Charles County, MD Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Under County Code § 224-1(1), the 2021 IBC, IRC, IECC, IFGC, IEBC, IMC, IPC, ISPSC and IPMC were adopted collectively as the county's Building Code, taking effect for all permit applications on the bill's effective date, with local insertions, additions and deletions. 2, "Work exempt from permit," adding three carve-outs under "Building": non-habitable outbuildings for verifiable agricultural use on agriculturally zoned parcels of five acres or more; open-sided tents and membrane structures with no cooking facilities, used less than 180 days and up to 2,400 square feet; and flagpoles not exceeding 20 feet. Everything else, additions, alterations, most accessory structures and any occupancy change, still needs a permit. 1). 1). 1(14)).