Natalie’s Library
Do I need a permit for a whole-home remodel in Chevy Chase?
Natalie’s answer
“Yes, almost any substantive whole-home remodel in Chevy Chase, covering electrical, plumbing, structural, or mechanical work, requires permits from Montgomery County, while purely cosmetic updates like painting or swapping fixtures typically do not. MOSS handles the entire Montgomery County permitting process as part of its design-build service, from preparing required drawings to final inspection sign-off.”
Almost any substantive work in a whole-home remodel in Chevy Chasewill require one or more permits from Montgomery County, which serves as the permitting authority for the area. Structural changes such as removing or adding walls, altering the roofline, or modifying load-bearing elements trigger a building permit. So do electrical upgrades or panel replacements, new or relocated plumbing, gas line work, and mechanical systems including HVAC. Egress changes, adding or enlarging windows, modifying stairways, also require review. The work that generally does not require a permit is purely cosmetic: painting, refinishing floors, swapping out fixtures like faucets or light switches in kind, and installing new cabinet hardware. Montgomery County's standard plan review runs 15 to 20 business days, though an expedited five-day review is available for homeowners who want to move faster.
Under MOSS's design-buildmodel, pulling the permit is our responsibility, not yours. Our team prepares the required construction drawings, including architect- or engineer-stamped structural documents when the scope demands them, and completes the DPS-1 application forms before submitting the full package to Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services. We track the review, respond to any comments or correction requests, and schedule every required inspection as the project progresses. You do not need to navigate the county's system, appear at a permit office, or manage the back-and-forth with plan reviewers. We handle it from initial submission through final sign-off.
Permitting protects you in ways that go well beyond satisfying a bureaucratic requirement. Inspected, code-compliant work means every structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical system in your home has been independently verified as safe, something that matters to your family while you live there and to buyers and their lenders when you eventually sell. An unpermitted remodel can complicate or derail a sale and expose you to liability. If your property falls within the Chevy Chase Village Historic District, there is an additional layer of review: the Town's Board of Managers and the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission must approve exterior modifications to protect the neighborhood's early twentieth-century Colonial Revival character. MOSS has experience working within those historic district guidelines, coordinating both county permitting and the historic review simultaneously so your project moves forward without unnecessary delays.