St. Mary's County, Maryland - County Development Fees
St. Mary's County | County | Southern Maryland / Patuxent River corridor | California-Lexington Park, MD MSA | County seat: Leonardtown | FIPS 24037
St. Mary's County occupies the southern tip of the Southern Maryland peninsula between the Patuxent River and the Potomac River, anchored by Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) administers development review, zoning application, subdivision, site plan, and building permit fees under County Code Chapter 223, plus the Building Excise Tax under Chapter 267 Article XXXII, on behalf of the Commissioners of St. Mary's County. Public water and sewer service is provided separately by the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission (MetCom), a sanitary commission organized under Chapter 113 of the Maryland Code that administers capital contribution charges and tap fees for new connections. Department of Land Use and Growth Management, Leonardtown MD 20650.
Recent Fee Changes
MetCom water and sewer fee schedule effective July 1, 2025; Building Excise Tax current under Ordinance 2023-09. MetCom updates its fee schedule annually effective July 1; the current one-time residential Capital Contribution Charges are $10,955.87 per EDU (water) and $8,980.87 per EDU (sewer). The Building Excise Tax under Chapter 267 Article XXXII (Ordinance 2023-09, effective July 1, 2023) remains at $6,697 per single-family unit; rates are adjusted annually via the Revenue Tax Ordinance adopted with the county budget. The LUGM zoning and permit fee schedule in Chapter 223 was last amended by Ordinance 2019-18 (May 21, 2019), code current as of the June 24, 2026 Municode supplement.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Fees (Building Excise Tax) | Confirmed | Single-family $6,697 per unit; multifamily $3,218 per unit; nonresidential $0.80 to $4.11 per sq ft; lodging $1,342.35 per room | July 1, 2023 |
| Zoning, Subdivision, Site Plan, Building Permit Fees | Confirmed | PUD application $10,000; zoning map/text amendment $3,000; major subdivision $1,900 + $100/lot; building permit $0.16/sq ft | May 21, 2019 (Ch. 223) |
| Utility Tap Fees (MetCom Capital Contribution) | Confirmed | Residential water $10,955.87 per EDU; residential sewer $8,980.87 per EDU; $250 tap fee each | July 1, 2025 |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Maryland jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers; none located in official sources | - |
| Special District Fees | Not located | No separate special-district development fee schedule located; Chapter 113 sanitary district charges captured under utility tap fees | - |
Impact Fees - Building Excise Tax - Effective July 1, 2023
St. Mary's County levies a Building Excise Tax on new construction under County Code Chapter 267 Article XXXII (Sections 267-81 through 267-91), adopted by Ordinance 2023-09 and effective July 1, 2023, under Maryland Code Local Government Article Section 20-807. The tax is administered by the Department of Land Use and Growth Management and is allocated across school, road, recreation and parks, and public safety facility categories. Rates are adjusted annually through the Revenue Tax Ordinance adopted as part of the county budget (Section 267-83(D)); the single-family rate was confirmed unchanged at $6,697 through FY2024 and FY2025 per the Maryland Department of Legislative Services 2025 Impact Fees report. Source: Municode Chapter 267 Article XXXII (SHA-256 2f10be72...) corroborated by the Maryland DLS 2025 Impact Fees report (SHA-256 20da48ef...).
