Permits and licensing · Maryland
Renovation permits and contractor licences in Maryland
Maryland is one of the few states where the licence that matters most to a homeowner is aimed squarely at them: only a contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission may sign a home improvement contract with you. Electricians, plumbers and gas fitters, and HVACR contractors are licensed by three further state boards. Building permits come from your city or county, which enforces the Maryland Building Performance Standards.
Regulators and licensing bodies in Maryland
These official bodies license contractors, oversee safety or issue permits in Maryland.
Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC)
Licenses and regulates home improvement contractors and salespersons, and investigates complaints by homeowners. Home improvement covers the alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building or part of a building used as a residence, including an individual condominium unit. The Commission also runs a Guaranty Fund that can compensate homeowners for losses caused by poor workmanship or failure to perform a home improvement contract.
Maryland State Board of Electricians
Licenses master, journeyperson and apprentice electricians. The Board states that all electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed electrician, and that an apprentice must be supervised and cannot work independently.
Maryland Board of Plumbing
Licenses the people who provide plumbing and gas services, and issues natural gas fitter licences to qualified non-plumbers. The Board says its licences are required throughout the state except in Baltimore County and the areas served by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, which license plumbers themselves.
Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors
Licenses and regulates the people who provide commercial and residential heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services, and sets minimum standards for the installation, alteration, maintenance and repair of those systems.
Maryland Department of Labor – Building Codes Administration
Publishes the Maryland Building Performance Standards, the state's building code law, made up of the International Building Code, the International Residential Code and the International Energy Conservation Code as modified by the state. Local jurisdictions are responsible for implementing and enforcing those standards, and may modify them for local conditions apart from the energy and accessibility codes.
Trades that need a licence in Maryland
General contracting and renovation
Only an MHIC licensed contractor may enter into a home improvement contract with a homeowner, so ask for the licence number and check it before you sign anything. Since 2016 a subcontractor working for a licensed contractor no longer needs a licence of their own, which means the licence to check is the one belonging to the firm you are contracting with.
Sources:Maryland Home Improvement Commission(opens in a new tab)
Consumer protection
Your contract must be in writing and legible, and it must carry the contractor's name, address and MHIC licence number, a description of the work and the materials, and the approximate dates when work will start and be substantially complete. You must be given a signed copy before the work starts.
Sources:Maryland Home Improvement Commission – Home improvement contracts(opens in a new tab)
Electrical work
All electrical work in Maryland must be done by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician, and the Board's own search will tell you whether a master electrician's licence is active. Unlicensed electrical work is illegal in Maryland.
Sources:Maryland State Board of Electricians(opens in a new tab)Maryland State Board of Electricians – Master electricians licence search(opens in a new tab)
Plumbing
A plumber or gas fitter needs the right category of state licence to work in Maryland, but there are two large exceptions: Baltimore County and the areas served by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, covering Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, run their own licences and their own plumbing codes. If you live in one of those, check with the county rather than the state board.
Certified trades
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration work is a separate licence again, issued by its own board in apprentice, journeyman, limited contractor and master categories. Ask which category your installer holds before a furnace, heat pump or air conditioner job.
Sources:Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors(opens in a new tab)
Building and renovation permits in Maryland
Building permits are issued by your city or county, which is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Maryland Building Performance Standards. Those standards are the International Building Code, the International Residential Code and the International Energy Conservation Code as modified by the state, and a local jurisdiction may modify them further for local conditions apart from the energy and accessibility codes — so confirm the local rules with the office that will issue your permit.
Sources:Maryland Department of Labor – Maryland building codes(opens in a new tab)Baltimore – Building permits(opens in a new tab)
Before you hire a contractor in Maryland
Practical checks you can do yourself, using official tools where they exist.
Check the contractor's MHIC licence in the Commission's own search before you sign a home improvement contract.
Official lookup: Maryland Home Improvement Commission – Licence search(opens in a new tab)
Get the contract in writing with the licence number, the work, the materials and the start and completion dates, and keep your signed copy.
Official lookup: Maryland Home Improvement Commission – Home improvement contracts(opens in a new tab)
For electrical work, confirm the master electrician's licence is active in the Board's licence search.
Official lookup: Maryland State Board of Electricians – Master electricians licence search(opens in a new tab)
For plumbing or gas work, check whether your county licenses plumbers itself before you rely on a state licence.
Official lookup: Maryland Board of Plumbing(opens in a new tab)
Ask your city or county permit office which permits your project needs before work starts.
Official lookup: Baltimore – Building permits(opens in a new tab)
Confirm the contractor's licence and insurance with your state or county government, and get the work, materials and price in writing.
Official lookup: FTC – How to avoid a home improvement scam(opens in a new tab)
Sources for renovation permits and licences in Maryland
Every fact on this page comes from these official sources.
- Maryland Home Improvement Commission(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland Home Improvement Commission – Home improvement contracts(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland State Board of Electricians(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland State Board of Electricians – Master electricians licence search(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland Board of Plumbing(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors(opens in a new tab)
- Maryland Department of Labor – Maryland building codes(opens in a new tab)
- Baltimore – Building permits(opens in a new tab)
Find licensed pros
Compare local pros for the regulated trades in this guide, then confirm their licence with the regulator before you hire.
Renovation permits in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Planning a renovation?
Describe your project once and hear from local pros. Ask each one for their licence and permit details before you hire.