applications filed on or after that date and adopt these model codes:

• Maryland Building Performance Standards (March 2023)
• 2021 IBC and IRC
• 2021 IPC, IMC and IFGC
• 2021 IECC
• 2021 IFC
• 2021 IPMC
• 2021 IgCC
• 2021 ISPSC
• 2020 NEC

City green-building standards apply to commercial permits, ePlans permits and multifamily buildings over three stories with more than five units. One- and two-family homes are exempt.

DHCD requires these contractor licenses:

• Construction on one- and two-family dwellings, including underpinning: a Maryland Home Improvement (MHIC) license. MHIC can be reached at (410) 230-6231.
• Razing: a contractor licensed by Baltimore City.
• Electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work: licensed tradespeople.

To report work done without a permit, call 311 and choose “Construction Without Building Permit.”