Baltimore · Third-Party Inspection Matrix

Compiled August 2026 from each jurisdiction's published websites, policy PDFs, permit packets, and ordinances (5 parallel research agents, primary documents fetched and read; every claim below carries its source). Verification labels: VERIFIED = fetched page/PDF; SNIPPET = search result not fetched; INFERRED = from state code/analogy, not a local document.

Companion to the Virginia Beach matrix.

The statewide frame (applies everywhere, and it is the OPPOSITE of Virginia's)

MBPS = COMAR 09.12.51 (recodified from 05.02.07). VERIFIED (full chapter PDF read: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/build/comar091251.pdf). Adopts 2021 IBC / 2021 IRC / 2021 IECC statewide (Reg .04A), effective May 29 2023; local jurisdictions had 12 months to implement (Reg .06B). No 2024-cycle adoption found yet; PS §12-503 obligates the state to adopt each new edition within 18 months, so watch for it.
Local amendment + local enforcement are in the regulation text. VERIFIED: Reg .05B(1)(a) lets each local jurisdiction amend the Standards (local amendment prevails, .05B(3), except energy/sprinkler/wind); Reg .08: "Enforcement of the Standards shall be the responsibility of the local jurisdiction." Each jurisdiction establishes its own plan review, permit issuance, inspections, and U&O process (Reg .04B(1)).
There is NO Maryland equivalent of Virginia's VUSBC §113.7: no statewide rule requiring or even authorizing building officials to maintain a third-party inspection policy. VERIFIED absence in the full COMAR 09.12.51 text and PS §12-503 (the only statewide "third-party inspector" statute found is for elevators, PS §12-806/12-809, a different subtitle). Practical consequence: in Virginia you can always demand the written §113.7 policy; in Maryland, if a county hasn't published a third-party program, there may genuinely be nothing to request. Acceptance is pure building-official discretion, case by case.
IBC Ch 17 special inspections are administered locally by each building official. INFERRED from Reg .08 + .04B(1); no state-level SI administration exists in the MBPS text (verified absence). No regional SI consortium (like Hampton Roads' shared policy) was found anywhere in this branch; each MD county stands alone.
Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code (COMAR 05.16 / 09.12.58, 2015 IEBC base): several counties route repairs/alterations to existing buildings through it (Cecil amendment VERIFIED; Baltimore County page VERIFIED; Talbot exempts "repairs under the MD Building Rehabilitation Code" from permits, VERIFIED). Relevant to UP: repair-scope work on existing dwellings often gets a lighter review path than new construction.
Municipalities are real jurisdictions here, but fewer than the county pages imply. Unlike Virginia (county building offices), Maryland incorporated towns can and do run their own building offices: Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, Hagerstown, Chestertown, Centreville, Denton, Elkton, Rising Sun all run real permit operations (VERIFIED below, town-by-town research August 2026). The Washington County "self-permit towns" list mostly did NOT survive town-side research: Hancock, Keedysville, Clear Spring, and Sharpsburg fold under the county (formal transfers or zoning-only towns), and Boonsboro and Williamsport, which issue the town permit document on county code review, FOLD under the county too (ruled 2026-08-12: substance governs). Mount Airy folds under Carroll County by its own ordinance (both sides of the Frederick/Carroll line). Every project still needs an in-town vs. unincorporated check before assuming the county's rules apply.

THE MATRIX

Tier 1: Published product-specific rules

UP	Jurisdiction	UND	ANC	BRC	SUP	FND	WTR	ENC	RTW	How it works
✓	Anne Arundel	◆¹	●²	◆	●³	●¹	●⁴	◇	◆⁵	Formal Third Party Inspector Certification program, but scoped to footing (210) / backfill (215) / slab (240) only since 6/1/2021. PE/RA + 3 yrs ICC-jurisdiction experience, county pre-approval (Approval ID), COI + insurance, reports ≤10 working days to ipbpri@aacounty.org. UP files 210/215/240 today.
✓	Baltimore County	◆⁶	◆	◆	●⁷	●⁶	●⁸	◇	●⁹	Code-mandated "professional services during construction" via Data Sheets (amended §1705.1.2, Bill 49-24): engineer inspects and reports to the county inspector before final. Retaining-wall engineer certification is a published form (PAI 378-08). Engineer services SUPPLEMENT county inspections, don't replace them.

Tier 2: Published general policy / engineer-documentation rule (conditions apply)

UP	Jurisdiction	All products	Policy conditions
✓	Baltimore City	◆ (discretionary hook)	Own building code (2024 Ed., IBC 2021 base). §105.1.5 "Special professional services": Building Official may require an RDP to perform specific work or sign/seal statements as a permit condition. Ch 17 adopted unamended ("As in IBC") → stock SSI/special-inspection process, no city registration list. No published 3P program for building permits (the city's "third party" program is rental licensing). Underpinning permits must be pulled by the licensed contractor doing the work (§105.1.3(3)); retaining-wall permit exemption is stripped; ALL heights need permits.
✓	Town of Easton (Talbot)	◆ (SI regime)	Full published Special Inspection Program manual: owner-retained, Town-approved third-party inspectors per IBC Ch 17. Applicability includes a standalone bullet "All deep foundations, such as caissons and piles", which could sweep pier work in town limits. SSI at permit issuance; reports ≤5 business days; sealed Final Report per Inspector of Record. Inspector must be unaffiliated with BOTH designer and contractor: the designing engineer cannot self-inspect on covered projects.
✓	Frederick MD	◆ (strongest paperwork)	Published general rule (Inspection Procedures packet): all inspections by county inspectors "unless the Building Official pre-authorizes acceptance of an inspection report by a pre-approved agency or individual." Plus the most complete published SI package in the branch: official SSI form (2021 IBC) required at permit issuance with a "DEEP FOUNDATION/HELICAL PILE FOUNDATION ELEMENTS" category (monitoring driving, recording installation torque, load tests: exactly UP's pier-log data) and "Retaining walls" under Special Cases; Final Report approved before final inspection/CO. NB: the county's named "Third-Party Inspection Program (TPIP)" is electrical-only despite the name. Frederick City + Mt. Airy are separate jurisdictions.
✓	Howard	◆ (footing-scoped)	Published on the DILP Inspection Requirements page, commercial AND residential footings: "Prior approval must first be obtained when professional third party inspectors are used. Submit the engineer's certification… engineer's original stamp and signature" (address + permit number required). Formalized Docs4DILP email submission channel. No published registration list/qualifications; acceptance runs on prior approval. 2024 IBC/IRC + county amendments eff. 9/7/2025.
✓	Town of Denton (Caroline)	◆ (weak)	Ord. 724 §38-2.3(E): "All structural evaluations including drawings shall be certified by a registered Maryland structural engineer or architect": a written engineer-certification requirement matching exactly what UP produces; not an in-lieu-of-inspection program. Own building office, 2021 codes.

Tier 3: Nothing published (engineer acceptance = counter-level discretion; call)

UP	Jurisdiction	Status	What IS known
✓	Baltimore City	(see Tier 2)	Listed above for the §105.1.5 hook; no actual 3P program published.
✓	Harford	◇*	Biggest Tier-3 exposure. "No work shall be covered before it has been inspected and approved" (Guideline sheet). Published SI program exists but is commercial-only: Memo 000378-2024 (7/31/2024, Harold Boling, Deputy Director): SSI as condition of permit, owner-employed approved agencies, EOR/RDP may act as approved agency for work they designed if qualified as special inspectors. Foundation inspection pre-backfill "after installation of damp proofing and drain tile." Only 3P references: mechanical equipment certs + erosion/sediment. RTW ≥4 ft = zoning certificate (SNIPPET). 2021 IBC/IRC (CB 24-005, eff. 5/20/2024).
✓	Carroll	◇	Ch. 170 amended IBC §110.3: "The Code Official shall determine whether the owner shall provide for special inspections": SI is pure discretion, no SSI form. RTW >4 ft = permit (VERIFIED page; engineered plans "may be required"; pre-engineered systems can use manufacturer instructions; 4 inspections; guards required on walls >30" near walking surfaces, §170.15(33.1) VERIFIED). Foundation walls: Code Official "may… ask for an engineer's report" when soil conditions warrant, an existing engineer-letter hook. Steel connections "certified by structural engineer when required by Code Official" (commercial). Only published 3P reference = energy calcs. 2021 I-code suite + 2023 NEC eff. 1/1/2024 (VERIFIED, §170.01 current text + county page). Mount Airy folds under this county by town ordinance, both sides of the Frederick/Carroll line (dossier below).
✓	Cecil	◇	2021 codes (6/3/2024). County staff inspect (24-hr notice); electrical via county-approved 3P agencies (precedent). Repairs routed to MD Rehabilitation Code (COMAR 05.16). Elkton + Rising Sun self-permit (full dossiers below); 6 other towns = county permit + town sign-off.
✓	Kent	◇	Ch. 73: county Code Administrator runs 6 phased inspections; if footing inspection isn't made within 24 hrs of request, work may proceed (48 hrs other phases). §73-4: no design professional required for SFD/duplex. Chestertown issues its own permits, MDIA inspects (dossier below).
✓	Queen Anne's	◇	2021 codes (5/1/2024). County building inspections incl. footing + pre-backfill foundation; trades outsourced to MDIA (410-822-8300), an institutional 3P precedent. Bulletin is from 2016 (stale). Centreville is separate (own permit office, 2021 codes per Ord. 03-2024, MDIA inspects; dossier below).
✓	Caroline	◇	Permit triggers published and "retaining walls" is named in the trigger list (no threshold stated). Amended IBC 103.3 lets the BO delegate duties to firms under contract to the county; a contracted-inspection legal basis exists. Denton is separate (Tier 2 above).
✓	Talbot	◇	Ch. 28: repairs under MD Rehab Code are permit-exempt; RTW ≤4 ft exempt (codified); county page still lists 2018 codes (state is on 2021). Electrical → MDIA. Easton is separate (Tier 2 above).
✓	Dorchester	◇	Thinnest corpus: one permit-triggers flyer (interior structural alterations need permits; list non-exhaustive, "call us"). Code amended 6/4/2024 (Bill 2024-5, content unfetched). Cambridge runs its own office (city page still cites 2012 codes, codified ordinance stops at 2015; 2021 enforcement unconfirmed; dossier below).
✓	Wicomico	◇*	Two published 3P carve-outs: all electrical must use county-approved private agencies (list published) and suspended slabs need 3P agency reports approved + signed by a MD Licensed Engineer, the best analogy hook on the lower Shore. Ch. 117 (2015 bill): structural repairs need permits; RTW ≤4 ft exempt. Salisbury runs its own office (2021 codes per Ord. 2906, 12/2024; the suspended-slab 3P+PE rule is on its CURRENT guidelines page; dossier below).
✓	Washington MD	◇	Well-documented numbered inspection sequence (300 footing / 500 pre-backfill foundation incl. drain tile + dampproofing / 510 slab...); standalone "Footing and Foundation Permit" exists ($75, SNIPPET). 2021 I-code suite + 2020 NEC by ORD-2024-13, eff. 7/1/2024 (VERIFIED, ordinance read): retaining walls permit-exempt only under 36" of unbalanced backfill (amended IBC 105.2(4)/IRC R105.2(3), stricter than model code). Only 3P procedures on the books are stormwater, not building. Of the "7 self-permit towns" only Hagerstown runs a real building office; all six non-Hagerstown towns fold under the county (Hancock/Keedysville/Clear Spring/Sharpsburg on evidence; Boonsboro/Williamsport by ruling 2026-08-12 — town-issued paperwork, county code authority; dossier below).

Footnotes (Tier 1):

Anne Arundel Third Party Inspector Certification program (program notice PDF, VERIFIED; forms rev. 03/08/2024): 3P certification accepted ONLY for footing (210), backfill (215), slab (240) as of 6/1/2021: "all other inspection types shall be conducted by the county inspection staff." Qualifications (residential): MD PE/RA or ICC B1 + 3 yrs code-compliance inspection experience in an ICC jurisdiction; county pre-approval with Approval ID; independence from contractor; Conflict of Interest Statement; insurance naming county additional insured (1M/1M per SNIPPET). Reports + form within 10 working days to ipbpri@aacounty.org. County may audit, may require removal of un-inspected footing/backfill/slab work, and can revoke 3P acceptance per-project. Form 210 (Footing) requires 4 soil-pressure tests, dimensions/depth, rebar/ground wire: UP's SUP/FND footer scope.
Form 215 (Backfill) explicitly includes "Verification of all foundation anchors or anchoring systems installed": UP's ANC line, verified in the county's own 3P form.
Form 210 footing certification covers structural-support footers (SUP) poured for jacks/beams/columns.
Form 240 (Slab) verifies interior draintile with 4″ gravel base / 8″ coverage: UP's WTR interior-drainage scope. Anne Arundel also has a dedicated Residential Waterproofing Permit ("interior or exterior installation of drains, sump pumps and etc."), VERIFIED.
Anne Arundel RTW: permit required over 24″ (VERIFIED "Do I Need a Permit" page; stricter than the IBC 4-ft default); engineering reportedly required >4 ft (SNIPPET, third-party site; confirm); county retaining-wall checklist PDF exists.
Baltimore County Bill 49-24 amended §1705.1.2 "Professional Services During Construction": "when required, professional services during construction shall be performed in accordance with the Baltimore County Data Sheet with inspection results provided to the building inspector prior to final inspection", a code-embedded engineer-inspection mechanism. Also: basement excavation under an existing R-3 must be designed + sealed by a MD-registered engineer (waivable for light-frame ≤2 stories built to the county standard section).
Baltimore County structural support: sealed-engineer design requirements for basement excavation/underpinning-adjacent scopes (Bill 49-24, VERIFIED).
Baltimore County amended §1805.4.2.1: interior-footing-drain weephole details prescribed "unless an alternate design is certified by an engineer and approved in writing", an explicit engineer-certification path for interior drainage design (UP's WTR).
Baltimore County RTW: permit >3 ft (tightened from IBC 4 ft); ≥4 ft → signed/sealed plans + calcs + Retaining Wall Data Sheet (PAI Form 378-08) where the engineer of record signs Design AND Construction Phase services (periodic observation of foundations/tiebacks/geo-grid/backfill, drainage, shear plane) and delivers a final "Certificate Letter of Compliance" to the county building inspector. County footing + completion inspections are "in addition to" the engineer's services. Guards required 4 ft+ (exception <8 ft with no walking surface within 2 ft).

Per-jurisdiction dossiers (sources + contacts)

Anne Arundel County (UP's #2 MD jurisdiction; Diehl AIA certifies here)

Inspections & Permits, 2664 Riva Rd, Annapolis: dept (410) 222-7790; Permit Center (410) 222-7730; inspection dispatch (410) 222-7784 (M-F 7:30-4:00). Emails: ipbpri@aacounty.org (3P program), ipmailbox@aacounty.org, permitcenterhelp@aacounty.org. Director: Mark Wedemeyer (VERIFIED).
Third Party Inspections page: https://www.aacounty.org/inspections-and-permits/inspections/third-party-inspections (VERIFIED)
Program notice PDF: https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/third-party-inspector-certification-program.pdf (VERIFIED, read in full)
Form 210 Footing: https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/footing-requirements.pdf (VERIFIED)
Form 215 Backfill: https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/backfill-requirements.pdf (VERIFIED)
Form 240 Slab: https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/slab-requirements_0.pdf (VERIFIED)
NEW June 2026 Conflict of Interest form, now required application item #1 (…/2026-06/coi-inspections.pdf, VERIFIED, read): "Third Party Individual and/or agency shall not perform inspections of any kind on designs performed by them or their own firm, unless approved by the Code Official or designee." A design-and-inspect gate: violations can trigger report rejection, re-inspection, and referral to the MD PE Board. Insurance/Hold Harmless: …/2024-03/insurance-hold-harmless.pdf (VERIFIED URL, not fetched).
Approved 3P Inspectors list (…/2023-03/approved-third-party-inspectors.pdf, VERIFIED, updated 4/2/2024): ~35 named inspectors, all scoped 210/215/240. Charles Diehl is on the list; John Valerio is not (Valerio would need his own approval, now including the COI form). The 10-working-day report deadline lives on the three forms themselves (Revised 03/08/2024), not the program notice. Re-checked 2026-08-12: no program expansion beyond 210/215/240 anywhere; the old dead "program expansion" links are gone from the current page.
Inspection Types Directory (210/215/220 draintile/240/245 pier-or-bulkhead): https://www.aacounty.org/inspections-and-permits/inspections/inspection-types-directory (VERIFIED)
Waterproofing Permit: https://www.aacounty.org/inspections-and-permits/permits/residential-permits/waterproofing-permit (VERIFIED). Do I Need a Permit (RTW >24″): https://www.aacounty.org/inspections-and-permits/permits/do-i-need-permit (VERIFIED)
County Code Article 15 adopts 2021 IBC/IRC w/ local supplement (amlegal; SNIPPET, Cloudflare-blocked)
No published IBC Ch 17 SI program or SSI form anywhere on aacounty.org: verified absence.
Gaps/asks: (a) is UP's underpinning cert package formally under the 3P program (repair-scope footings as "210"?) or informal practice; (b) SSI handling for deep foundations; (c) permit vehicle for pier/anchor jobs on SFDs; (d) confirm 4-ft RTW engineering threshold; (e) how the June 2026 COI own-firm-design bar applies when UP both designs and certifies a repair (Code Official approval path).

Baltimore City (UP's #1 MD jurisdiction by volume)

DHCD Permits One Stop Shop: 443-984-1809, 417 E. Fayette St Rm 100 (M/T/Th/F 8:30-3:30); Building Inspections 410-396-3470. DHCD Commissioner: Timothy Keane (eff. 3/2/2026, SNIPPET). Building Official name unpublished.
Building, Fire, and Related Codes 2024 Edition (Ord. 24-341, eff. 5/22/2024; SNIPPET for date), IBC 2021 base: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/building-codes (VERIFIED)
§105 Permits (…/II/105), §110 Inspections (…/II/110), Ch 17 "As in IBC" (…/II/17). All VERIFIED.
Inspection Guidelines (REV 1/2026; city-performed footing/foundation/slab/framing/final via E-Permits, 2:30 PM day-prior cutoff): https://s3.amazonaws.com/baltimorecity.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2026-01/Inspection%20Guidelines%20-%2001-2026%20Update.pdf (VERIFIED)
Key rules: §105.1.3(3), underpinning/retaining-foundation-wall permit application must be made by the licensed contractor employed to do the work (affects JES Baltimore intake; UP/owner can't pull it); IBC 105.2 exemptions #2-4 "{Not Adopted}" → all retaining walls need permits at any height (mapping of #4 = RTW is INFERRED from stock IBC numbering); §105.1.5 special-professional-services discretion; broad §105.1 repair trigger covers all 8 product lines.
The city's only "third party" program = rental licensing (MD Licensed Home Inspectors registered with DHCD), not building permits. Non-official expediter site states the city uses only its own inspectors for code verification (VERIFIED fetch, NON-official source).
Gaps/asks: (a) will DHCD accept a PE report for underpinning alongside/in lieu of the city footing inspection (§105.1.5 discretion); (b) is an SSI ever demanded on 1-2-family pier permits; (c) confirm all-heights RTW permits; (d) practice on waterproofing/encapsulation-only jobs; (e) Building Official name/line.

Baltimore County

PAI Bureau of Building Inspections: 410-887-3953, 111 W. Chesapeake Ave Rm G-24, Towson (M-F 7:30-3:30); email mgawel@baltimorecountymd.gov; Building Plans Review Rm 110, Building Engineer mailbox paibldgrvw@baltimorecountymd.gov. Director/Building Engineer names unpublished on fetched pages.
Bill 49-24 (county building code, 2021 I-codes + amendments, eff. 9/3/2024): https://countycouncilweb.s3.amazonaws.com/Bills%202024/b04924.pdf (VERIFIED, full text extracted)
Retaining Wall Data Sheet / Engineer Certification (PAI Form 378-08): https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/files/Documents/Permits/Building_Plans_Review/retainingwalldatasheet140917.pdf (VERIFIED)
RTW permit page: https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/pai/application/retaining-wall (VERIFIED); Building Inspections page, Basement + Addition/Alteration pages (VERIFIED); Current Codes page (VERIFIED)
Key rules (all VERIFIED in Bill 49-24 unless noted): §1705.1.2 Data-Sheet professional services during construction; RTW 3-ft permit / 4-ft sealed-design thresholds; basement-excavation sealed-engineer rule; §1805.4.2.1 engineer-certified alternate interior-drainage design; presumptive soil bearing 2,000 psf; footing depth 30″. MD Rehabilitation Code applies to existing-building work. CAUTION: county "Piers and Pilings" permit = waterfront docks, NOT foundation piers.
Sediment/erosion control has a true in-lieu county-approved 3P inspector program (approval letter from the county Building Engineer; SNIPPET).
Gaps/asks: (a) get the full Data Sheet catalog: is there one for underpinning/foundation repair; (b) will Building Inspections accept UP's cert package as the §1705.1.2 report at final on UND/ANC/BRC permits; (c) right permit vehicle + seal threshold for pier underpinning; (d) waterproofing/encapsulation-only permit practice; (e) current Building Engineer + Chief of Building Inspections names.

