Montgomery County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) is the county permitting authority for county-controlled projects, while incorporated municipalities may administer their own local approvals. Confirm the parcel’s authority before applying, especially in cities and towns such as Rockville, Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Poolesville. Maryland’s state directory lists Montgomery County’s DPS as a local building-code contact.

Montgomery County building permits and plan review

DPS provides online application, payment, ePlans upload, permit-status, data-search, records, and complaint services. Review the county’s submittal requirements for the project type, zoning and land-development approvals, fire-code permits, and any site-plan or special-exception conditions before uploading plans. The county’s data search can locate applications by property address when the permit number is unknown.

Montgomery County inspections and use and occupancy

After permits are issued, mandatory building and trade inspections must be requested in the required sequence. DPS says approved plans should remain on site, and its online inspection system can search by address or permit number and display review and inspection status. A commercial Use and Occupancy Certificate requires zoning approval plus applicable fire, building, mechanical, and electrical approvals; DPS states that the certificate is required before a business uses the space.

Zoning and code compliance

DPS’s zoning and code-compliance functions review zoning-related requirements and enforce certified site plans. The county explains that noncompliance can result in notices, corrective orders, citations, or stop-work orders and may hold additional permits, inspections, or final use-and-occupancy approvals. A county permit does not replace a municipal approval where the parcel is inside an incorporated municipality.

Official Montgomery County contact information

DPS lists its office at 2425 Reedie Drive, 7th Floor, Wheaton, Maryland 20902, with regular hours Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a main phone of (240) 777-0311. Use the official eServices and search links above for current applications, permit searches, inspection scheduling, and certificate requirements.