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

Section BR 1-201 is the County building code section. It applies to buildings and structures, and modifications to them, for which permits are required, in all areas of the County except incorporated municipalities. The current edition of the Maryland Building Performance Standards, or its successor as amended by resolution of the County Commissioners, governs. Under subsection (c), the County department designated by the Commissioners performs the inspections it deems necessary and appropriate to ensure compliance. Under subsection (d), where codes, public local laws or standards adopted by the Commissioners conflict, the stricter requirement applies.

The code then layers trade-specific stages on top. For plumbing, § BR 2-103(c) requires all work to be inspected by a duly designated County inspector or inspection agency with a report filed with the Department, and § BR 2-103(g) bars use of any plumbing until it passes a final inspection. For electrical work, § BR 2-219(c) requires every service to be inspected, and no light or power company can connect current to a property without a permanent or temporary cut-in card from the County inspector or inspection agency, except for emergency restoration by a registered electrician (§ BR 2-219(e)).

In a flood hazard area, § BR 2-303(b) has the Floodplain Administrator inspect buildings and other development for which permits were issued and review elevation certificates, requiring incomplete or deficient certificates to be corrected. Under § ZS 1-115(e), a zoning/occupancy certificate is not issued until all construction work required by the Zoning Article and other regulations has been completed, inspected and approved, and buildings cannot be occupied or used before it issues. The Department can also require a location survey of a foundation or footings at any point in construction (§ ZS 1-115(h)).