Howard County vs Montgomery County, MD Building Permit Fees (2026)
Howard County and Montgomery County both price residential new construction and additions per square foot, with no statewide Maryland levy - but the rates and the add-ons differ sharply. Howard charges $0.25 per square foot plus a 10% technology fee and low flat filing fees; Montgomery charges $0.88305 per square foot with large filing-fee floors and no technology fee. Across every comparable project, Howard County comes out lower.
For a 400 square foot room addition, Howard County charges about $160 all-in ($100 permit at $0.25/sq ft + $50 filing + $10 technology fee) while Montgomery County charges $682.81 ($353.22 permit at $0.88305/sq ft + $329.59 filing-fee floor) - Montgomery is roughly 4.3 times higher. For a new 2,400 square foot detached house, Howard is about $810 and Montgomery is $3,178.98. Both counties add no statewide percentage levy.
- Both counties price new construction and additions per square foot, but Howard is $0.25/sq ft and Montgomery is $0.88305/sq ft - about three and a half times higher.
- Howard adds a 10% technology fee and small flat filing fees ($25-$100); Montgomery has no technology fee but large filing-fee floors ($329.59 additions/alterations, $870.61 new homes).
- A 400 sq ft addition: $160 in Howard vs $682.81 in Montgomery.
- A new 2,400 sq ft house (building-permit side): $810 in Howard vs $3,178.98 in Montgomery.
- Neither county adds a statewide percentage levy; both assess large separate impact/school charges on new homes that are excluded here.
- Montgomery prices alterations per square foot ($0.783545/sq ft); Howard uses flat alteration fees ($50 up to 200 sq ft, $100 over).
Howard vs Montgomery: Fee Structure Side by Side
| Fee Element | Howard County (DILP) | Montgomery County (DPS) |
|---|---|---|
| New SF construction / addition rate | $0.25 / sq ft | $0.88305 / sq ft |
| Alteration / repair | Flat: $50 (≤200 sq ft) or $100 (over) | $0.783545 / sq ft |
| Filing fee | $25 alteration, $50 addition, $100 new residential | 50% of permit or $329.59 (addition/alteration); 50% or $870.61 (new home) |
| Technology fee | 10% of permit fee | None |
| State levy | None (Maryland) | None (Maryland) |
| Deck | Priced as addition/structure per sq ft | Flat $223.87 (≤500 sq ft) |
| Fee schedule effective | July 1, 2026 (FY2027) | July 1, 2026 (FY2027) |
Shared-Assumption Worked Examples
Each example assumes the same square footage for both counties.
Example 1: Room Addition, 400 sq ft
| Fee Component | Howard County | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 400 × $0.25 = $100.00 | 400 × $0.88305 = $353.22 |
| Filing fee | $50.00 | $329.59 (floor) |
| Technology fee (10%) | $10.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $160.00 | $682.81 |
Note: Same 400 sq ft addition. Montgomery's filing-fee floor of $329.59 and higher per-sq-ft rate make it about 4.3x Howard. Howard's 10% technology fee applies to the $100 permit fee.
Example 2: New Detached House, 2,400 sq ft
| Fee Component | Howard County | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | 2,400 × $0.25 = $600.00 | 2,400 × $0.88305 = $2,119.32 |
| Filing fee | $100.00 | $1,059.66 (50% of permit) |
| Technology fee (10%) | $60.00 | $0.00 |
| MD Home Builder Guaranty Fund | $50.00 | (not itemized here) |
| Total (building-permit side) | $810.00 | $3,178.98 |
Note: Building-permit side only. Both counties assess large separate impact, excise, and school facility charges on new homes, excluded here. Montgomery is about 3.4x Howard at this size.
Example 3: Remodel, 200 sq ft (alteration)
| Fee Component | Howard County | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Flat $50.00 (≤200 sq ft) | 200 × $0.783545 = $156.71 |
| Filing fee | $25.00 | $329.59 (floor) |
| Technology fee (10%) | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $80.00 | $486.30 |
Note: Howard prices alterations as a flat fee by area; Montgomery per square foot, but Montgomery's $329.59 filing-fee floor dominates a small remodel. Assumes 200 sq ft of altered area.
Which County Is Cheaper for Your Project?
| Scenario | Lower Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small remodel (under 200 sq ft) | Howard ($80 vs $486.30) | Montgomery's filing-fee floor dominates small jobs |
| Room addition | Howard ($160 vs $682.81) | Howard's $0.25/sq ft is far below Montgomery's $0.88305 |
| New detached house | Howard ($810 vs $3,179) | Lower per-sq-ft rate and smaller filing fee |
| Deck | Depends on size; Montgomery flat $223.87 (≤500 sq ft) | Howard prices a deck per sq ft as a structure/addition |
| Predictability | Montgomery for flat-fee items (deck/pool/fence) | Montgomery publishes flat fees for those project types |
Practitioner Insight
The headline is simple - Howard County is cheaper than Montgomery County on essentially every per-square-foot project, often by four times or more, because its base rate is $0.25/sq ft against Montgomery's $0.88305 and its filing fees are a fraction of Montgomery's floors. Montgomery's one structural advantage is the published flat fee for discrete projects like decks ($223.87) and pools, which removes square-footage math. For both counties, the building permit fee is only the county's slice; the separate impact, excise, and school facility charges on a new home dwarf it. Montgomery's figures use its FY2027 DPS schedule (effective July 1, 2026); confirm current rates with DPS at 240-777-0311 and Howard at 410-313-2455.
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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Montgomery County DPS - Residential Building Fees (FY2027) Effective July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 (FY2027) - Montgomery County, MD - re-verified September 19, 2026
See each county's full fee page, or compare more Maryland jurisdictions.