Annapolis, MD
Annapolis building permit fees
An Annapolis building permit is priced on the estimated value of the work in bands:
$25.00 for work valued at $500 or less, $150.00 to $3,000, $175.00 to $5,000, $200.00 to $10,000, and above that $250.00 plus 0.8% of the value in excess of $10,000. A separate nonrefundable application fee applies at application, and a drawing-submittal fee applies when plans are reviewed.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit by estimated value ($25.00 to $200.00 bands)Permit fee | Project valuation — $25.00 up to $500; $150.00 from $500 to $3,000; $175.00 from $3,000 to $5,000; $200.00 from $5,000 to $10,000; $0.00 above $10,000 | Every permit of this type | — |
| Building permit over $10,000 of value ($250.00 + 0.8% of the excess)Permit fee | $250.00 + $8.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $10,000 | — |
| Nonrefundable application fee (by estimated value: $25 to $200, plus 0.25% of the excess at $75,001 and more)Other fee | Project valuation — $25.00 up to $500; $100.00 from $500 to $25,000; $150.00 from $25,000 to $50,000; $200.00 from $50,000 to $75,000; $200.00 above $75,000 | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A residential addition valued at $60,000 in Annapolis, filed with the standard application and no plan-review drawings priced.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $60,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$850.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 3Rules considered 3
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit by estimated value ($25.00 to $200.00 bands)Permit feeFY26 Fee Schedule, 'Permit fees based on the estimated value of the work' (§17.05.130 et seq.): $0-$500 $25.00; $501-$3,000 $150.00; $3,001-$5,000 $175.00; $5,001-$10,000 $200.00. Values above $10,000 are charged by the marginal rule beside this table.Show the working
| $0.00 for project valuation above $10,000 | $0.00 |
Building permit over $10,000 of value ($250.00 + 0.8% of the excess)Permit feeFY26 Fee Schedule: $10,001 and more — $250.00 plus 0.8% of the estimated value of work in excess of $10,000.000. The 0.8% is stored as 80 basis points of the excess, and the $250.00 base rides the same rule so the top band reads exactly as printed.Show the working
| $250.00 + $8.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $650.00 |
Nonrefundable application fee (by estimated value: $25 to $200, plus 0.25% of the excess at $75,001 and more)Other feeFY26 Fee Schedule, 'Nonrefundable application fee based on estimated value of the work': $25.00 at $0-$500; $100.00 at $501-$25,000; $150.00 at $25,001-$50,000; $200.00 at $50,001-$75,000; $200.00 plus 0.25% of the excess at $75,001 and more. The table charges the schedule's four value bands; the open 0.25% top is named here rather than charged.Show the working
| $200.00 for project valuation from $50,000 to $75,000 | $200.00 |
| Total | $850.00 |
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The permit fee: $60,000 is above $10,000, so the top row applies — $250.00 + 0.8% x ($60,000 − $10,000) = $250.00 + 0.8% x $50,000 = $250.00 + $400.00 = $650.00.
The nonrefundable application fee adds $200.00 — the schedule's $50,001-$75,000 row, where a $60,000 valuation sits.
Total: $650.00 + $200.00 = $850.00. A plan review of drawings would add $350.00 — the schedule's $25,001-$100,000 row — bringing the same permit to $1,200.00 with drawings.
What is different in Annapolis
The ladder is steep at the bottom and linear at the top. A $500 deck pays $25.00; a $3,000 job pays $150.00; a $5,000 job $175.00; a $10,000 job $200.00 — and from $10,001 the fee is the $250.00 base plus 0.8% of everything over $10,000, so a $60,000 addition is $250.00 + 0.8% x $50,000 = $650.00. There is no per-square-foot route and no volume measurement; the declared value is everything.
Two more tables ride the same declared value. The nonrefundable application fee — $25 at the bottom, $100 through $25,000, $150 to $50,000, $200 to $75,000 and $200 plus 0.25% of the excess above — is due before the application is processed and does not credit against the permit. The drawing-submittal fee, $100 to $350 plus 0.1% over $100,000 of construction cost, applies when plans are reviewed and, at the Director's option, outside review is billed at $100 plus $150 an hour.
Watch what the value declaration touches: the permit band, the application band and the plan-review band all key off the same number, so an honest valuation is not just a compliance question — it is the single input that moves every line of the fee.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This is the FY26 schedule's permit-fee bands and the application fee. It excludes:
- The drawing-submittal plan-review fee ($100-$350 plus 0.1%), named in the requirements and not charged in the worked example.
- Grading permits at $713-$1,575 plus 5.4% of sitework cost over $200,000, and $300 milestone inspections.
- Moving or demolition applications at $100 residential and $150 commercial.
- Mechanical permits ($125-$200 by value and 2% above $10,000) and fire plan review at $50 an hour.
