Kitchen Remodeling in Montgomery County, MD: A Local Guide (2026)
The short version
- Montgomery County is our home market, our office is in Gaithersburg, so from Bethesda to Rockville to Chevy Chase, this is the work we do most.
- Permits depend on your address: the City of Rockville and City of Gaithersburg permit their own, some towns add an approval of their own, and everywhere else goes through county DPS, with plumbing permits from WSSC (in Rockville, possibly the City).
- Your contractor must hold an MHIC license (Maryland law), ours is149913.
- Older county homes hide surprises, wiring, plumbing, panels, so plan for them rather than being caught out mid-project.
What’s different about a Montgomery County kitchen remodel?
A kitchen remodel is a kitchen remodel, but where you do it changes the details that matter. Montgomery County pairs affluent, established neighborhoods with a housing stock that skews older, which shapes both the design and what you find behind the walls. As a design-build remodeler headquartered in Gaithersburg, this is the market we know best, and here is what actually affects your project locally.
Permitting: county vs city
Any kitchen remodel that touches electrical, plumbing, structure, or the layout needs a permit. The catch is which office issues it. The City of Rockville and the City of Gaithersburg run their own permitting for homes inside their limits. Elsewhere, including Bethesda and Silver Spring, Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) issues the permit, and several towns, including Chevy Chase Village, the Town of Chevy Chase, Kensington, Garrett Park, and Somerset, require their own approval in addition to the County permit. Plumbing permits come from WSSC Water (the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission), not DPS; in Rockville, who issues the plumbing permit depends on whether the address is on City of Rockville water or WSSC water, and the City sends WSSC-water addresses to WSSC for the permit. We confirm which office governs your address before filing, so a submission never lands in the wrong queue.
The MHIC license rule
Maryland requires a Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license for residential home-improvement work, and it is the single easiest credential to check before you hire anyone: ask for the number. Excell Homes holds MHIC license 149913. A contractor who cannot give you one should not be touching your kitchen.
Older housing stock, and what it means
Much of Montgomery County’s most desirable housing is decades old. That is part of the appeal, but it means a kitchen remodel here more often runs into outdated wiring, aging supply lines, or an electrical panel that needs upgrading once the walls are open. None of that is a reason not to remodel; it is a reason to plan for it up front, so it shows up in the estimate instead of as a mid-project surprise. Opening up a closed-off galley kitchen into the kind of open plan buyers here expect is some of our most common county work.
What it costs
Kitchen cost tracks scope, finishes, and how much of the layout moves far more than the ZIP code, though Montgomery County’s premium submarkets and older homes push toward the higher end. Rather than repeat ranges here, see our detailed DC-metro kitchen remodel cost guide, and if you would rather build now and pay over time, our RenoFi financing is based on your home’s after-renovation value.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Montgomery County?
For electrical, plumbing, structural, or layout changes, yes. The building permit comes from Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services, or from the City of Rockville or City of Gaithersburg for homes inside those cities, and plumbing permits come from WSSC Water (the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission), not DPS (in Rockville, possibly the City). A purely cosmetic refresh, like paint or a like-for-like cabinet swap, usually does not need one, but Gaithersburg requires a Residential Improvement Permit for work such as remodeling kitchens and bathrooms, finishing a basement, or enlarging windows or doors, so check before you start.
Does my kitchen contractor need an MHIC license?
Yes. Maryland requires a Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license for residential home-improvement work, and it is worth asking any contractor for their number before you sign. Excell Homes holds MHIC license 149913.
Who issues my permit, the county or the city?
It depends on your address. The City of Rockville and the City of Gaithersburg issue their own permits for homes inside city limits. Elsewhere, Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services (DPS) issues the building permit, and several towns, including Chevy Chase Village, the Town of Chevy Chase, Kensington, Garrett Park, and Somerset, require their own approval as well. Plumbing permits come from WSSC Water (the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission), not DPS; in Rockville, who issues the plumbing permit depends on whether the address is on City of Rockville water or WSSC water, and the City sends WSSC-water addresses to WSSC for the permit. We confirm which office governs your home.
How long does a Montgomery County kitchen remodel take?
It depends on the project: how much of the layout changes, cabinet and appliance lead times, permit review, and what older homes reveal once walls are opened. As a reference, homeowners in Houzz's 2026 renovation study reported an average of 9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of construction for a kitchen (national averages (Houzz 2026), varies by project).
What surprises come up in older Montgomery County kitchens?
In the county's established neighborhoods, opening a wall often reveals outdated wiring, aging plumbing, or an undersized electrical panel that has to be brought up to code. Planning for those realities up front is what keeps an older-home kitchen remodel on budget.
Recent Montgomery County kitchens: Kitchen Remodel in Bethesda, MD (2024), and Kitchen Remodel in Rockville, MD.
Related guides
- Our kitchen remodeling service, design through build
- What a kitchen remodel costs in the DC metro
- Home remodeling in Bethesda, MD
- Home remodeling in Rockville, MD
Where we build
Excell Homes remodels homes across the DC metro. Explore our work by area: