Baltimore County's Commercial Permits: PAI, DRC, DEPS, and DPW

City vs County — the boundary

Baltimore City is an independent city (not part of any county) — the only independent city in Maryland. Baltimore County surrounds the City but doesn't include it. The separation produces two distinct regulatory environments:

• Baltimore City — DHCD E-Permits, CHAP historic review (see our Baltimore CHAP essay), urban zoning patterns.
• Baltimore County — PAI portal, DRC coordination, largely suburban-to-semi-rural context.

Primary source: baltimorecountymd.gov (Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections).

PAI — the central permit authority

PAI oversees land development and use across Baltimore County. Functions relevant to commercial permits:

• Permit Processing — reviews applications for building, electrical, plumbing, and other construction permits; handles fee payment for water/sewer connections.
• Online portal — applicants create accounts, submit applications, upload documents, and track review status. All application submission is digital.
• Issuance and inspections — once reviews complete, PAI issues permits and applicants schedule inspections.
• Development Management (DM) — division within PAI that coordinates development review across County agencies; initial point of contact for developers; assesses/collects development fees.

Development Review Committee (DRC)

The DRC is the cross-agency coordination body for development proposals:

• Operates under PAI Director's authority.
• Meets bi-weekly to consider development proposals.
• Comprises representatives from involved County departments.
• Issues recommendations on how development plans should be reviewed, approved, or amended under the Baltimore County Code.
• Formal recommendation letters and Director's decisions available via the Citizen Access Portal.

A commercial project of meaningful scale is likely to land on a DRC agenda for inter-agency review, particularly if it involves site planning, grading, or utility coordination.

DEPS — environmental coordination

The Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability handles the environmental dimension of development:

• Development Coordination division — distributes, tracks, and approves permits/plans in DEPS; participates in DRC.
• Stormwater management — reviews ESD-to-MEP compliance (see our MD New vs Redevelopment essay) and sediment/erosion control plans per Baltimore County's program, which is delegated under MDE.
• Forest conservation — reviews compliance with Baltimore County Forest Conservation Act provisions.
• Water quality and pollution prevention.

Environmental Health Services (EHS)

Part of Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services, EHS supports permit review for specific occupancy types:

• Food service facilities — plan review for new construction and renovations; HACCP risk assessments and manuals.
• Adult healthcare facilities — construction plan approval.
• Public swimming pools — plan review.
• Well-and-septic sites — Ground Water Site Plan requirements apply; private well and on-site sewage disposal systems require EHS review.

For commercial projects with food service, healthcare, or pool components, EHS engagement runs in parallel with PAI building permit review.

DPW — utilities and infrastructure

Department of Public Works and Transportation handles:

• Water meter services — meter service applications.
• Water and sewer connections — fee processing via PAI, technical review via DPW.
• Wastewater discharge permits through DPW's Bureau of Utilities for industrial and commercial facilities.
• Development Plans Review (DPR) Bureau — reviews development plans, construction drawings, and building permits for engineering compliance on access, water supply, wastewater, and storm drainage.
• Published checklists for grading, storm drains, water, and sewer plans.

The commercial permit flow

1. Pre-application / Development Management contact. DM within PAI can provide early scoping, flag DRC requirements.
2. Online portal account. Required for all application submission.
3. Gather documentation. Construction plans signed and sealed by MD-licensed design professional, site plans, data sheets. Specific additional documents for floodplain (Elevation Certificate), well-and-septic (ground water site plan), change of occupancy (floor plans, data sheets), etc.
4. Submit online application. Applicant, owner, contractor info, scope description, project scope questions.
5. Initial review by PAI Permit Processing. Comments and revision requests may be issued.
6. Fee calculation and payment. Notification when fees are ready; pay online (PayPal / credit card) or arranged alternate.
7. Technical review by all relevant reviewing departments — DEPS, DPW, EHS, Fire Marshal, as applicable.
8. DRC review where triggered by project scope (typical for larger commercial / development projects).
9. Approval and permit issuance.
10. Inspection scheduling for construction milestones.
11. Separate permits — electrical, plumbing as applicable; grading permit separately if LOD > 5,000 sf.
12. Development impact surcharge may apply to new commercial structures.

What trips up out-of-county contractors

• Treating Baltimore City and County as interchangeable. Different portals, different departments, different codes in spots. The two systems share little procedural DNA.
• Missing the grading permit threshold. >5,000 sf LOD requires a separate grading permit, not bundled.
• Under-scoping EHS involvement. Food service, pools, healthcare, and well-and-septic all trigger EHS review with its own requirements.
• Missing DRC cycle timing. DRC meets bi-weekly; missed deadlines push to the next meeting.
• Not engaging DM upstream. Development Management is there to smooth scoping; free consultation.
• Assuming CHAP-like historic overlay applies. Baltimore County has its own historic preservation framework (County Landmarks Preservation Commission) distinct from Baltimore City CHAP.
• Forgetting Forest Conservation Act. MD's FCA (implemented via Baltimore County's ordinance under DEPS) applies on qualifying projects; analysis required early.
• Utility fees through DPW but paid via PAI. Routing can confuse first-time applicants.

How Baltimore County compares to other MD jurisdictions

• Baltimore City. DHCD E-Permits + CHAP historic review. Urban-density posture.
• Montgomery County. Department of Permitting Services (DPS); aggressive energy code overlay (see our MD MBPS essay).
• Howard County. DPZ Department of Planning and Zoning + Inspections, Licenses, and Permits.
• Anne Arundel County. Inspections and Permits Division with Office of Planning and Zoning.
• Rural counties (Washington, Frederick, Carroll). Smaller staff, different review cadences.
• Baltimore County. The PAI + DRC model described here.

Each County in MD has its own permit structure. Statewide MBPS code base provides consistency; procedural wrapping varies.

What to do with this

If you're starting a Baltimore County commercial project: make Development Management your first call. Scope DRC/DEPS/DPW/EHS touches before design commits.

If you're crossing from Baltimore City: internalize that the portal, departments, and cadence differ. Don't transfer EZOP or CHAP assumptions.

If your LOD exceeds 5,000 sf: build the grading permit into the schedule.

For cross-jurisdiction MD comparison, see Mid-Atlantic Permits Compared. For the MD contractor licensing stack, see our MHIC Guaranty Fund essay.

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