Caroline County + Town of Denton

Planning, Codes & Engineering: 410-479-8100, 403 S 7th St Ste 210, Denton (VERIFIED). Online permitting: caroline.onlama.com (SNIPPET).
Permit triggers page names retaining walls (no threshold): https://www.carolinemd.org/288/Building-Permits-Zoning-Certificates (VERIFIED). Ch. 88 amendments (read in full): BO may delegate duties to firms under contract to the county (amended IBC 103.3); foundation-completion inspection pre-backfill (110.3.2.1); frost 24″; no Ch 17 changes, no 3P: https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/doc/caroline-code-amendments.pdf (VERIFIED). Current edition on county list unconfirmed (MBPS-current INFERRED).
Town of Denton: own building office (Planning & Codes, 410-479-3625, 36-hr inspection notice; VERIFIED). Ordinance 724 adopts 2021 IBC/IRC/IMC/IEBC/IECC; §38-2.3(E): "All structural evaluations including drawings shall be certified by a registered Maryland structural engineer or architect in good standing": https://dentonmaryland.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ORDINANCE-NO.-724-2021-Building-Code.pdf (VERIFIED, re-fetched 8/2026, clause intact; companion §38-2.3(D) requires the MD seal/signature/date on each drawing). Codification footnote: eCode credits the 2021 adoption to Ord. 727, eff. 6/1/2022 (SNIPPET); same editions, cite "Ch. 38 as amended by Ord. 727; §38-2.3(E) text per the posted Ord. 724 PDF." Functional building official = Director Donna Todd (dtodd@dentonmaryland.com): §38-2(B) vests chief authority in the "Director of Planning or his designee" (VERIFIED, staff page + ordinance). No 3P/SI provisions otherwise.
County asks: which private agencies are under contract, can UP's PE reports slot in; RTW threshold. Denton asks: what triggers §38-2.3(E) in practice (UP-favorable rule); who inspects day-to-day.

Carroll County (+ Mount Airy, which folds under it)

Bureau of Permits and Inspections: 410-386-2674, 225 N. Center St Rm 118, Westminster (8:00-5:00). VERIFIED. Portal: ccg.carrollcountymd.gov/CPPLportal (SNIPPET).
No 3P structural acceptance published: the only "third party approved agency" reference is for energy envelope calcs (Residential Code Compliance Guidelines, VERIFIED). Sequential county inspections: "The contractor shall not proceed… unless the inspection for the prior phase has been completed and approved" (Ch. 170; VERIFIED).
SI is discretionary: amended IBC §110.3, "The Code Official shall determine whether the owner shall provide for special inspections in accordance with Section 1704" (VERIFIED, 2018-cycle Ch. 170 full-chapter PDF; 2024-cycle text 403-blocked; new codes eff. 1/1/2024, VERIFIED page). No SSI form/program published.
RTW: permit >4 ft per "Retaining walls are required to have a building permit if the height of the wall exceeds 4 feet"; engineered plans "may be required"; pre-engineered systems may use manufacturer instructions at inspection; 4 inspections (footing, reinforcement, backfill/geo-grid/drainage, final): https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/directory/public-works/permits-inspections/residential-projects/building-a-retaining-wall/ (VERIFIED). Guard trigger >30″ within 36″ of walking surface (VERIFIED, Ch. 170).
Engineer-letter hooks (VERIFIED): foundation walls, where the Code Official "may decrease the amount of backfill allowed or ask for an engineer's report" when soils warrant; commercial steel connections "certified by structural engineer when required by Code Official." Waterproofing/drain-tile specs published; frost 30″.
Current editions VERIFIED (researched 8/2026, §170.01 "2025 S-13" text via archive + county page): 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IMC/IPC/IEBC/IFGC + 2023 NEC + ISPSC 2021, eff. 1/1/2024 (Ord. 2023-09); design data ground snow 40 psf, wind 115 mph, frost line 30". §170.15(33.1) adds guard requirements on retaining walls >30" within 36" of a walking surface. Amended IBC 105.2 exempt list touches nothing structural (VERIFIED), so repair scopes are permit-triggering.
Ch. 170 full chapter: https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/media/10267/chapter170-fullchapter-2.pdf (VERIFIED; superseded ed.). Residential Guidelines: https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/media/10899/residential-code-compliance-guidelines-modified-1-3-20.pdf (VERIFIED).
Town of Mount Airy: NOT its own AHJ, a deliberate ordinance-based fold-under (researched 8/2026). Town site: "the Town of Mount Airy has transferred its permit processes to the Carroll County Bureau of Permits and Inspections" and "Carroll County Government processes all building permits for the entire incorporated limits" including Frederick-County-side parcels ("These permit procedures apply to all properties located within the incorporated Town Limits, including those properties located in Frederick County") (both VERIFIED, mountairymd.gov/175 + /174). Town Code Ch. 47 (Ord. 138, 1984; text via 2020 archive, live-page snippet matches): §47-1 auto-adopts whatever Carroll adopts as the town building code; §47-2 "The Building Official of Carroll County… shall be the Building Inspector for the Town of Mount Airy"; §47-6 county fees apply (VERIFIED). Town keeps a sign-off layer: town P&Z Director signature + town fees + §47-8 capital improvement assessment before the county issues; town retains signs/fences/driveways/zoning certificates. Town contact for that layer: Debra Clinton, P&Z Review Coordinator, 301-829-1424, dclinton@mountairymd.gov (VERIFIED). Frederick County confirms from its side ("with the exception of the City of Frederick and Mt. Airy"). The MD Labor directory still lists a town code contact: directory-grade, stale; do not treat it as an AHJ listing.
Asks: PE-report acceptance on repair permits; how discretionary SI determinations are made; whether pier work triggers the foundation-wall engineer-report practice; on Mount Airy jobs, confirm Carroll's counter processes Frederick-side parcels in practice.

