Spring and summer are some of the busiest months of the year at Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) as many homeowners apply for permits and schedule inspections for their home renovations and other projects. The department generally issues and processes about 40,000 permits each year, and DPS is eager to help ensure that your project is a success.
If planning to renovate a bathroom, remodel a kitchen, finish a basement, add a deck, install a fence, build a swimming pool or some other construction project, you should know that DPS offers free design consultations for residential (and commercial) projects.
A one-hour online appointment provides the opportunity to discuss a construction project with code officials before the project’s final construction documents are submitted. The meetings will provide information you need to know about the process so that you can plan accordingly. Customers are encouraged to include their design professionals (architect, contractor, designer, etc.) at the meetings.
The appointments are popular and tend to book up quickly so schedule your design consultation as soon as you are ready to start planning.
A permit is not necessary for painting, wallpapering, replacing a faucet, installing countertops, installing hardwood floors, tile or carpet as long as no structural changes are involved. If the construction project includes both alteration and addition to a structure, an application must be submitted for an add/alter permit.
For more information and additional homeowner resources, visit the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps/.
For more information, call 311 or visit the DPS offices on the seventh floor at 2425 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
