Whole-home remodeling in Prince George's County

30%² of the county's homes date from 1950 through 1969: brick ramblers, Cape Cods, split-levels and the colonials of planned neighborhoods such as Bowie. Unless a lead-based paint inspection shows otherwise, the EPA says to treat paint in homes built before 1978 as if it contains lead.¹⁴ When sanding and demolition move from room to room, the lead-safe setup has to move with the crew. For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.¹⁵

Beyond flooring, the EPA lists vermiculite attic and wall insulation, roofing and siding shingles, textured paint and patching compounds on walls and ceilings, and hot water and steam pipes wrapped in asbestos blanket or tape among the places asbestos may be found in a home.¹⁶ Old resilient tile under carpet turns up in houses of this age too. The EPA lists vinyl floor tile, vinyl sheet backing and flooring adhesives among products that may contain asbestos, which is released mainly when the material is disturbed.¹⁶ Have anything suspect sampled before a demolition date goes on the calendar.

The EPA notes that lead can collect inside galvanized pipe and later reach drinking water, and that solder made before 1986 contained high levels of lead.¹⁷ If the supply lines turn out to be galvanized steel, replacing them while the walls stand open costs far less than a separate trip later.

Relocating stairs and building dormers each need a building permit and plans under the county's permit chart.⁷ Moving a stair or adding a dormer changes how the house carries its loads, so the structural drawings DPIE asks for with an alteration application need to show it. Prince George's County's permitting department reminds applicants that any project needing a permit will also need an inspection.⁷

In Prince George's County, every addition to a home that has a sprinkler system, including sunrooms and patio enclosures, must also be sprinklered, and a house that is completely demolished down to its foundation, or given an addition larger than its existing floor area, must be fully sprinklered.¹³ If an addition is part of the plan, ask early whether its size triggers that rule, because sprinkler piping is much simpler to run before ceilings close.

Where a home is on a septic system, Prince George's County's Health Department checks that the existing system is large enough for any increase in living area.¹³ A house on septic therefore has one more review to clear when the renovation adds living space.

An issued Prince George's County building permit stays valid only if inspections take place within a six-month period; if no inspections are scheduled, it expires automatically.¹⁸ On a job that moves through the house in phases, keep inspections booked so a quiet month doesn't cost you the permit.

For very dusty work such as demolition, the EPA describes isolating the work area: sealing it off with no direct access to the occupied rooms, with workers using a separate entrance until cleanup is done.¹⁴ In a split-level, the short flights between levels make it possible to seal off one level at a time, provided a working bathroom and a kitchen sink stay on the side where the family is living.

If the lower level is part of the job, run a radon test before any framing starts. The EPA recommends testing for radon before remodeling a basement, because fixing a radon problem is usually easier and less expensive before the basement is finished.¹⁵ The Maryland Department of Health says Maryland residents may be eligible for a free radon test kit, through the Maryland Department of the Environment.¹⁹

More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.²⁰ 31%²¹ of owner-occupied homes in the county have a householder of retirement age, so a whole-house renovation is a sensible time to add an entry-level full bath, wider doorways and blocking for future grab bars. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.²²

Beginning July 1, 2026, Prince George's County requires certain newly built homes, including single-family detached and attached, two-family and three-family dwellings, to include universal design features; existing homes do not have to be retrofitted.²³ That requirement doesn't reach a renovation of an existing house, so features like these are a choice made with the company rather than a rule.

Prince George's County's Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program offers owner-occupants within its income limits loans of up to $60,000 at 0% interest with no monthly payment for health and safety repairs, including ADA-related improvements such as ramps, grab bars and railings.²⁴ If the household's income fits, ask before the contract is signed whether that loan could cover the safety and accessibility part of the work.

The number on this page rings through, on a recorded line, to one independent company that handles whole-home remodels in the Prince George's County area. The scope, the order of the rooms and the price are worked out between you and that company.

That company pays us for the call. You pay us nothing, and nobody from our side will phone or text you afterward. How we make money

Before any deposit, look the company up with the state yourself. Maryland's Home Improvement Commission licenses home improvement contractors and salespersons, and its License Search shows whether a license is current.²⁵ Check a Maryland license

Prince George's County says that unless the homeowner does the work, every home improvement project must use a contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission, and a home in a subdivision with a homeowners association may also need the association's approval.⁵ In Prince George's County, installing plumbing or natural gas piping requires an application by a master plumber or gasfitter licensed by WSSC Water, and plumbing installation by a homeowner is generally not permitted.⁵