Selling a Baltimore City House With Unpermitted Work
Plenty of City rowhouses have a finished basement, an added bathroom or a moved wall that never got a permit. It doesn’t make the house unsellable. It does mean you should know what was done and decide how to handle it before a buyer’s agent looks it up.
Updated November 2026
How buyers find it
The City’s Department of Housing and Community Development has an online Existing Permit Search with permits back to 2005. Buyers’ agents and inspectors compare it with what they see. A third bathroom with no plumbing permit on record is the kind of thing that turns into a hard question.
What needs a permit in the City
City permits cover building, altering, repairing or demolishing a structure, and installing or replacing electrical, gas, heating and cooling, and plumbing systems. Homeowners can do some work themselves, but not electrical, gas, heating and cooling, or plumbing work, which needs a licensed contractor. A hired contractor working on a home of three units or fewer needs a Maryland Home Improvement Commission license.
Your options
- Permit it now. Apply for the work after the fact. The City charges a surcharge for work done without a permit, and an inspector may need to see inside walls or ceilings.
- Disclose it and price it in. Tell buyers what was done and when, and let them inspect.
- Undo it. Rarely worth it, except for work that’s unsafe.
If electrical or plumbing work was done by someone without a license, I’d have a licensed contractor look at it before you list. Safety comes before paperwork.
What to tell buyers
Be straightforward about what was done, when and by whom. Work you know is unsafe falls under Maryland’s latent-defect rule, which applies even on an as-is sale; see selling as-is in Baltimore City.
What I bring to this
I’ve hired and supervised contractors on rentals since 2014, so I can tell you what a fix or an after-the-fact permit will really take. Since 2023, my listings have sold for a median 103.6% of the original asking price, in a median of 6 days on the market. Here’s how I sell homes.
General information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Can I sell a house with unpermitted work without permitting it?
Yes, if you tell buyers. Expect it to affect price, and know that an appraiser may not count space that doesn’t meet code as finished living area.
Will I be fined if I apply for a permit now?
The City adds a surcharge for unpermitted work, and its Department of Housing and Community Development has a form to request a reduction.
Does the buyer's lender care about unpermitted work?
Sometimes, if the appraiser notes a safety issue or space that doesn’t meet code.
How far back do Baltimore City permit records go online?
The City’s Existing Permit Search shows permits from 2005 on. Older records take a request.
About Mike Fielder
Mike Fielder is a Baltimore Realtor and Sales Director of The Key Home Team at Cummings & Co. Realtors. Licensed since June 2016, he focuses on North Baltimore (Lake Evesham, Lake Walker, Cedarcroft, Hampden and Remington) and the Towson area. He works with buyers and sellers throughout Maryland and in parts of Pennsylvania, where he’s also licensed. He also serves as Vice President of the Lake Evesham Community Association.
Over his career, Mike has sold 190 homes worth more than $56 million. He’s backed by The Key Home Team, which has sold more than $375 million in real estate and closes about $30 million a year.
Mike founded Property Management of Baltimore in 2014, two years before getting his license, and still runs it. Managing rentals taught him what repairs really cost, which updates buyers pay for, and how to keep a deal moving when something breaks. Sellers get that judgment when deciding what to fix before listing. Buyers get it when they’re reading an inspection report.
A Towson University graduate, Mike keeps his approach simple: price from real recent sales, spend money only where it pays back, and compare offers by what the client actually keeps.
More from Mike: Selling with Mike · Neighborhood guide · Full bio
Not sure what's on record for your house?
I’ll look it up with you before you list. Call or text me at 410-905-6678.
The Key Home Team of Cummings & Co. Realtors
Cell: 410-905-6678
Email: [email protected]
Office: 410-823-0033
222 W Cold Spring Ln, Suite C, Baltimore, MD 21210
Website: mikesellsbaltimore.com