Which permits each system needs
DPIE's When Is a Permit Required? table, under "Appliance Installations (includes replacements)" (read 24 October 2026):
| Install | Electrical | Mechanical | Plumbing (gas) | Plans? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric air conditioning | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Heat pump | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Oil furnace | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Gas furnace | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Electric furnace | Yes | No | No | No |
| Solar heating system | Yes | Yes | Building permit too | No |
| Portable or window A/C | No | No | No | No |
A cord-and-plug unit needs no permit. Plumbing and gas permits are issued by WSSC Water, not DPIE.
Who can pull it. DPIE's Mechanical Permits page says the "Licensed/Master HVACR will need to register" to apply online. Since 15 July 2024, electrical and mechanical permits "must be obtained via the Prince George's County Momentum" system. Registration takes the Electronic Signature Acknowledgment form, a Momentum profile and an email to onlinemechanicalpermits@co.pg.md.us with the license and driver's license; DPIE asks applicants to allow 24 hours for verification. The page describes no homeowner route.
What it costs
From the DPIE Fee Schedule, effective 16 October 2026:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Mechanical, residential or commercial | Greater of $86 or 1.3% of the mechanical construction cost |
| Electrical, A/C equipment unit | $50 |
| Administrative fee (residential), each permit | $66 |
| Technology fee | 10% |
At the usual declared value in our data, $7,088, 1.3% is $92.14, so a typical replacement's mechanical permit is about $92 plus $66, plus 10%: $174. The electrical permit for the condenser adds $50 plus $66, plus 10%: $127.60. The WSSC permit for a gas furnace is separate.
Inspections
DPIE's Mechanical Permits page says residential systems outside the Third-Party Inspection Program are inspected by DPIE building inspectors, including duct rough-in and system setup. The master HVAC installer submits third-party certification of system data, distribution, zones, start-up and performance testing, and a DPIE inspector makes a final visual quality-assurance inspection. Projects with a total construction cost of $200,000 or more go into the Third-Party Inspection Program.
What 12,659 HVAC permits show
| Measure | Prince George's County mechanical permits |
|---|---|
| Permits, May 2021 to April 2023 | 12,659 (16% of all DPIE permits) |
| May 2021–April 2022 / May 2022–April 2023 | 6,768 / 5,891 (−13%) |
| Usual declared value | $7,088 (middle half $4,145 to $9,983) |
| Filed online (DPIE Online MECC) | 12,534 (99%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (128) / January (79) |
| ZIPs with the most | 20772 (1,230), 20613 (955), 20774 (910), 20744 (732) |
Filing follows the cooling season: June is 28% above an average month and July 19%, while January is 21% below. 20772 (Upper Marlboro) leads, ahead of 20613 (Brandywine) and 20774. The middle half of declared values is a narrow band, $4,145 to $9,983. Monthly counts are on Prince George's County HVAC permits; every kind of work on Prince George's County permit statistics and the rows on browse Prince George's County permits.
Before you hire
Look up past permits on your address in Permit LookSee and the legacy ePermit search (Prince George's County building permit search), and ask for the installer's Maryland HVACR license number. Next door: Montgomery County HVAC permit. Elsewhere: do I need a permit to replace my furnace or AC and filed values in HVAC replacement cost.
What this does not tell you
Our window ends in April 2023, when DPIE's move to Momentum thinned the open data; no current public file has mechanical permits. The file does not say whether a mechanical permit is for a house, so we cannot split homes from businesses, and it names no contractor and has no status or final date.
How we know this
Permit requirements are quoted from DPIE's When Is a Permit Required table, the licensing, Momentum and inspection rules from its Mechanical Permits page, and fees from the DPIE Fee Schedule effective 16 October 2026, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the county's open data Residential and Commercial Permits (July 2013 to Present) file, read 19 October 2026: mechanical permits issued May 2021 to April 2023.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace my AC in Prince George's County?
Yes. DPIE's permit table lists installing electric air conditioning, replacements included, as needing an electrical and a mechanical permit, with no plans. A window or portable unit needs no permit.
- What permits does a gas furnace need in Prince George's County?
Three: electrical, mechanical and plumbing, according to DPIE's When Is a Permit Required table. An oil furnace or heat pump needs electrical and mechanical permits; an electric furnace only an electrical permit. Gas and plumbing permits come from WSSC Water, not DPIE.
- How much is an HVAC permit in Prince George's County?
Under DPIE's fee schedule effective 16 October 2026, a mechanical permit is $86 or 1.3% of the mechanical construction cost, whichever is greater, plus a $66 administrative fee and a 10% technology fee. The matching electrical permit for an A/C unit is $50 plus the same fees.
- Who can pull a mechanical permit in Prince George's County?
A licensed master HVACR contractor, who registers with DPIE and applies in Momentum. DPIE's Mechanical Permits page describes no homeowner route.
- How many HVAC permits does Prince George's County issue?
12,659 mechanical permits from May 2021 to April 2023, about 6,330 a year. The second year, 5,891, was 13% below the first year's 6,768.
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- When Is a Permit Required? — Prince George's County DPIE (2026-10-24)
- Mechanical Permits — Prince George's County DPIE (2026-10-24)
- DPIE Fee Schedule, effective 16 October 2026 — Prince George's County (2026-10-24)
- Residential and Commercial Permits (July 2013 to Present) — Prince George's County Open Data (2026-10-19)