| Land Use | Building Excise Tax |
|---|---|
| Residential - Single-Family (per unit) | $6,697.00 (schools $3,066; roads $1,687; recreation/parks $1,056; public safety $888) |
| Residential - Multifamily (per unit) | $3,218.00 (schools $1,165; roads $719; recreation/parks $725; public safety $609) |
| Nonresidential - Retail / Commercial / Services | $4.11 per sq ft (roads $2.71; public safety $1.40) |
| Nonresidential - Office / Institutional / Medical | $1.82 per sq ft (roads $1.20; public safety $0.62) |
| Nonresidential - Industrial / Flex / Other | $0.80 per sq ft (roads $0.53; public safety $0.27) |
| Nonresidential - Lodging (per room) | $1,342.35 per room (roads $885.65; public safety $456.70) |
Zoning, Subdivision, Site Plan, and Building Permit Fees
Source: St. Mary's County Code of Ordinances Chapter 223 Fees, Section 223-5 User Fees (Municode; SHA-256 d89bcbc5...), last amended by Ordinance 2019-18 (May 21, 2019), code current as of the June 24, 2026 Municode supplement. The selection below lists principal developer-side line items; many subdivision and site plan fees combine a LUGM review fee with a separate Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT) review fee, shown as a combined figure where applicable.
Subdivision and Site Plan Review
| Fee Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Minor Subdivision (1-7 lots) - LUGM + DPWT | $750.00 + $100.00 per lot |
| Major Subdivision (more than 7 lots) - LUGM + DPWT | $1,900.00 + $100.00 per lot |
| Major Site Plan - LUGM + DPWT | $1,500.00 per acre of disturbed area |
| Minor Site Plan - over 500 sq ft (LUGM + DPWT) | $250.00 + $125.00 DPWT review |
| Minor Site Plan - under 500 sq ft (LUGM) | $125.00 + $125.00 DPWT review |
| Concept Site Plan | $940.00 ($20 application + $760 LUGM TEC + $160 DPWT TEC) |
| Resubmission Review | $25.00 each after the first |
Zoning Actions and Board of Appeals
| Fee Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Planned Unit Development (PUD) Application | $10,000.00 |
| Zoning Map or Text Amendment (including Growth Allocation) | $3,000.00 |
| Board of Appeals - Conditional Use | $750.00 + $50.00 advertising fee |
| Board of Appeals - Variance of Zoning Ordinance | $500.00 + $50.00 advertising fee |
| Administrative Variance | $500.00 |
| Zoning Permit - Application Fee | $20.00 |
| Zoning Permit - Environmental Review | $30.00 |
| Zoning Permit - SWM Engineering Plan Review | $30.00 |
| Boundary Line Adjustment / Confirmatory / Plat Exempt | $80.00 |
| Traffic Impact Study Review | $200.00 per study |
Building Permits, Inspections, and Fee-in-Lieu
| Fee Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building Permit - SF/two-family dwelling, townhouse, multifamily | $0.16 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - Commercial, industrial, nonresidential | $0.16 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - Detached residential accessory structures | $0.03 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - Minimum permit fee | $20.00 |
| Building Permit - Demolition | $20.00 |
| Electrical Permit | $20.00 |
| Certificate of Use and Occupancy - SF/Townhouse/Duplex | $20.00 per dwelling unit |
| Certificate of Use and Occupancy - Commercial/Industrial/Nonresidential | $20.00 per structure |
| LUGM Inspection - Over-lot grading / SWM Engineered Plan | $160.00 per visit or plan |
| DPWT Grading Permit | $310.00 per disturbed acre |
| DPWT Public Works Agreement - Inspection | 3% of construction cost |
| Fee-in-Lieu of Planting in Critical Area | $1.50 per sq ft |
| Fee-in-Lieu of Planting in Forest Conservation (PFA) | $0.30 per sq ft |
MetCom Water and Sewer Connection Fees - Effective July 1, 2025
Source: St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) Engineering Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (SHA-256 bd8f6236...). MetCom is the public water and sewer utility for St. Mary's County, organized under Chapter 113 of the Maryland Code (Sanitary Districts). Capital Contribution Charges are one-time charges due at the time of application or required connection; a 50% deferral payment plan is available for eligible applicants. The figures below are one-time development connection charges. MetCom also levies monthly recurring System Improvement Charges per EDU (residential water $16.71, residential sewer $16.68, commercial water $20.05, commercial sewer $20.02 per EDU per month), which are ongoing utility charges outside the one-time development fee scope of this page.
