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Exterior work in Prince George's County, MD: permits, code & costs
Prince George's County runs its permitting through DPIE, on the same Maryland state code base as Montgomery County. The state-level protections are identical — including the MHIC Guaranty Fund — but the county's own process and its historic preservation review are administered separately, so confirm your specific scope with DPIE rather than assuming Montgomery County's published exemption list applies.
- Permit authority: Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE)
- We pull the permits where they are required
- Free inspection with photos and a written report
Free estimate in Prince George's County
Tell us the address and what is going on. We reply the same business day.
Permits by trade
What needs a permit in Prince George's County
This is the question that changes most between jurisdictions, and getting it wrong is expensive in both directions — an unpermitted alteration surfaces at resale, and pulling a permit nobody required wastes weeks.
| Trade | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing | Depends | Building permits are filed through the county’s Momentum portal. Straight roof-covering replacement is commonly treated as ordinary maintenance, but PG County does not publish as clean a homeowner exemption list as Montgomery County, so we confirm scope with DPIE per address rather than assuming. |
| Siding | Depends | Like-material re-siding is generally maintenance; changes in material or any structural sheathing repair should be confirmed with DPIE before work starts. |
| Windows | Depends | In-kind replacement without altering the opening is the low-friction path. Changing opening size brings a permit into play — and the IRC bedroom egress minimum applies regardless of whether a permit does. |
| Gutters | Usually exempt | Gutter and downspout replacement is routine maintenance. Where the downspout discharges can still raise a stormwater or grading question. |
Permit-exempt does not mean code-exempt
Every jurisdiction on this site says some version of the same thing: work that needs no permit still has to meet the building code. Underlayment, ice barrier, fastening, flashing, and ventilation are all required whether or not an inspector ever looks. Where no one inspects, the documentation your contractor produces is the only proof the hidden work was done right.
Code & licensing
The rules behind the answer
Building code in force
The Maryland Building Performance Standards, based on the 2021 International Codes, as adopted and amended by the county. Maryland requires all jurisdictions to run the same code edition.
Maryland MHIC license — and the Guaranty Fund
As everywhere in Maryland, home improvement work on one- to three-unit residential property requires an MHIC license, and the MHIC Guaranty Fund can reimburse a homeowner up to $30,000 of actual loss — but only where the contractor held a valid MHIC license when the work was done, and only if you file within three years of discovering the loss. Verify the license number before you sign; it is the difference between having recourse and having none.
Inspections
Where a permit applies, DPIE inspects — typically before concealed work is covered and again at final. Where no permit applies there is no inspection, and the documentation your contractor gives you is the only record that the hidden work was done correctly.
Historic & design review
The county's Historic Preservation Commission has its own process
Prince George's County runs historic preservation review through the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, using a Historic Area Work Permit (HAWP). Its guidance treats repair or replacement of roofs, gutters, siding, doors and windows with like materials of like design as ordinary maintenance — but that framing applies to designated historic properties, and "like materials of like design" is doing real work in that sentence. Changing material or profile on a designated property is a different conversation.
Local knowledge
Important things to know in Prince George's County
Confirm the scope before you buy material
PG County is the jurisdiction where we most often see a homeowner told one thing by a salesperson and another by DPIE. A ten-minute confirmation call before ordering is cheaper than a stop-work order.
Municipalities inside the county add their own rules
Cheverly, Hyattsville, College Park, Greenbelt and others administer additional local requirements on top of county permitting. Your address, not your mailing city, determines who reviews the work.
The Guaranty Fund is the reason to insist on MHIC
Price pressure is real in this market and unlicensed bids show up more often here than in Bethesda. Understand exactly what you give up: hire unlicensed and the $30,000 state backstop does not exist for you, no matter how bad the outcome.
Where we work here
Neighborhoods and communities
- Hyattsville
- College Park
- Bowie
- Laurel
- Greenbelt
- Upper Marlboro
- Cheverly
Services in Prince George's County
Roof Replacement & Repair
Architectural shingle, standing-seam metal, and flat/low-slope systems. Leak diagnosis, storm damage documentation, and full tear-off replacement.
Costs & details →Siding Replacement
James Hardie fiber cement, insulated vinyl, and cedar. We correct the wrap and flashing behind the siding, not just the panel you can see.
Costs & details →Window Replacement
Full-frame and insert replacement in vinyl, fiberglass, and clad wood. Correct sizing, correct flashing, no drafts at the sill.
Costs & details →Gutters & Downspouts
Seamless 5" and 6" aluminum, half-round copper, and guard systems — sized and pitched to actually move DMV storm volume away from the foundation.
Costs & details →Sources
- Prince George's County DPIE — Permits
- Prince George's County DPIE — Residential building permits
- M-NCPPC — Historic Area Work Permit process
- Maryland MHIC — licensing and the Guaranty Fund
Permit, code, and licensing details on this page were last verified against these sources on August 29, 2026. Requirements change and every property is different — we confirm your specific address with Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) before work starts. This page is general information, not a code determination for your property.
Other jurisdictions
The rules change at the county line
This is not a formality. The same re-roof is permit-exempt in Arlington and a filed permit in DC. If you own in more than one jurisdiction, read both.
Get a real number for your Prince George's County property
Free inspection, written scope, fixed price — and we handle the permit where one is required.