Short answer for most of what we do: no. Painting, flooring, and straightforward drywall patching are finish work, and finish work does not require a building permit in Harford County. Decks and basement finishing do.
The longer answer is worth reading, because the rules changed in 2024 and because three of our towns do not use the county permit office at all.
The current code
Harford County adopted the 2021 International Building Code, International Residential Code, and related codes through County Council Bill 24-005, effective May 20, 2024. If you find a page saying Harford enforces the 2018 codes under Bill 19-032, including one still live on the county's own website, it is out of date.
What generally does not need a permit
Cosmetic and finish work. Interior and exterior painting. Flooring, whether LVP, hardwood, laminate, or tile. Swapping cabinets or countertops without moving plumbing or wiring. Ordinary drywall repair.
The code's exemption for ordinary repairs is worth quoting, because it defines the boundary precisely: application or notice to the building official is not required for ordinary repairs, and such repairs shall not include cutting away any wall or partition, removing or cutting any structural beam or load-bearing support, removing or changing any required means of egress, or other work affecting public health or general safety.
So patching a hole is a repair. Opening up a wall is not.
The county has published this interpretation explicitly for one trade, roofing: replacing residential roofing in kind for maintenance is an ordinary repair and needs no permit or notice.
If you are unsure, the Permit Center will tell you over the phone. That number is 410-638-3122.
What does need a permit
- Decks. New construction, replacement, and expansion. You will need a site plan showing where the deck attaches to the house and all setbacks from property lines and easements. The county publishes a fill-in-the-blank deck form and design guidelines.
- Basement finishing. Named explicitly in the county's own zoning FAQ.
- Anything structural. Moving or removing a wall, altering a load-bearing element, changing egress.
- Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. These require separate permits, and by county rule they must be obtained by a licensed master electrician, master plumber, or master HVACR contractor. Your general contractor cannot pull them.
- Grading, when ground disturbance exceeds 5,000 square feet or 100 cubic yards of earth.
One local detail worth knowing if you are building a deck: Harford County's frost line depth is 30 inches. Footings have to extend below it.
Deck repair versus deck replacement
Repairing in kind, swapping rotted boards, fixing a railing section, generally falls under ordinary repairs. Rebuilding or expanding does not.
We will be straight about one thing here, because we would rather you hear it from us than find out later: the county's exemption for accessory structures under 200 square feet is written in a way that leaves genuine ambiguity about whether a small attached deck qualifies. The county has not published an interpretation. We do not tell homeowners a deck under 200 square feet is automatically exempt, because that is the building official's call, not ours. On a deck project we call 410-638-3122 and ask.
The inspection that catches people out
If your project is permitted and involves insulation, Harford County requires an insulation inspection before interior finish. In practice that means drywall does not go up until the inspector has signed off. The sequence is rough-in trades, then framing inspection, then insulation, then insulation inspection, then drywall.
The county's rule is blunt: no work shall be covered before it has been inspected and approved. Hanging board early means pulling it back down.
Inspections are scheduled at 410-638-3366. Call before 3 p.m. for next business day. There is a $50 reinspection fee.
Who is legally required to pull the permit
This one is not widely known, and it is the reason we handle permits ourselves rather than asking homeowners to.
COMAR 09.08.01.08 states that in the performance of any home improvement contract, it is the non-delegable duty and obligation of the prime contractor to secure, or see to the securing of, every permit, license, or special exception necessary to properly complete the contract.
Non-delegable is the operative word. A contractor who tells you to go pull the permit yourself is describing a duty that Maryland regulation assigns to them.
Harford County also requires that if you list a contractor on a residential permit application, that contractor must hold an MHIC license and a copy of the signed contract must be submitted with the application.
Three of our towns run their own permits
Harford County has exactly three incorporated municipalities: Bel Air, Aberdeen, and Havre de Grace. All three issue their own building permits. Edgewood, Abingdon, Fallston, Joppa, Joppatowne, and Forest Hill are unincorporated and use the county.
The pattern in all three towns is the same: the town issues the building permit, and Harford County still issues the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits and performs all the inspections.
- Aberdeen: Planning & Community Development, 60 N. Parke Street, 410-272-1600, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5:00.
- Havre de Grace: Department of Planning, City Hall, 711 Pennington Avenue, 410-939-1800, permit office Monday to Friday 9:00 to 5:00.
- Bel Air: Building Permits Division at the Department of Public Works, 705 E. Churchville Road. Call the town to confirm the current permit line before you rely on a number you found online.
Havre de Grace publishes a useful plain list confirming that painting inside and out, carpet and tile installation, cabinet installation, in-kind window and door replacement, siding replacement, and shingle-only re-roofing do not normally require a permit there, while decks, screen rooms, porches, and renovations always do.
A note on the Havre de Grace historic district, since this gets misreported: the National Register listing covering much of the city does not by itself trigger a Certificate of Appropriateness. Only local designation under City Code Chapter 97 does, and that designation is voluntary and applies property by property. The city currently lists one approved local landmark and no local historic district, so check your property's status with the Department of Planning rather than assuming. If your home is locally designated, exterior changes visible from a public way need a COA before a building permit can issue, and routine maintenance that does not alter exterior fabric is exempt.
What happens if you skip it
Harford County Code § 157-16A sets the penalty for working without a required permit at $500 for a first occurrence, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for subsequent occurrences, with an administrative hearing, plus a $100 investigation fee. Proceeding without a required inspection carries a separate $50 penalty. Under the county's general penalty provision, each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and unpaid citations double after 15 days.
Permit Center
220 S. Main Street, 1st floor, Bel Air, MD 21014
410-638-3122, Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Online: epermitcenter.harfordcountymd.gov
Permits expire if work does not begin within 12 months of issuance, or if work is suspended for six months after starting.
Keep reading
- How to check a Maryland contractor's license before you hire
- 12 questions to ask before you hire a contractor in Harford County
- Deck building and deck repair in Harford County
- Drywall repair in Harford County
Sources: Harford County Council Bill 24-005; Harford County Code §§ 1-23, 157-2, 157-16, 157-16A, 267-14; harfordcountymd.gov Building Services, Building Inspections, Permits & Licenses, and Zoning Administration FAQ; COMAR 09.08.01.08; City of Aberdeen Residential Permit Process; Havre de Grace City Code Chapter 97 and Planning Permit Application FAQ.