Cecil County + Towns of Elkton & Rising Sun

Permits & Inspections Division: 410-996-5235, DLUDS@cecilcountymd.gov, 200 Chesapeake Blvd, Elkton (M-F 8:00-3:30). Division Chief: William V. Funk, Jr. (VERIFIED). Portal: cecilcountymd.viewpointcloud.com.
2021 I-codes eff. 6/3/2024; 2023 NEC eff. 8/2/2025 (VERIFIED). Ch. 157 amendments (2018-era state snapshot, read in full): repairs → MD Building Rehabilitation Code COMAR 05.16 (IBC 101.2 Exc. 2); shed + small-deck exemptions deleted; no RTW amendment (stock 4-ft exemption INFERRED). No 3P/SI material at all (VERIFIED absence). Electrical via county-approved 3P agencies.
Pages: /387 Permits-Inspections, /400 Required-Inspections, /411 Application-Process, /410 Applications (town rules), all VERIFIED; state amendments PDF: https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/doc/cecil-code-amendments.pdf (VERIFIED)
Towns: Elkton + Rising Sun fully self-permit (dossiers below); Cecilton/Chesapeake City/Charlestown/North East/Perryville/Port Deposit = county permit + town approval docs (VERIFIED).
Town of Elkton (researched 8/2026): Building & Zoning Department, 100 Railroad Ave / P.O. Box 157, Elkton; 410-398-4999, fax 410-398-0128, building.zoning@elkton.org; Director Charles Bromwell (VERIFIED, dept page + staff directory). Own staff perform all building/plumbing/infrastructure inspections (VERIFIED, elkton.org/240); electrical carved out to two named private agencies: Bay Area Inspection Agency 410-620-6000 or American Inspection Agency 302-292-2000 (VERIFIED, printed on the permit application, elkton.org/DocumentCenter/View/515). Codes published (elkton.org/254, VERIFIED): 2021 IBC/IRC/IEBC/IPC/IMC/IECC + 2017 NEC (+ 2018 NFPA 1/101, 2012 IGCC/IPMC). Permit triggers include renovation and structural alteration (VERIFIED, /256), so repair scopes are permit work; retaining walls appear nowhere in the permit list or fee schedule (VERIFIED absence; 2021-code 4-ft default INFERRED, confirm). No 3P/engineer-acceptance language for structural work published (VERIFIED absence in everything retrieved). Fee schedule: DocumentCenter/View/835 (VERIFIED; two-column extraction, confirm exact fees). Not retrieved: the codified town building chapter (no ecode/municode listing found). NB a "townofelkton.org" domain circulates in search results: provenance unverified, cite only elkton.org. Ask Bromwell: PE-report acceptance for pier work; RTW threshold; waterproofing permit type.
Town of Rising Sun (researched 8/2026): Building Inspection & Code Enforcement, 1 E. Main St / P.O. Box 456, Rising Sun; 410-658-5353 (office 9-4, inspections 10-3); contact = Town Administrator Calvin A. Bonenberger Jr., tabonenberger@risingsunmd.org, who personally holds ICC Commercial Building Inspector / Plans Examiner / Fire Inspector II and more (VERIFIED, staff profile; no other inspection staff listed). Intake via the iWorQ portal (VERIFIED link). Code-edition trap: Town Code Ch. 5 (last ord. change 5/30/2023, PDF read in full) still adopts the 2006 I-codes with an auto-supplement clause ("all current supplements and any future supplements" unless disallowed in 60 days); whether the town enforces 2006-as-written or the 2021 MBPS floor is unresolved on paper: top phone question (VERIFIED ordinance text; the conflict itself is the finding). Favorable published hook: the 2023 fee schedule repeats a third-party clause: "Any additional cost associated with 3rd party reviews paid for by the Town, or cost associated with engineering or special inspection cost paid for by the Town, shall be paid by the applicant" (+$40 processing) (VERIFIED): the town already has a fee mechanism for special-inspection/engineering involvement, though no named firm and no applicant-supplied-report acceptance language. Second trap: local IRC §R202 amendment treats any repair as NEW CONSTRUCTION when ≥50% of exterior weight-bearing walls are destroyed/removed (drives sprinkler/upgrade triggers; VERIFIED). Retaining walls unmentioned anywhere; IBC Appendix J (grading) expressly NOT adopted (VERIFIED). General trigger echoes IBC 105.1 ("...alter, repair..."), so foundation repair is permit work (INFERRED from that text). Ask Bonenberger: 2006-vs-2021 enforcement; PE-report acceptance under the 3P fee clause; RTW threshold; whether underpinning ever trips the 50% rule.
Asks (county): PE-report acceptance for pier work (concealment-timing problem); RTW threshold under 2021 adoption; current amendment package.

Dorchester County + City of Cambridge

P&Z / Permits & Inspections: 410-228-3234, 501 Court Ln Rm 111, Cambridge (VERIFIED). Building official name unpublished.
Permit-triggers flyer (VERIFIED): permits for all new construction, interior alterations involving any structural component, reroofing, trade work; non-exhaustive. Code amended 6/4/2024 (Bill 2024-5; SNIPPET, content unfetched). No 3P/SI material anywhere (verified absence on official domain; ecode 403-blocked). RTW threshold unpublished (IBC 4-ft INFERRED).
Flyer: https://dorchestercountymd.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Do-you-know-Dorchester-County-Permit-Regulations.pdf (VERIFIED)
City of Cambridge: own Building Safety Services Division ("Office of the Building Official" per its own permit form header), 410-228-8811, fax 410-228-1474, permits@choosecambridge.com, 1025 Washington St (VERIFIED); DPW main line 410-228-1955. Intake via OpenGov portal (cicambridgemd.portal.opengov.com, VERIFIED). Staffing murky: city directory lists only Sandra Wyatt, Building Safety Specialist/Supervisor (VERIFIED 8/2026); Maryland Manual (rev. 5/2025) lists Todd Parks, Manager & Building Permits Administrator + Frank Brown, Code Enforcement Officer (VERIFIED as published; currency uncertain): no named Building Official anywhere current. Code-edition stack, all three layers documented (researched 8/2026): city page still cites 2012 IBC/IRC (VERIFIED, live today); codified §4-1 adopts the 2015 editions (VERIFIED, Municode current through 6/15/2026, adoption history ends at Ord. 1049, 2015); the operative floor is the state's 2021 MBPS (VERIFIED COMAR; that Cambridge actually enforces 2021 is INFERRED from the state mandate only: confirm before citing an edition on a Cambridge cert). §4-7/4-8: permits for constructing/altering a structure; "ordinary repairs" may NOT include "the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof" (VERIFIED), so structural repair is permit work (INFERRED, high confidence). Permits expire if not started in 6 months (VERIFIED). Electrical is farmed to MDIA (fee schedule line "Electrical Permits (MDIA will bill for inspection)", VERIFIED, OCR): the city already accepts an outside inspection agency in one trade. No retaining-wall fee line (nearest analog: bulkhead $60 min; VERIFIED). No 3P/engineer language for structural work published. NB: a circulating "24-hr notice / $100 reinspection" claim traces to Cambridge, Ontario, not Cambridge MD: discard it. Not retrieved: any 2018/2021 adoption ordinance (none codified), building inspection sequence, BO name.
Asks: engineer-report acceptance (highest-value small-county call); what inspections a foundation-repair permit actually triggers; Bill 2024-5 content. Cambridge (410-228-8811): who is the Building Official; are you reviewing to 2021 MBPS; PE-report acceptance the way MDIA covers electrical; RTW threshold; waterproofing permit status.

Frederick County MD

Dept. of Permits and Inspections: 301-600-2313, 30 N. Market St, Frederick (M-F 8-4); Permits@FrederickCountyMD.gov; portal planningandpermitting.frederickcountymd.gov. Ashlye Bonomo, Department Head, 301-600-3463; Steve Blickenstaff, Assistant Dept. Head, 301-600-1076. All VERIFIED.
Published general 3P rule (Inspection Procedures packet, VERIFIED): "All inspections for Frederick County permits must be performed by Frederick County (Government) Inspectors, unless the Building Official pre-authorizes acceptance of an inspection report by a pre-approved agency or individual or requires same." BO may also require pre-approved testing agencies. https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/334917/Important-Information--Document-Inspection-Procedures-Issued-2021 (VERIFIED)
CAUTION: the named "Commercial Projects & Third-Party Inspection Program (TPIP)" (updated 6/1/2026) is electrical-only despite the name: commercial ≥$200K must use MD State Fire Marshal-authorized 3P electrical inspectors. Don't cite it for structural. https://www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/372404 (VERIFIED)
Full SSI package on 2021 IBC (VERIFIED, official form): SSI as condition of permit issuance; SI reports to the Manager of Inspection Services + RDPs + owner + contractor; interim reports; schedule includes "DEEP FOUNDATION/HELICAL PILE FOUNDATION ELEMENTS" (test piles, driving monitoring, installation torque recording, load tests; IBC 1705.7-.10) and "Retaining walls" (Special Cases); Final Report of Special Inspections reviewed + approved before final building inspection / CO. https://frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/356464/Special-Inspections (VERIFIED)
RTW: >48″ of retained fill → PE/RA-of-record sealed plans (each page), heights both faces, drainage line required; dry-stacked = manufacturer design manual (Plan Review Checklist Attachment C: https://frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8969/Plan-Review-Checklist---Retaining-Wall, VERIFIED). Permit-exemption height not stated (base-code 4-ft INFERRED).
Residential sequence (VERIFIED): Footing → Backfill ("foundation walls… parged and dampproofed and drain tile, gravel bed, and red rosin paper cover are in place") → Framing → Concealment → Final. Maps to UP's FND/WTR scopes. 2021 IBC/IRC per MBPS + county amendments §1-6-18A/B (SNIPPET, amlegal 403). MBPS 2024-cycle possibly applies to permits after 12/31/2025 (SNIPPET, unconfirmed).
The county permits page excepts "the City of Frederick and Mt. Airy" (VERIFIED) — but the two resolve differently: the City of Frederick is a real separate AHJ (own office, CBCO Dustin Nusbaum; full dossier in the Manassas matrix), while Mount Airy is Carroll County's (town ordinance makes the Carroll BO its building inspector, both county sides; see the Carroll dossier). Frederick County's rules apply nowhere inside either.
Asks: how to become a "pre-approved agency or individual" (application? list? residential repair scopes?); SSI practice on residential pier permits; RTW permit-exemption height; 2024-cycle MBPS status; check project addresses for City of Frederick limits.