| Fee Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Water Capital Contribution Charge - Residential | $10,955.87 per EDU |
| Water Capital Contribution Charge - Commercial | $13,147.04 per EDU |
| Sewer Capital Contribution Charge - Residential | $8,980.87 per EDU |
| Sewer Capital Contribution Charge - Commercial | $10,777.05 per EDU |
| Residential Tap Fee - Water (connection permit) | $250.00 per tap |
| Residential Tap Fee - Sewer (connection permit) | $250.00 per tap |
| Minor Subdivision Review (water + sewer) | $550.00 + $250.00 per lot |
| Major Subdivision Review (water + sewer, max $20,000) | $1,500.00 + $250.00 per lot |
| Sketch Plan (required for connection permit) | $70.00 |
| Water and Sewer Inspection for Certificate of Occupancy | $180.00 |
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed.
Proffers
Maryland jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303 has no Maryland counterpart. No proffer processing fee or proffer agreement fee was located across the official sources searched (three paths probed). Maryland substitutes the Building Excise Tax and Adequate Public Facilities review, both captured above. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources; consistent with the Maryland framework in which this family does not apply.
Special District Fees
No separate special-district development fee schedule administered by St. Mary's County was located across the official sources searched (three paths probed). The county's water and sewer sanitary districts are organized under Chapter 113 of the Maryland Code and administered by MetCom; their one-time connection charges are captured under utility tap fees above rather than as a standalone special-district line item. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources.
Recurring MetCom Charges and Annual Schedule Updates
MetCom levies monthly recurring System Improvement Charges per EDU that are not one-time development fees and are summarized for context only above. MetCom updates its fee schedule annually effective July 1; the figures here reflect the July 1, 2025 schedule. The Building Excise Tax rate is set annually by Revenue Tax Ordinance; verify the current fiscal-year rate before relying on the $6,697 single-family figure for budgeting.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) | Zoning, subdivision, site plan, building permit fees (Chapter 223); Building Excise Tax (Chapter 267 Article XXXII) | library.municode.com - St. Mary's County Code of Ordinances |
| St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) | Water and sewer capital contribution charges, tap fees, system improvement charges | metcom.org/billing-rates |
Related Maryland coverage on ZoneFee: Calvert County, Charles County, and all Maryland jurisdictions.
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Code of Ordinances Chapter 267 Article XXXII - Building Excise Tax (SHA-256 2f10be72...) | St. Mary's County, MD - Municode (official codifier) | 2026-06-25 |
| Code of Ordinances Chapter 223 Fees - Section 223-5 User Fees (SHA-256 d89bcbc5...) | St. Mary's County, MD - Municode (official codifier) | 2026-06-25 |
| MetCom Engineering Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (SHA-256 bd8f6236...) | St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) | 2026-06-25 |
| 2025 Impact Fees and Excise Taxes Report (Building Excise Tax corroboration) (SHA-256 20da48ef...) | Maryland General Assembly - Department of Legislative Services | 2026-06-25 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-25. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management and MetCom before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from official St. Mary's County, Maryland sources: the County Code of Ordinances Chapter 267 Article XXXII (Building Excise Tax) and Chapter 223 (Fees) via the Municode official codifier, the MetCom Engineering Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025, and the Maryland Department of Legislative Services 2025 Impact Fees report. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The categories displayed above include principal developer-side line items; the source schedules contain additional line items, referral fees, and inspection fees that are not enumerated here and remain authoritative in the source. The Building Excise Tax rate is adjusted annually via the Revenue Tax Ordinance, and MetCom updates its fee schedule annually effective July 1. Maryland jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and no separate county special-district development fee schedule was located across the official sources searched. Monthly recurring MetCom System Improvement Charges are shown for context only and are not one-time development fees. Verify all current rates directly with the St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management and MetCom before relying on this data for land acquisition, project budgeting, or any financial decision. This page is for research and due-diligence reference only - it is not legal or financial advice.