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Inspections and Permits
Permit Application Processing Fee
Starting Nov. 3, 2025, any/all submission or rerouting of residential electrical and plumbing permits will require a $25.00 application processing fee. Any/all submission or rerouting of commercial permits, including trade permits will require a $100.00 application processing fee. These fees were approved as part of the Calvert County FY2026 budget.
As of Thursday October 16, 2025, in-person acceptance of credit cards is unavailable due to software issues until further notice.
Division Overview
The Division of Inspections and Permits provides for the health, safety, and welfare of all Calvert County citizens by preventing and correcting hazards attributed to the built environment. This is accomplished through the effective, efficient, and equitable administration and enforcement of the International Building Codes, National Electric Code, the National Standard Plumbing Code, and all other applicable local ordinances.
Our Mission
The division is responsible for issuing building, grading, electrical, plumbing, and gas permits, and performs field inspections on these projects to ensure compliance with the applicable codes. Types of inspections conducted by staff include, but are not limited to, building construction, electrical installation, plumbing installation, fire protection, and accessibility.
The division is also responsible for issuing Calvert County licenses to builders, electricians, and plumbers, and provides staff support to the local Building Board, Plumbing Board, and Electrical Board.
Request For Information
For information regarding a permit or property, please complete and email a Request For Information Form.
Permit Submittal
- Submittal Options:
- Bring the permit package to Inspections & Permits
- Mail the permit package to Inspections & Permits
- Place in our drop box marked “Inspections & Permits” located outside of our building.
- Apply online at https://encompass.calvertcountymd.gov (view a brief guide on creating an Encompass account). You can check the status, view details, pay permit fees, upload documents, and schedule inspections online. For Portal assistance, send an email to encompass@calvertcountymd.gov.
- Incomplete or inaccurate applications will be rejected
- Building permits for projects must be approved, paid for and issued prior to the submittal of electrical and plumbing permit applications.
- Permits are NOT valid until an inspector has approved the application, payment has been received, and the permit issued. Permits MUST be applied for and obtained PRIOR to starting work.
Creating a Plot Plan using the Calvert County GIS Map Site
- Go to a search engine, search "Calvert interactive maps", and click on the first link, which should lead to https://www.calvertcountymd.gov/1537/Interactive-Maps.
- Scroll down and select Property and topo map, then select “proceed to site.”
- Select the property finder wizard, then select find by address/next, then enter address/next.
- In the upper right corner select the Tools icon, then select the share tab and select print.
- Select paper size, select a scale, add a title, and click the lock print preview button. Center the map window over the lot and select print. Select open file and use the print function to print a paper copy.
- Use the paper copy to draw on site plan.
Inspections
Inspections shall be requested in the normal course as required by the Acknowledgement of Conditions of Approval signed by the applicant at time of payment for the permit. Depending on construction methods and sequence, additional inspections may be required.
- Inspections must be requested online through https://encompass.calvertcountymd.gov/ or by calling the Inspections and Permits office at 410-535-2155. Please have the appropriate AP# available and/or applicable address.
- Inspections must be requested prior to 3 p.m. in order to be scheduled for the following business day.
- While every effort is made to perform inspections on the day they are scheduled, extenuating circumstances may result in a delay.
- A specific time the inspection will occur cannot be given at the time that the inspection is scheduled. Please call the office the morning of the inspection for a two-hour timeframe.
- If you have job-specific questions during construction, please contact the inspector assigned to the area in which the project is located.
- Section 109.3 of the International Building Code states: It shall be the duty of the permit holder or their agent to notify the building official that work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the person requesting any inspections required by this code to provide access to and means for inspection of such work. Work requiring an inspection that has been covered or concealed prior to receiving a required inspection may have to be exposed.
- A re-inspection fee will be assessed after an inspection type has failed twice. This fee must be paid prior to requesting any further inspections. Inspections which cannot be performed because the inspector cannot gain access or where the work is incomplete will be considered failed, which counts toward the two allowed fails.
NOTE: Grading Inspections are performed by the Department of Public Works, Project Management Division
Certificate of Occupancy
Once the final building inspection has received final approval, the Inspections and Permits Division will issue the owner a Certificate of Occupancy permit.
- A new single-family dwelling shall not be occupied until all building, grading, electrical and plumbing final inspections are completed and approved AND a Certificate of Occupancy permit is issued by the Division of Inspections and Permits.