Building Safety in Baltimore County, MD (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Baltimore County ties lead paint to two remedies: under Code § 35-4-301, a tenant whose landlord fails Maryland's lead risk reduction standard can escrow rent through the state process, and under the Livability Code § 35-5-209(h), the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability sets the abatement method for any painted surface that presents a lead hazard, especially child-height biting surfaces.
Baltimore County Lead Paint Abatement And Escrow Rights
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 35-4-301; § 35-5-209(h)
If a landlord fails to comply with the applicable lead risk reduction standard under § 6-815 or § 6-819 of the Environment Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the tenant may deposit the tenant's rent in an escrow account and the disposition of the rent shall be resolved in accordance with § 8-211.1 of the Real Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. ... (h)Lead paint abatemen...
Childcare Center Rules
Baltimore County's Fire Department must inspect every family child care home and group child care center annually under Code Section 14-1-104, and those same buildings must meet the county's smoke detector law, though Section 14-2-202 bars direct-wiring the detectors in child care settings.
Fire Inspections Required for Baltimore County Child Care
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code Section 14-1-104; Section 14-2-202
The Fire Department annually shall provide for inspection of all family child care homes and group child care centers, as provided in the Fire Prevention Code, in the county to determine compliance with all applicable fire safety standards, procedures, and equipment requirements. Section 14-2-202(a)Duty to comply. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the requirements of Section...
Door Locking Hardware
Baltimore County's Livability Code bans locking hardware that traps occupants: § 35-5-213(a)(3)(iii) requires every door in a required means of egress to open easily from the inside, and § 35-5-213(b)(5) requires fire-resistance rated doors to stay in good working order with their hardware, while banning door stops, wedges, or other hold-open devices the Code Official has not approved.
Baltimore County Rental Egress Door Hardware Rules
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 35-5-213(a)(3)(iii), (b)(5)
(a)Fire safety.(1)This subsection establishes the minimum standards for fire safety facilities and equipment...(3)A property owner shall:(i)Provide a safe, continuous, and unobstructed means of egress from the interior of a structure to the exterior at a street, yard, court, or passageway leading to a public open area at grade;(ii)Provide from each housing unit access directly to the outside or...
Green Building Code
Baltimore County has no mandatory green building code, but it rewards certified LEED or NGBS construction with a real property tax credit. Commercial buildings certified Silver, Gold or Platinum get a 40 to 80 percent credit for five years; certified homes get 40 to 100 percent for three to five years.
Baltimore County Tax Credits for LEED/NGBS Buildings
Light RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 11-2-203.1(a)(3), (c)
"High performance building" means a commercial building that achieves at least a Silver rating according to: (i) The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building rating system; or (ii) The ANSI (American National Standards Institute) NGBS (National Green Building Standard)... For a high performance building that is certified in the LEED ratin...
Building Permits
Baltimore County bars erecting, constructing, repairing, altering, remodeling, removing, or demolishing any building or structure without first getting a written permit signed by the Building Engineer and paying the required fee. The Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections processes applications under County Code Article 35, Title 2, Subtitle 3, and denials can be appealed to the County Board of Appeals.
Baltimore County Building Permit Required for Construction
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 35-2-301; § 35-2-304(b)
§ 35-2-301. - REQUIRED. A person may not erect, construct, repair, alter, remodel, remove, or demolish a building or structure in the county without:(1)Obtaining a written permit signed by the Building Engineer; and(2)Paying the requisite fee for the permit. ... § 35-2-304. - PENALTY FOR ACTION WITHOUT A PERMIT. (b)Prohibition; penalty.(1)A person may not erect, construct, repair, alter, remode...
Electrical Permits
A master general or restricted electrician must pull a permit from the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections before making any electrical installation, alteration or repair in Baltimore County. Every installation must conform to the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, in its latest published edition.
Baltimore County Electrical Permits and Adopted NEC
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 21-7-303
All electrical installations shall conform to the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, published by the National Fire Protection Association, latest edition, as it now exists or as it may from time to time be amended.
Plumbing Permits
Baltimore County requires all water and sewer connections and plumbing work to follow the county's own formulated Plumbing Code, enforced under § 20-2-113, with violations treated as misdemeanors separate from the general permit process.
Baltimore County Plumbing Code Enforcement
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 20-2-113
§ 20-2-113. - FORMULATION, PUBLICATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF PLUMBING CODE AND REGULATIONS. The county shall formulate, publish, and enforce a Plumbing Code and shall prescribe such rules and regulations governing the use of such water and sewer connections and for the maintenance and operation of their systems as they may deem necessary. Any violation of such Plumbing Code or of any rule or regul...
Building Inspections
Construction in Baltimore County's Special Flood Hazard Areas goes through five distinct county inspections: stake-out, foundation, below-floor enclosures, utility, and final. The Floodplain Administrator schedules each stage before work continues, and a Certificate of Occupancy cannot issue until the final inspection clears.
Baltimore County Floodplain Inspection Stages
Some RestrictionsBaltimore County Code § 32-8-307
The Floodplain Administrator shall make periodic inspections of development permitted in Special Flood Hazard Areas, at appropriate times throughout the period of construction in order to monitor compliance. Such inspections may include: (a)Stake-out inspection, to determine location on the site relative to the Flood Hazard Area and designated floodway.(b)Foundation inspection, upon placement o...
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