Howard County vs Baltimore County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)
Howard County and Baltimore County are neighbors with very different fee mechanics. Howard meters square footage - $0.25 per square foot for additions, plus a $50 filing fee and a 10% technology fee. Baltimore County charges flat fees by size band - an addition is $105 under 600 square feet ($160 with structural changes) and $160 at 600 square feet and over, plus a separately listed $75 application fee and no technology fee. On larger additions Baltimore County is cheaper either way; on smaller ones the lower county depends on whether Baltimore County credits its $75 application fee toward the permit. Baltimore County's schedule took effect July 1, 2026.
For a 400 square foot addition, Howard County charges about $160 ($100 permit at $0.25/sq ft + $10 technology fee + $50 filing) while Baltimore County charges $105 to $180 ($105 flat fee under 600 sq ft, or $180 if its $75 application fee is not credited toward the permit), so the lower county depends on that credit: Howard is $20 lower if the $75 is additional, Baltimore County $55 lower if it is credited. For an 800 square foot addition, Howard is about $270 and Baltimore County $160 to $235 ($160, plus $75 if not credited), so Baltimore County is $35 to $110 lower either way. Baltimore County's flat bands win on larger additions; on small ones the answer turns on the $75 fee. New-home fees are not directly comparable because Baltimore County's residential per-square-foot rate is not published.
- Howard prices additions per square foot ($0.25/sq ft + $50 filing + 10% technology fee); Baltimore County charges flat by size band ($105 under 600 sq ft, $160 at 600 sq ft and over or with structural changes) plus a $75 application fee.
- A 400 sq ft addition: about $160 in Howard vs $105 to $180 in Baltimore County ($160 to $235 there with structural changes) - which is lower depends on whether Baltimore credits its $75 application fee.
- An 800 sq ft addition: about $270 in Howard vs $160 to $235 in Baltimore County, so Baltimore is $35 to $110 lower.
- Baltimore County's flat-by-size-band fees are cheaper for larger additions (about 673 sq ft and over, whether or not the $75 is credited) because they do not scale with each square foot and carry no technology fee.
- New construction is not directly comparable: Howard charges $0.25/sq ft (about $810 for a 2,400 sq ft house), while Baltimore County lists a Category D minimum of $280 with no residential per-square-foot rate published.
- Neither county adds a statewide Maryland levy. Howard's schedule is current (July 1, 2026), and so is Baltimore County's (July 1, 2026). Baltimore County's $75 application fee is shown both ways because its schedule does not say whether it is credited.
Howard vs Baltimore County: Fee Structure Side by Side
| Fee Element | Howard County (DILP) | Baltimore County (PAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Addition | $0.25 / sq ft + $50 filing | $105 (<600 sq ft) / $160 (600+ or structural) |
| Deck | Priced per sq ft (no separate deck line) | $105 (<600 sq ft) / $150 (600+) |
| New 1-2 family dwelling | $0.25 / sq ft (+ $100 filing) | Category D, $280 minimum + $50 guaranty fund (per-sq-ft rate unpublished) |
| Residential solar | Electrical trade permit (separate) | Flat $100 |
| Fence | Confirm with DILP | Flat $35 (residential) |
| Technology fee | 10% of permit fee | None |
| State levy | None (Maryland) | None (Maryland) |
| Fee schedule effective | July 1, 2026 (FY2027) | July 1, 2026 |
Baltimore County's flat-by-size-band model means a 200 sq ft and a 590 sq ft addition pay the same $105 (without structural changes); Howard's per-square-foot model charges more as the addition grows. Baltimore County also lists a $75 residential application fee on all permits. Baltimore County's schedule lists a separate $75 residential permit application fee and does not say whether it is credited toward the permit fee, so PermitPrice shows Baltimore totals with and without it and will update them once the county confirms.
Shared-Assumption Worked Examples
Each example assumes the same addition size for both counties. Trade permits are excluded on both sides.
Example 1: Room Addition - 400 sq ft
| Fee Component | Howard County | Baltimore County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 400 × $0.25 = $100.00 | Flat $105.00 (<600 sq ft) |
| Filing / application fee | $50.00 | $0.00-$75.00 (may be credited) |
| Technology fee (10%) | $10.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $160.00 | $105.00-$180.00 |
Note: No winner can be stated for this example yet. Howard's $160 is $20 below Baltimore County's $180 if the $75 application fee is additional, but $55 above Baltimore County's $105 if the fee is credited toward the permit. With structural changes, Baltimore County's under-600 sq ft fee is $160 ($160 to $235 total): a tie with Howard if credited, $75 more if not.