Harford County

Permit Center 410-638-3122; Building Services (inspection scheduling) 410-638-3366; Building@harfordcountymd.gov; 220 S. Main St, Bel Air; e-Permit Center epermitcenter.harfordcountymd.gov. Requests before 3 PM → next business day. All VERIFIED.
No published 3P/engineer-in-lieu acceptance for building work (verified absence across Building Services page, inspections page, guideline sheet, doc searches). "No work shall be covered before it has been inspected and approved" (Guideline Info Sheet, DILP Doc 000712-2020; VERIFIED). Only 3P refs: mechanical equipment certs (SNIPPET) + erosion/sediment engineer certs (VERIFIED).
Special Inspections Memorandum 000378-2024 (7/31/2024, Harold Boling, Deputy Director DILP; fetched + OCR'd, VERIFIED; a scanned internal memo addressed to DILP Plan Review Staff, which reinforces its commercial-plan-intake scope): applies to all commercial permit plans per IBC Ch 17; SSI as condition of permit issuance; owner employs approved agencies; written competence documentation before construction; "the registered design professional in responsible charge and engineers of record… are permitted to act as an approved agency… for the work designed by them, provided they qualify as special inspectors", a design-and-inspect allowance UP can use on commercial jobs. https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30343 (VERIFIED)
Code Criteria: 2021 IBC/IRC, CB 24-005, amendments in Ch. 82, effective May 29 2024 (county Code Criteria page, re-verified 2026-08-12; the previously recorded 5/20 date was wrong against the county's own page): https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/275/Harford-County-Code-Criteria-PDF (VERIFIED). No newer code adoption as of 8/2026 (2023 NEC review pending). Guideline sheet: https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15836/Building-Permit--Inspection-Information (VERIFIED). Ch. 82: ecode360.com/9370743, 403 (SNIPPET).
Repairs carve-out (Bill 19-032 text, VERIFIED in the 2018-cycle bill; CB 24-005 carry-forward unverified): ordinary repairs exempt but NOT "cutting away of any wall… removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support" → UP's structural scopes need permits (INFERRED application). Foundation inspection pre-backfill "after installation of damp proofing and drain tile if outside" (VERIFIED). RTW ≥4 ft = zoning certificate (SNIPPET, ecode).
Asks: PE-certification acceptance in lieu of footing/foundation inspections on repair permits (largest unanswered question in the branch); does Memo 000378-2024 ever reach residential pier work; repairs-language carry-forward; RTW building-permit vs zoning-cert thresholds.

Howard County

DILP: main 410-313-2455, 3430 Court House Dr, Ellicott City; Inspections & Enforcement 410-313-1823; inspection questions 410-313-1830; automated requests 410-313-3800; inspectors reachable 7:30-9:00 AM. All VERIFIED.
Third-party footing acceptance published (Inspection Requirements page, VERIFIED): "Prior approval must first be obtained when professional third party inspectors are used. Submit the engineer's certification to the Building Inspections office as soon as possible. All engineer's certifications shall list the building address, permit number and have the engineer's original stamp and signature." Applies to BOTH commercial and residential footings. Formalized Docs4DILP email procedure for certifications/documents (procedure PDF: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/sites/default/files/media/2016-02/Docs4dilp%20NEW%20PROCEDURE%2012-2016.pdf; SNIPPET).
Inspection Requirements: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/inspections-licenses-permits/inspection-requirements (VERIFIED). Adopted Codes: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/inspections-licenses-permits/adopted-codes (VERIFIED; 2024 IBC/IRC + Howard amendments eff. 9/7/2025, CB 24/25/26-2025).
2021-cycle amendments (state PDF, text-extracted): RTW permit-exempt only ≤3 ft measured lowest adjacent grade to top (VERIFIED in that bill; 2024-carry-forward unverified); no Ch 17 county amendments found in text search (INFERRED: IBC Ch 17 as written). Howard's compiled "HCMDBC 2024" volume incl. Ch 17 lives on codes.iccsafe.org, 403-blocked (SNIPPET).
NOTE: the prior belief that Howard runs "the most formalized MD 3P program" is NOT confirmed by publications; what's published is a prior-approval engineer-certification pathway for footings. "Documents for DILP Inspectors" page 403'd and may hold more.
Asks: does 3P extend beyond footings (foundation/backfill, framing, final) for repair scopes; per-project vs standing prior approval; inspector registration list (the 403'd page); SSI practice on residential pier work; 3-ft RTW exemption under the 2024 code.

Kent County + Town of Chestertown

Planning, Housing & Zoning: 410-778-7423 / Director 410-778-0455, 400 High St, Chestertown (M-F 8:30-4:30). VERIFIED.
2021 I-codes eff. 5/29/2023; 2023 NEC; NFPA 2024 eds. (VERIFIED county page). Ch. 73 (state snapshot, read in full): 6 phased inspections by county Code Administrator; 24-hr footing-inspection non-response → work may proceed (§73-8); §73-3/73-4 licensed-professional table (SFD/duplex = none required). No 3P/SI material (VERIFIED absence).
State PDF: https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/doc/kent-code-amendments.pdf (VERIFIED).
Town of Chestertown: own building-permit operation, confirmed (researched 8/2026; the town's Cloudflare wall beat even headless Chromium, so primary documents came via archive captures: labeled accordingly). Town Hall / Planning & Zoning, 118 N. Cross St; 410-778-0500; Zoning Administrator Bradley Moore (VERIFIED, Maryland Manual, current), zoning@chestertown.com (SNIPPET). Evidence of real AHJ status: the town's own two-page Building Permit Application Form A with TOWN FEE + MDIA FEE + Home Builder Guaranty Fund lines and Zoning Administrator + "MDIA APPROVAL / INSPECTOR" signature blocks (VERIFIED, archived PDF read); Resolution 02-2018 setting town building-permit fees (VERIFIED, archived); a 25% permit-fee increase passed 6/2025 (VERIFIED, news); town code Ch. 57 §57-3 creates an "Office of Town Building Official" (SNIPPET, code-index titles; chapter body unreachable). MDIA inspects under contract: footers, foundations, framing, insulation, finals (SNIPPET, town permit page; corroborated VERIFIED by the MDIA fee/signature lines on Form A and town vendor payments to MDIA). Codes: 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IPC/IMC + 2023 NEC, eff. 5/1/2024 (SNIPPET, town permit page via search; state 2021 floor VERIFIED). Form A requires "two stamped architect's sets" for new construction only (VERIFIED); no engineer-report/3P acceptance language published for repairs. Historic District trap: exterior work on HD properties routes through Form B + HDC review (first-Wednesday meetings, 7-day filing deadline for non-new-construction; VERIFIED form). Retaining walls not itemized anywhere (threshold unknown). Not retrievable: every live chestertown.gov page (Cloudflare), Ch. 57 full text, MDIA fee sheet. Call Moore at 410-778-0500: permit trigger for repair scopes; whether MDIA accepts UP's PE reports for the footer/foundation stages; RTW threshold; HD routing for foundation work.
Asks (county): PE-report acceptance at Phase 2 (pre-backfill) for pier work; RTW threshold.

