March 2023

DPS Offers Free Design Consultations

Spring and summer are some of the busiest months of the year at the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) as many Montgomery County homeowners apply for permits and schedule inspections for their home renovations and other projects at this time of year. The department generally issues and processes about 40,000 permits each year, and staff is eager to help ensure that your project is a success.

If you are 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, then you should know that DPS offers free design consultations for residential (and commercial) projects.

These one-hour online appointments give customers the opportunity to discuss a construction project with code officials before the project’s final construction documents are submitted. The idea is to provide the 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 these meetings. As you might expect, these appointments are popular and tend to book up quickly so schedule your design consultation as soon as you are ready to start planning your next project.

In case you are wondering, 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, the customer would apply for an add/alter permit.

For more information and additional homeowner resources, visit the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps/. 

If you still have questions, call 311 or visit our Wheaton offices on the 7^th floor at 2425 Reedie Drive from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday. You do not need an appointment.

Fire Code Compliance

The Montgomery County Fire Code Compliance (FCC) team, which is a part of the Department of Permitting Services, is responsible for the application and enforcement of fire and life safety codes in existing buildings.

Almost every building (and business) in Montgomery County is required to have a valid FCC permit. (This does not include home-based businesses or individual dwellings.) The FCC permit must be renewed each year. 

Owners that have a building with a fire or life safety system installed, such as a fire alarm or automatic sprinkler system, must have the system inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the appropriate National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard in order to renew their annual FCC permit.

A business or building owner or its lessee is required to retain a contractor licensed by the FCC to administer the system test and inspection for water-based systems and fire alarms.

If FCC inspectors (or a licensed fire protection system contractor) find a problem with a building, business or fire protection system during an inspection or test, the owner or owner's agent will receive a Notice of Violation detailing what needs to corrected and the compliance date. Hazards to fire and life safety, such as blocked emergency exits or improperly stored flammable liquids will require immediate correction. 

For more information about this process, visit the DPS website or call 311.

Join DPS at the Energy Summit

The 10th annual Montgomery County Energy Summit is set for Tuesday, March 28 and Wednesday, March 29 at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

The 2023 Montgomery County Energy Summit will focus on preparing the commercial building community for compliance with energy benchmarking, building energy performance standards, and emerging building codes. Participants will explore requirements and opportunities in these areas and provide hands-on learning opportunities as well as case studies from commercial and multifamily buildings.

The summit’s target audience includes building owners; property managers; developers; energy contractors; residents interested in green building; and sustainability professionals working in Montgomery County and the Washington Metropolitan area.

DPS Director Rabbiah Sabbakhan, Customer Support and Outreach Division Chief Gail Lucas and Commercial Green Building and Sustainability Manager Bryan Bomer are scheduled to participate at the event, which is hosted by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

For information about registration and the schedule, visit the event’s website. Online registration closes on Friday, March 24. 

If you have questions, email energy@montgomerycountymd.gov.

And the Survey Says ....

If you received a permit from DPS last year, you may have received a Customer Satisfaction Survey.

The survey has been emailed to 5,699 customers (who have received at least one permit from DPS between Jan. - Dec. 2022) and 566 responses have been received with 77 percent of customers stating they were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the service provided.

The survey asks customers to rate the overall quality of the services they received; how quickly requests and applications were processed; and asks for feedback on whether customers were satisfied with the services they received and how DPS could improve

In addition to emailing the survey to customers, a link to the survey is also posted on the DPS website in English and Spanish.

The majority of customers responding to the survey, to date, were primarily seeking a residential permit online and self-described as either a homeowner or contractor

Providing excellent customer service remains a top priority of DPS, and customer feedback is key.

Electrical Permits and More

In Montgomery County, an electrical permit is required for all electrical work to be performed.

The applicant must have a valid Master license issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians.

An electrical license is not required to apply for a low voltage permit from DPS. Low voltage electrical systems are designed to operate at 50 volts or less. This includes (but not limited to) fire alarm systems wiring, cable TV systems, telephone systems, audio/video systems, computer network wiring and all systems operating at or below 50 volts. Any work above 50 volts must be performed by a master electrician with a valid license issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians.