Example 2: Larger Addition - 800 sq ft
| Fee Component | Howard County | Baltimore County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 800 × $0.25 = $200.00 | Flat $160.00 (600 sq ft and over) |
| Filing / application fee | $50.00 | $0.00-$75.00 (may be credited) |
| Technology fee (10%) | $20.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $270.00 | $160.00-$235.00 |
Note: Baltimore County's $160 to $235 ($160 flat fee for 600 sq ft and over, plus $75 if the application fee is not credited) is $35 to $110 under Howard's per-square-foot total, and the gap widens as the addition grows.
A new 2,400 sq ft house is about $810 in Howard County ($600 permit at $0.25/sq ft + $60 technology fee + $100 filing + $50 guaranty). Baltimore County lists residential new construction under Fee Category D with a $280 stated minimum (plus a $50 MD Home Builders Guaranty Fund and the $75 application fee), but no per-square-foot residential rate is published on the fee schedule, so a true head-to-head total cannot be computed. We do not publish a single Baltimore County new-home figure here. Both counties also assess large separate impact and school charges on new homes, excluded throughout.
Which County Is Cheaper for Your Project?
| Scenario | Lower Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Addition under 600 sq ft | Howard under 200 sq ft; Baltimore from about 473 to 599 sq ft; depends on the $75 credit in between ($160 vs $105-$180 at 400 sq ft) | If the $75 is additional, Howard stays below Baltimore's $180 until about 473 sq ft; if it is credited, Baltimore's $105 is lower from 200 sq ft up (a tie at 200). With structural changes Baltimore is $160-$235 |
| Addition 600 sq ft and over | Baltimore from about 673 sq ft either way ($160-$235 vs $270 at 800 sq ft) | Baltimore's $160 (plus $75 if not credited) stays fixed; Howard keeps charging per sq ft. From 600 to about 672 sq ft Howard is lower only if the $75 is additional |
| New 1-2 family dwelling | Not directly comparable | Baltimore's residential per-sq-ft rate is unpublished |
| Confidence / currency | Both current | Howard FY2027 and Baltimore County both took effect July 1, 2026 |
| Solar / fence | Baltimore lists flat fees ($100 / $35 building permit, plus a $75 application fee that may be credited) | Howard routes solar through a separate electrical permit |
On additions, Howard is lower under 200 sq ft and Baltimore County is lower from about 473 to 599 sq ft and from about 673 sq ft up, whether or not its $75 application fee is credited; at other sizes the winner depends on that credit, because Baltimore's flat fees ignore square footage while the $75 fee, if additional, raises the floor. Both schedules took effect July 1, 2026.
Practitioner Insight
For additions, the winner depends on size. Baltimore County's July 1, 2026 schedule charges $105 under 600 square feet ($160 with structural changes) and $160 at 600 and over, plus a separately listed $75 application fee. Howard's $0.25 per square foot plus a $50 filing fee and a 10% technology fee comes to about $160 on a 400 sq ft addition against Baltimore County's $105 to $180, so the small-addition winner depends on whether Baltimore credits its $75 application fee (Howard is $20 lower if not, Baltimore County $55 lower if so), while Baltimore County wins on larger ones under either assumption (about $270 vs $160 to $235 at 800 sq ft) and the gap grows from there. Two cautions apply. First, Baltimore County's schedule does not say whether the $75 application fee is credited toward the permit; PermitPrice will update these figures once the county confirms, and you can ask the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections at 410-887-3900. Second, new construction is genuinely not comparable: Howard's $0.25/sq ft yields a clean number, but Baltimore County only publishes a Category D $280 minimum without a residential per-square-foot rate, so we do not put a Baltimore new-home total head-to-head. Howard County's schedule (410-313-2455) is current as of July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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Howard County DILP - FY27 Building Permit Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026 - Howard County, MD
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Baltimore County PAI - Building Permit Fee Schedule (PAI BPP 15 Attachment A, Rev 6/30/26) Effective July 1, 2026 - Baltimore County, MD - re-verified November 4, 2026
See each county's full fee page, or compare more Maryland jurisdictions.