Building permits, zoning and land rules in Garrett County, Maryland

Garrett County requires building permits for most new construction, additions and renovations, and for garages or sheds larger than 240 square feet¹. A farm building is exempt from the county building code only when the farm is zoned or assessed agricultural, the structure is used solely for agriculture, and it is not intended or used for human occupancy⁷. Agricultural land-management practices, agricultural best-management practices and agricultural structures have a limited grading-permit exemption, but that does not waive building, zoning, subdivision, septic or other requirements⁸. Garrett County has adopted the 2021 building, residential and energy-conservation codes with local amendments, effective November 1, 2024⁷. A landowner may serve as general contractor subject to county requirements¹. The county performs required inspections on approved work, and certificates of use and occupancy are issued when required^7,9.

Garrett County's building department is the Permits & Inspections Division at 203 South Fourth Street, Room 208, Oakland, Maryland 21550¹. Call 301-334-7470 or email permits@garrettcountymd.gov¹. Inside Oakland, most structures or use changes need town zoning approval, and most projects also need a building permit from the county Department of Permits & Inspection Services¹⁰. Septic permits remain with Garrett County Environmental Health Services³. Published building fees include square-footage pricing for a new dwelling or addition, set charges for modular and manufactured homes, minimum charges and use-and-occupancy fees¹¹. For an inspection, call at least 24 hours in advance and provide the permit number; the county says it cannot promise a specific inspection time⁹. The same office starts county-road entrance applications before the Roads Department evaluates sight distance, drainage and safety⁶. A residential county-road entrance permit costs $20 per entrance⁶.

Garrett County has zoning within six towns and the Deep Creek Watershed, rather than countywide; use the county GIS zoning layer to identify a parcel's coverage². Oakland administers its own town zoning; septic permits remain with Garrett County Environmental Health Services^3,12. In unincorporated Garrett County outside the watershed, county zoning sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot coverage or building height². Deep Creek lot minimums and yards vary by district and utility service, while principal buildings generally cannot exceed 35 feet or 3 stories^13,14,15. On lakefront TC–Town Center lots, up to 3 accessory dwellings may be incorporated into a permitted principal nonresidential structure without additional land area, subject to floor-area limits¹⁶. Dividing unincorporated land remains regulated even without zoning¹⁷. Ask Planning & Land Management for the parcel's district at 301-334-1920 or planning@garrettcountymd.gov¹⁸.

Before constructing any Garrett County building for human occupancy or use, including a mobile home, obtain permits for the sewage-disposal and water-supply systems; additions or alterations affecting an existing building or septic system also require Environmental Health review¹⁹. Environmental Health Services conducts percolation tests and soil evaluations, then may issue a permit specifying the septic tank and drainage-trench design the site supports³. Only about 3% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency²⁰. No part of the system may be covered or used before approval, and Environmental Health needs at least 24 hours' notice before backfilling³. A Maryland well-construction permit is required for a new well; limited repair or deepening exceptions apply²¹. Call Environmental Health Services at 301-334-7760³.

In Garrett County's Deep Creek Watershed, a travel trailer may be located on a lot for no more than 90 days in any 12 consecutive months; the use is permitted in RR, AR, LR1, LR2, TR, TC and CR2, but prohibited in C and CR1⁴. Commercial campgrounds follow a different district table, serve transient or vacationing occupants, rent by the day or week, and limit stays to 60 days in any 6-month period^14,22. A Deep Creek camporee or similar temporary recreational event requires a special exception and cannot use premises for more than 14 days annually; that provision does not establish general private-camping permission⁴. Single-wide manufactured homes require a special exception in RR, AR, LR1, LR2, TR, TC and CR2 and are prohibited in C and CR1; manufactured-home parks have separate district and health requirements²³. Outside Garrett County's zoned areas, no zoning permit is required, but building and sewage-disposal requirements still apply to dwellings^1,2,19. We could not confirm tiny-home occupancy or private RV living outside Deep Creek; ask Planning & Land Management how the proposed structure and use are classified¹⁸.

1. Ask Planning & Land Management whether the parcel lies in a town, the Deep Creek Watershed or an area without county zoning^2,18.

1. If creating or changing a lot outside an incorporated town, obtain the applicable lot-line-adjustment, minor-subdivision or major-subdivision approval before transfer^17,24. A newly proposed lot exceeding 50 acres can receive only a temporary waiver tied to a recorded plan and enforceable deed restriction²⁴.

1. Arrange the soil evaluation and permits for sewage disposal and water supply before constructing a building for human occupancy or use^19,21. A subdivision needs an approved water supply and sewage-disposal system, and the Planning Commission may require a feasible connection to an existing central water system²⁴.

1. Ask Permits & Inspections which site and building plans, agency reviews, grading approval and floodplain approval apply to the project¹⁹. Development in a regulated floodplain in unincorporated Garrett County requires a floodplain development permit before work begins²⁵.

1. Apply for the building permit and any county-road entrance permit, using the published fee schedule to budget the application^1,6,11.

1. Complete the required inspections, secure any required certificate of use and occupancy, and have the septic system approved before covering it^3,7,9.

Pin down the parcel's zoning geography first, because the six zoned towns and Deep Creek Watershed follow rules that do not apply across the rest of Garrett County². If the seller is splitting land outside an incorporated town, confirm the applicable county subdivision approval before transfer¹⁷. Make septic feasibility a contract contingency: only about 3% of soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁰. In the McHenry Water Service Area, an owner whose property abuts a completed water line must pay the connection charge and connect after notice²⁶. Check flood maps and road jurisdiction: floodplain development in unincorporated Garrett County needs a county permit, county-road access needs an entrance permit, and MDOT SHA handles work within state right-of-way^6,25,27. A Deep Creek vacation rental must be registered and licensed before rental or occupancy²⁸. Finally, budget around an effective property-tax rate near 0.8% and a median annual bill of about $1,792²⁰.