Once the applicant completes the online electrical permit application and pays the fee, the permit will be issued automatically by the Department of Permitting Services (DPS). Please note that no violations may be present at the property to complete the application.

If you have additional questions, call 311. You may also email
DPS.Electrical-Mechanical@montgomerycountymd.gov.

For information about applying for or renewing a business license, visit the Montgomery County Circuit Court website. 

Celebrating Women's History Month

Montgomery County is celebrating Women's History Month in March! 

DPS Customer Support and Outreach Division Chief Gail Lucas is one of the employees being spotlighted during this month’s celebration as well as Permitting Services Manager Simin Rasolee and other County employees. 

To view more, follow Montgomery County Government’s celebration of #WomensHistoryMonth on social media and search for the #MoCoWHM (and #MoCoDPS) posts.

Wastewater Services Update

The State of Maryland is in the process of setting up a new board to issue licenses for professionals who provide on-site wastewater services, according to DPS Well and Septic Manager Heidi Benham.

Until the Board is established, Benham said on-site wastewater individuals must pay a $150 fee and register with the State of Maryland.

According to Benham, these individuals would include any septic installer, septic pumper, septic hauler, septic designer, property transfer inspector, plumber, operation and maintenance provider, BAT installer, sand mound certified contractor and at-grade certified contractor providing a wastewater service anywhere in the State of Maryland. She said an on-site wastewater service is any activity associated with the design, installation, operation and maintenance, pumping, repair or property transfer inspection of an on-site wastewater system.

“For reference, the Maryland Department of the Environment has published a list of registered individuals who provide on-site wastewater services on its website,” Benham said.

For more information about this new registration requirement and the future Board, visit the MDE website.

Wet Season Dates for Water Table Testing

The 2023 Wet Season opened on Tuesday, March 7 and is tentatively scheduled to run thru Friday, April 14.

According to DPS Well and Septic Manager Heidi Benham, the Wet Season will be open only when groundwater levels remain at an acceptable level. Groundwater levels will be checked weekly.

For the latest updates, visit the Soils Testing webpage on the DPS website.

Wednesday Water Webinar

Save the date! The University of Maryland Extension Office will hold a Wednesday Water Webinar at noon Wednesday, March 15.  

This month’s topic is about managing ponds. Register for the webinar online.

For more information about the permitting process and septic systems, visit the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps/.

Upcoming Meetings

The Sign Review Board and the DPS Advisory Committee are scheduled to meet in March and April, and DPS leaders are scheduled to attend a worksession with the Council’s Economic Development Committee.

• A DPS worksession with the County Council’s Economic Development Committee is scheduled at 10 a.m. Monday, March 13.
• The DPS Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet virtually on Microsoft Teams at
  4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, and again on Thursday, April 20.
• The Sign Review Board will meet next on Wednesday, April 13.

To stay up to date, check out the calendar at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps for the latest information about upcoming meetings and events.  

Design for Life Property Tax Credit Program

Live longer in the home you love and qualify for property tax credits. Get the facts about the Montgomery County Design for Life Property Tax Credit Program.

In case you missed it, the Beacon newspaper recently featured the Design for Life program. Check it out online on page 25 of the Feb. 2023 issue.

Looking for a Job?

Join our team! The Department of Permitting Services is hiring building inspectors, permitting specialists, and more. Consider a rewarding career as a code official. Don’t delay; apply today!

DPS Office Hours

The DPS customer service lobby is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday at 2425 Reedie Drive (7^th floor) in Wheaton. You do not need an appointment to visit the office.

Apply for permits and submit construction plans online at any time by visiting the DPS website at montgomerycountymd.gov/dps.

Got questions? Please contact MC311 or call 240-777-0311.

Stay in the Know

Subscribe to Constructive Comments to receive this online newsletter in your inbox each month. In between issues, follow #MoCoDPS on Montgomery County’s Facebook  and Twitter pages for the latest news and information from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.