Baltimore Building Permits for Home Projects

Rules for the most common home projects in Baltimore, Maryland, checked against the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)'s own pages, with live permit counts from the city's open data.

7,717permits in 12 months (tracked projects)
4project types with verified rules
HVACmost common tracked project

Do You Need a Permit? Project by Project

Baltimore Roofing Permits

Often no2,090 in 12 mo

Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit for one- and two-family homes includes replacing roof shingles and replacing roof tarring.

Baltimore HVAC Permits

Yes3,942 in 12 mo

Under Baltimore Building Code §2802, no HVACR work may start before a permit is issued, including like-for-like replacement.

Baltimore Fence Permits

Yes912 in 12 mo

Fences are not on Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit, so a fence needs a permit.

Baltimore Deck Permits

Yes773 in 12 mo

Decks are not on Baltimore's list of work exempt from permit, so building one needs a building permit.

Permit Activity in Baltimore

504 Nov 651 Dec 615 Jan 543 Feb 695 Mar 652 Apr 662 May 649 Jun 681 Jul 714 Aug 701 Sep 607 Oct
Tracked home project permits issued per month in Baltimore. Lighter bar = current month to date.

Projects We Have Not Verified Yet

We track permit data for solar work in Baltimore but have not yet verified the official rule (or there were fewer than 10 permits), so we do not publish a page for it.

Baltimore Contractors: Get Weekly Permit Lists

Contractors: get new permits for your trade and city every Monday. Join the waitlist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who issues building permits in Baltimore?

The Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD).

Which home projects need a permit in Baltimore?

Roofing: often no; HVAC: yes; Fence: yes; Deck: yes. Each project page explains the exact rule and links the official source.

How many home improvement permits does Baltimore issue?

Across the 4 project types we track, Baltimore issued about 7,717 permits in the last 12 months. HVAC was the most common, with 3,942.

Written and maintained by the Home Permit Guide Editorial TeamPlaceholder profile

Reviewed by: named reviewer to be added · Last updated

This is a placeholder editorial profile. A named reviewer with verifiable experience will be added here. Until then, every rule on this page links to the official government source it was checked against. Read our editorial policy.

Sources

Official sources checked on . Rules change; confirm with the department before you start work.

  1. Baltimore DHCD: Work Exempt from Permit (baltimorecity.gov)
  2. Baltimore Building Code §105 (Permits) (codes.baltimorecity.gov)
  3. Baltimore Building Code §2802 (codes.baltimorecity.gov)
  4. Baltimore Building Code §109 (fees) (codes.baltimorecity.gov)
  5. Baltimore DHCD: Inspection Guidelines (dhcd.baltimorecity.gov)

Permit data: Open Baltimore: DHCD Permits, refreshed October 30, 2026.