Queen Anne's County + Town of Centreville

P&Z Permits Division: 410-758-4088, 110 Vincit St Ste 104, Centreville. Code Official = Zoning Administrator (Ch. 10 §10-2; VERIFIED). Trades → MDIA 410-822-8300 (2016 bulletin; confirm current).
Current Adopted Codes sheet (2026-07-28): 2021 I-codes eff. 5/1/2024, 2023 NEC, 2024 NFPA: https://qac.org/DocumentCenter/View/23728/Current-Adopted-Codes--2026-07-28 (VERIFIED)
Ch. 10 amendments: https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/doc/queenannes-code-amendmentsts.pdf (VERIFIED, read in full; no Ch 17 changes, no 3P). Commercial plans need MD PE/architect seal on every sheet (amended 107.1.1; VERIFIED). Residential bulletin (rev. 1/24/2016, STALE): https://www.qac.org/DocumentCenter/View/312 (VERIFIED).
Town of Centreville: standalone AHJ, confirmed (researched 8/2026; upgraded from "state-directory contact only" to a verified fee-charging, form-issuing town permit office). Town P&Z, Town Hall, 101 Lawyer's Row; 410-758-1180, fax 410-758-4741. Zoning Administrator Peter Flint (ext. 36) is the Building Code Official per code §28-2.A(1); Town Manager Carolyn Brinkley (ext. 14) = "Department of Building Inspection" per §28-2.A(3) (VERIFIED, staff directory + current code). §170-53: no structure "erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered" without a town permit (VERIFIED, quoted on the town forms page): structural repair is permit work. The 2015-IBC ecode snapshot is STALE: Ord. 03-2024 (3/16/2024) adopted 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC + COMAR 09.12.51.04 modifications (VERIFIED, centreville.municipalcodeonline.com current text, §28-1). MDIA performs the field building inspections: the town's own fee schedule (Res. 08-2024) embeds MDIA inspection fees throughout ($78 MDIA fee on residential renovations, $70 MDIA re-inspection; VERIFIED, DRAFT-watermark caveat on the archived copy; "MDIA does all inspections" in one sentence is INFERRED from those line items, one call closes it). Fee class for repair work: residential renovation $0.15/sf, $150 min, + the MDIA fee (VERIFIED). Retaining walls: no town line item anywhere (2021-code 4-ft default INFERRED). No PE-acceptance language published. Building permit expires if not started within one year (§28-2 amending 105.5, VERIFIED). Not retrieved: live town media PDFs (Cloudflare 403; application form recovered from a 2022 archive, rev. 09/26/2017), signed Ord. 03-2024 PDF. Call Flint at ext. 36: MDIA scheduling flow (town vs 410-822-8300); PE-report acceptance for pier work; RTW threshold.
Asks (county): engineer-report practice; MDIA scope beyond trades; current inspection list.

Talbot County + Town of Easton

County Permits & Inspections: 410-770-6840, 215 Bay St Ste 3, Easton; inspection scheduling 410-770-6849 (8:00-3:30) or talbotcomd.viewpointcloud.com (VERIFIED). Building official name unpublished.
Ch. 28 + 2006 Supplement (state PDF, read in full): repairs under MD Rehab Code = no permit; RTW ≤4 ft exempt (codified); footing/pre-backfill foundation/slab/framing inspections by the building official; §109.3.12.4 "For special inspections, see Section 1704" (unamended): https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/doc/talbot-code-amendments.pdf (VERIFIED). County codes page still lists 2018 editions (state is 2021); VERIFIED page, flag staleness. Electrical → MDIA 410-822-8300. CAUTION: the "third-party ICC inspector" snippet on talbotcountymd.gov is the short-term-rental license program, not construction.
Town of Easton: own Code Enforcement Office + published Special Inspection Program manual (fetched, read in full; re-verified byte-identical on the load-bearing clauses 8/2026): https://eastonmd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/94/Special-Inspections-Manual-PDF (VERIFIED). Applicability: commercial >$200K (excl. R2/R3/R4); "All deep foundations, such as caissons and piles" (standalone bullet); post-tensioned; problematic soils; elevated slabs; BCO discretion. SSI = condition of permit; inspector qualifications approved by BCO; reports ≤5 business days (48-hr agency delivery), tests ≤10 days; signed/sealed Final Report per Inspector of Record; pile driving records to the Town before pile caps; Geotechnical IR written notice-to-proceed before superstructure. Inspectors of Record must be unaffiliated with designers AND contractor, AND with Town officials/previous Town employees per the Town Code of Ethics (the manual's independence rule is stronger than first recorded). Ordinary repairs exempt but exemption excludes structural work; RTW ≤4 ft exempt; paper applications only. Town: 410-822-2526, 14 S. Harrison St (VERIFIED). Building Code Manager: Tom Diem (VERIFIED, staff directory 8/2026; inspectors Heckler/Haase/Coleman + Sr. Technical Inspector Mark Turner). Codes now published (VERIFIED, town FAQ): 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IMC/IPC/IEBC eff. 7/1/2024 (+2018 IFGC, 2017 NEC, 2012 IPMC), codified as the "Town of Easton Building Code" with COMAR 09.12.51.04 modifications.
County asks: PE-report acceptance on pier permits; current editions. Easton asks: does "all deep foundations" pull residential pier repair into the SIP (vs. the R3 exclusion), and can Valerio be SER with a separate firm as SIR under the unaffiliation rule?

Washington County MD + City of Hagerstown (and the six towns, resolved)

