Carroll County, MD Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Requirement
- State plumbing license, Md. Bus. Occ. §§ 12-101 et seq.
- Homeowner exception
- Owner-occupied, non-rental homes only
- Homeowner limit
- Excludes water/sewer main beyond 3 ft
- Non-compliant work
- County can require licensed master plumber
- Service connections
- Applied for via Bureau of Utilities
- Violation penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days
Summary
Carroll County requires anyone providing plumbing services to hold a Maryland plumbing license, but lets a resident homeowner pull a homeowner permit to install plumbing in the home they own and occupy. Commercial and rental properties never qualify for that homeowner exception.
LICENSES. No individual shall provide plumbing services or assist in providing plumbing services in Carroll County unless licensed to do so as provided for in the Business Occupations and Professions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, §§ 12-101 et seq. as amended, and § 3-108(b) of the Code of Public Local Laws of Carroll County. LICENSES-HOMEOWNER. A homeowner license shall authorize an individual homeowner to submit a permit application to install plumbing (excluding water service and sewer main installations or alterations that extend more than 3 feet from the exterior wall of buildings) in his or her own home (excluding rental units)...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
as amended, and § 3-108(b) of the Code of Public Local Laws of Carroll County. The same section carves out a narrow homeowner exception, LICENSES-HOMEOWNER: a homeowner license shall authorize an individual homeowner to submit a permit application to install plumbing, excluding water service and sewer main installations or alterations that extend more than 3 feet from the exterior wall of buildings, in his or her own home, excluding rental units, provided the individual homeowner applies for the required permit and signs an affidavit that acknowledges the homeowner owns and resides in the property, that the property is not used for any commercial or public purpose, and that if the work is deemed substantially non-compliant, the County reserves the right to require a licensed master plumbing contractor to complete the installation.
19 also requires the plumber to apply at the Bureau of Utilities, or the otherwise appropriate authority, for the service connection, and to apply separately to the gas company for a gas service connection, with the County authorized to charge for that connection.
Violations & Fines
Providing plumbing services without the state license required under the Business Occupations and Professions Article §§ 12-101 et seq., or without the county-required homeowner affidavit and permit for owner-occupied work, is a misdemeanor under § 170.99, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued unlicensed work a separate offense. Substantially non-compliant homeowner work can also force the County to require a licensed master plumbing contractor to finish the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do my own plumbing work in Carroll County?
Do plumbers need a state license to work in Carroll County?
What happens if my homeowner plumbing work fails inspection?
Do I need a separate application for a gas service connection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
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