Do I Need a Remodel Permit in Anne Arundel County or Annapolis?

Who issues the permit depends on your address

For an Anne Arundel County address outside Annapolis, use the county residential permit guidance. Source: Anne Arundel County: Residential permits. For an Annapolis city address, check the city permit office and its separate requirements. Source: City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.

• Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits

  Provides residential permit types and project guidance for county work. Source: Anne Arundel County: Residential permits, Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit?.

• City of Annapolis permit office

  Provides building permit guidance for work inside Annapolis. Source: City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.

Do I need a permit? Job by job

Short answers for the remodel jobs homeowners ask us about most. Your exact scope decides the answer, so confirm with the permit office for your parcel.

The typical permit steps in Anne Arundel County and Annapolis

1. Confirm whether the address is governed by the county or City of Annapolis permit office. Source: Anne Arundel County: Residential permits, City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.
2. For county work, use the county project lookup to identify the permit record type and related approvals. Source: Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit?.
3. For Annapolis work, ask the city about the building application and any historic review. Source: City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.

HOA approval and historic districts are separate

A building permit and any HOA approval are separate. Check your community documents before work.

Annapolis distinguishes exterior work in its Historic District from work outside it. Check with the city before exterior changes. Source: City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.

How Real Elite handles permits

On a job we build, we confirm which office has jurisdiction over your parcel, pull the permits the scope needs, and schedule the inspections. Start with a free site visit: we walk the project with you, tell you what we expect the permit path to be, and put it in a written estimate. If something on this page doesn’t match what the county tells you, the county is right.

Quick questions

Who handles an Annapolis city address?

The City of Annapolis publishes its own building permit guidance; check with the city permit office. Source: City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits.

Does a county deck need a permit?

The county lists attached decks and structural deck replacement as permit work. Source: Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit?.

Does a county finished basement need a permit?

Yes. The county lists finished basements as permit work. Source: Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit?.

Official sources

Last checked October 12, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the county before you file.

• Anne Arundel County: Do I need a permit?
• Anne Arundel County: Residential permits
• City of Annapolis: Licenses and permits