Division of Permits & Inspections: 240-313-2460, 747 Northern Ave, Hagerstown (M-F 7:30-4:30); IVR inspection scheduling 240-313-2488 / Accela (VERIFIED). Building official name unpublished.
2021 full I-code suite + 2020 NEC by ORD-2024-13 (adopted 2/27/2024, eff. 7/1/2024; ordinance PDF read 8/2026): https://www.washco-md.net/permits-and-inspections/combined-codes-ordinances/ (VERIFIED). Key local amendment: retaining walls permit-exempt only when retaining under 36" of unbalanced backfill, and never when supporting a surcharge (amended IBC 105.2(4) + IRC R105.2(3), VERIFIED in the ordinance): stricter than the model code, and it resolves the old "threshold unpublished" gap.
Numbered residential inspection sequence (300 footing pre-pour / 500 foundation pre-backfill (drain tile + dampproofing must be complete) / 501 pre-pour concrete / 510-515 slabs / 700 framing / 800s finals; min. 4 inspections on alterations): https://www.washco-md.net/wp-content/uploads/Inspection-Requirements-2.pdf (VERIFIED). No engineer/3P language anywhere in it.
Homeowner booklet (dated, 2012-era fees, form revs 12/2015): permit to "construct, enlarge, alter, repair…": https://www.washco-md.net/wp-content/uploads/HomeownerPermitProceduresBooklet.pdf (VERIFIED). Standalone "Footing and Foundation Permit" ($75; SNIPPET). 2010 retaining-wall memo (Dan DiVito): engineered drawings required over the threshold (VERIFIED; superseded on the number by ORD-2024-13's 36").
Only "Third-Party Inspection Procedures" in the county repository are stormwater/grading (S-3 policy), not building (SNIPPET).
The "county handles only work OUTSIDE the seven towns" statement is an intake note, not an enforcement boundary (town-by-town research 8/2026; the booklet's own text: in-town applications go to Town Hall, the town does zoning, then forwards to the county Division "for review and approval of the building codes"). Town-side outcomes:
- Hancock: county takeover, formal. "Effective October 1, 2019, Washington County performs permitting, inspections, and enforcement services for the Town of Hancock" (VERIFIED, county release; Becky Gander, Chief of Permitting, 240-313-2466 named there). Town keeps zoning: 301-678-5622, info@townofhancock.org. NB the old hancockmd.com domain is hijacked (gambling content); the real domain is townofhancock.org.
- Keedysville: county issues permits AND inspects since 12/6/2021 (VERIFIED, town announcement still posted); town zoning approval first (301-432-5795).
- Clear Spring: zoning-only town. Its entire published ordinance corpus is a zoning ordinance with zero building-code content (VERIFIED, full 73-page OCR); zoning permit from the town (301-842-2252, Mon-Thu 8-4, clear_spring@myactv.net), building code review/inspection = county. Final-issuance mechanics unresolved (the one open thread).
- Sharpsburg: county reviews, collects fees, and issues; town = zoning gate + pickup window (VERIFIED, town building-permits page). Town Hall 301-432-4428; Zoning Administrator unnamed. (Town page's "80 W Washington St" county address is wrong; use the Division.)
- Boonsboro: FOLDS under the county (RULED 2026-08-12). Town issues the permit placard after county building-code review (VERIFIED both sides: county booklet + town P&Z page); inspections by county (INFERRED, strong: town has no inspector). Zoning gate + issuance window only. Town layer: Drew Bowen, Town Planner/Zoning Administrator/Code Enforcement Officer, 301-432-5690, townplanner@townofboonsboro.com (VERIFIED). The code authority is Washington County.
- Williamsport: FOLDS under the county (RULED 2026-08-12), same pattern by ordinance. Town Ch. 7 designates the county Director of Permits & Inspections as Code Official and rolls forward whatever codes the county adopts (VERIFIED, ordinance OCR); the town-posted permit application is literally a county form with County + Town permit-number fields (VERIFIED). Town keeps the zoning gate: Zoning Administrator Linda Kuczynski, 301-223-7711. Structural work is never "ordinary repair" (§107.1.1 exclusion, VERIFIED).
- No contracted private code firm (Planchek/MEGCO/MDIA) appears anywhere for any of the six (VERIFIED absence).
City of Hagerstown: own Permits and Inspections Division (Dept. of Engineering & Permits), 301-739-8577 x123, permits@hagerstownmd.org, One E. Franklin St 3rd Fl, M-F 8-4 (VERIFIED 8/2026). Chief Code Official: Blaine Mowen (VERIFIED, staff directory; Building Inspector III Pamela Harris, Permits Manager Mary Reichert). 2021 IBC/IRC each "with local amendments" applicable from 1/1/2024 (VERIFIED page; amendment PDFs SNIPPET). Sequence: footing forms / foundation / slab / framing / ceiling close-in / final (VERIFIED). As of 1/1/2026 inspection requests are online-form only: no phone or email intake (VERIFIED, city pages); buildinginspector@hagerstownmd.org for questions only. No 3P policy published on city web pages (VERIFIED absence; codified Ch. 64 Art. I unreachable behind Cloudflare, so a buried amendment can't be excluded).
Asks: PE-report acceptance on the 300/500 cadence for pier work (20 records = high-value call); does the Footing & Foundation Permit fit repair scopes; Clear Spring final-issuance mechanics; Hagerstown Ch. 64 3P sweep (call x123).

Wicomico County + City of Salisbury

Permits & Inspections: 410-548-4810, permits@wicomicocounty.org, Rm 201, 125 N Division St, Salisbury (VERIFIED). Building official = Chief Building Inspector, DPW (name unpublished).
Ch. 117 enrolled bill (2015 session, read in full): 2015 I-codes + appendices; structural alterations/repairs need permits ("ordinary non-structural repairs" exempt); RTW ≤4 ft exempt; CBO 10-yrs experience requirement; 4× fees for unpermitted work: https://www.wicomicocounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/3711 (VERIFIED; later MBPS editions apply by state mandate, INFERRED).
Published 3P carve-outs: all electrical via county-approved private agencies (list VERIFIED: American Inspection Agency 302-732-6900, First State 800-468-7338, MD Electrical Inspections/George Landing 410-219-3228); suspended slabs = 3P agency reports approved + signed by MD Licensed Engineer (VERIFIED in the Salisbury guidelines; county-side SNIPPET), the best published engineer-report precedent on the lower Shore.
Residential FAQ: https://www.wicomicocounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/3888/Residential-Permits-FAQs (VERIFIED)
City of Salisbury: own office, current-code, and the 3P+PE rule is LIVE (researched 8/2026). Dept. of Infrastructure & Development, Government Office Building, 125 N. Division St, Room 202 (permits counter; the old "basement Rm B-13" address is legacy letterhead still circulating), 410-548-3130 / 410-548-3170, 8:30-4:30, call ahead ("please call to schedule… someone will be present to issue your permit") (VERIFIED, guidelines page + Rev. 2022 application). Named (Maryland Manual, rev. 6/2025): Nicholas J. Voitiuc, Director; Chad E. Goblinger, Permits & Inspections Manager (the operative permits head; no one currently carries the literal "Building Official" title). Codes CURRENT: 2021 editions by Ord. 2906, 12/16/2024 (VERIFIED, Municode through 2/18/2026): §15.04.010 adopts 2021 IMC/IPC/IFGC/IEBC/IgCC; IBC/IRC 2021 arrive via MBPS incorporation (§15.04.020/.025). The suspended-slab rule survives on the live guidelines page (fetched raw 8/2026): "Must be inspected by a third party inspection agency and reports approved and signed by a State of Maryland Licensed Engineer" (VERIFIED; lives at procedures level, not in the codified amendments). Inspection sequence published twice (application + guidelines): footing → suspended slabs (3P) → foundation pre-backfill → underground → framing → final; permit holder or agent must be present for all inspections (§15.04.020.I, VERIFIED). Triggers: "any repair involving structural members" is permit work in the city's own words (VERIFIED); fences <50 lin ft exempt (stricter than model); no RTW exemption in the local amendments (model-code 4-ft default INFERRED). Unpermitted work = double fee (VERIFIED). Truss drawings must be sealed by a MD engineer; special conditions → RDP documents at BO discretion (VERIFIED). Not retrieved: Ch. 15.20 Grading & Excavations content; a current city staff page naming the BO.
Asks: extend the suspended-slab PE-report format to pier/anchor verification (ask Goblinger directly); current county editions vs. the 2015 bill; sort the 4 records city-vs-county (offices share an address, Rm 201 county vs Rm 202 city).

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