Baltimore County, MD Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Baltimore County Code § 32-8-307 requires the Floodplain Administrator to make periodic inspections of development permitted in Special Flood Hazard Areas throughout construction to monitor compliance. The code lists five inspection types: a stake-out inspection to confirm the structure's location relative to the Flood Hazard Area and designated floodway; a foundation inspection upon placement of the lowest floor and before further vertical construction, which collects elevation data or certification; an inspection of any enclosures below the lowest floor, including crawl and underfloor spaces, to check compliance; a utility inspection once specified equipment and appliances are installed, to confirm they sit at the correct height relative to the base flood elevation; and a final inspection before the county issues a Certificate of Occupancy.

Under § 32-8-308, the permittee must also have a Licensed Professional Engineer or Licensed Professional Surveyor prepare an Elevation Certificate and submit it before that final inspection, covering new structures, substantially improved structures, manufactured homes, and additions built under the agreement to submit an elevation certificate signed at application under § 32-8-201(d). 24) have been obtained where required, and review the application against § 32-8-305's technical submissions before construction can proceed. The Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections administers permitting generally under Baltimore County Charter § 402, with the Floodplain Administrator function carried out within that structure for flood-hazard development specifically.