- Use and occupancy inspection at $0.325 per square foot, $250 per residential unit.
- Utility connection charges ($9,400 sewer, $8,400 water), which are DPW bills rather than permit fees.
- Reinspection fees at $100 residential and $150 commercial, and the $450 appeal to the Building Board of Appeals.
What you need before applying
- Estimated value of the work declared by the applicantRequired
The building permit bands key off the estimated value of the work, which the application declares; the schedule's valuation guidance elsewhere in Title 17 points to total contract price or cost of construction. The declared value selects both the permit band and the nonrefundable application-fee band.
- Nonrefundable application fee, separate from the permit feeRequired
The FY26 schedule prices a nonrefundable application fee on the estimated value of the work — $25 to $500 of value, $100 to $25,000, $150 to $50,000, $200 to $75,000 and $200 plus 0.25% of the excess above. It is due at application and does not credit against the permit fee.
- Drawing submittal fee when plans are reviewedRequired
The FY26 schedule prices the fee to submit new or revised construction drawings and submittals for review on the estimated cost of construction — $100 to $10,000, $150 to $15,000, $200 to $25,000, $350 to $100,000 and $350 plus 0.1% of the excess above. Outside review at the Director's option is $100 plus $150 per hour in quarter-hour increments.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Annapolis?
It depends on the estimated value of the work: $25 to $500 of value, $150 to $3,000, $175 to $5,000, $200 to $10,000, and $250 plus 0.8% of the value over $10,000 above that. A $60,000 addition is $650.00.
Is there an application fee separate from the permit fee?
Yes. The nonrefundable application fee is $25 up to $500 of value, $100 to $25,000, $150 to $50,000, $200 to $75,000 and $200 plus 0.25% of the excess above. It is due at application and does not credit against the permit fee.
What does plan review cost?
Submitting new or revised construction drawings for review runs $100 up to $10,000 of construction cost, $150 to $15,000, $200 to $25,000, $350 to $100,000 and $350 plus 0.1% of the excess above. Outside review at the Director's option is $100 plus $150 per hour in quarter-hour increments.
How much is a permit for a small job like a water heater or deck?
A job valued at $500 or less pays the $25.00 band; $501 to $3,000 pays $150.00. The $25.00 band is narrow — most real jobs land at $150.00 or above.
Does Annapolis price permits per square foot like some cities?
No. The building permit is a value ladder, and the only per-square-foot fee in Title 17's building pages is the use-and-occupancy inspection at $0.325 per square foot, which is a different fee.
What is the fee for demolishing a building?
The nonrefundable application fee for moving or demolishing a building is $100 for residential properties and $150 for commercial — the demolition work itself is then priced under the permit fees.
How much is a grading permit?
The grading application fee runs $713 to $1,575 by sitework cost, and the grading permit fee is $713 plus 5.4% of the estimated sitework cost over $200,000, with $300 milestone inspections and a $300 reinspection fee.
What happens if work fails inspection?
Reinspection fees are $100 for residential and $150 for commercial work. Failing to notify the Department that permitted work is complete adds a $75 failure-to-notify fee, and an investigation fee of $75 applies where the Department investigates unpermitted work.
Can I appeal a fee or a permit decision?
Filing an appeal to the Building Board of Appeals is $450, across the building, grading, fence-and-wall and residential property maintenance dockets alike.
Do apartments pay the same electrical fees as houses?
No. New apartment dwelling units pay 80% of the dwelling-unit electrical fees, which the FY26 schedule prints as its own row rather than deriving.
Is the permit fee the same at any valuation above $10,000?
No — above $10,000 the fee grows linearly: $250 plus 0.8% of the excess. A $110,000 project is $850.00, and a $1,000,000 project is $7,930.00.
Where do I file, and what does the City cite for its fees?
The Department of Planning & Zoning receives applications, and the City's FY26 Fee Schedule cites Annapolis City Code Title 17 for every row — so a fee can be checked against the section it comes from.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Read 2026-09-26 as the City's 27-page official FY26 schedule. The PDF the City served from annapolis.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3809 no longer resolves (404), so this source now carries the City's own “Fee Schedule FY2026” link — annapolis.gov resolves it to the Municode codification, HTTP 200. The building page transcribes the permit-fee value bands ($25/$150/$175/$200 and $250 + 0.8% over $10,000), the nonrefundable application-fee bands and the drawing-submittal plan-review bands, each with its printed code section (§17.05.130, §17.08.080, §17.09.070). The electrical page transcribes §17.16's dwelling-unit and rough-wiring rows. The plumbing page transcribes §17.28's installation charges, fixture charges and gas service pipe charges. The schedule prints code citations alongside every row, which is what allows the two-column extraction problem to be resolved line by line.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.