Variances & Permits

From regulatory dead end to issued permit.

Variance applications, hearing representation, construction documents, and the permit pathway — handled end to end, bilingual English and Spanish, for Maryland homeowners facing zoning constraints, denied permits, or unpermitted structures that need to be brought into compliance.

The case

One Maryland variance, end to end.

The case below is the anchor of this practice — a Montgomery County residential variance and permit retrofit handled by Maincare from denial through issued building permit, without an attorney, bilingual throughout. Click through for the full story.

Residential · Silver Spring, Montgomery County · 2022–2023

Carport variance & permit retrofit.

Existing carport at three feet from the side property line, denied by the County. Variance won before the Montgomery County Board of Appeals (Case A-6783, January 2023); construction documents prepared with a Maryland-licensed PE; Building Permit #950925 issued by Montgomery County DPS in March 2023. No attorney; bilingual representation throughout.

Read the full case study →

Who this helps

Does any of this sound like your situation?

You built a carport, deck, addition, or shed without a permit and now the County is asking questions.

You're trying to sell or refinance a home and discovered unpermitted work that has to be resolved.

Your contractor received a setback denial and doesn't know how to move forward.

Your project hits a zoning constraint and you want to know whether a variance is realistic before you spend more money.

You speak Spanish primarily and want someone who will explain the process clearly, in your language, from start to finish.

If any of these are you, a 30-minute conversation costs nothing and tends to clarify a lot.

What working with us looks like

Three steps. Plain language.

We work on a small number of cases at a time so every conversation is direct.

1

Free 30-minute call

English or Spanish. No commitment. We'll listen to your situation and tell you whether a variance is realistic, whether retrofitting is the cleaner path, or whether you need a different kind of help.

2

Diagnosis & fixed-fee proposal

If the case is a fit, we send a written proposal with a clear scope and a fixed fee — variance package, drawings package, or both, with timelines.

3

End-to-end execution

We handle the variance application, hearing representation, construction drawings (with our partner engineer), and permit submission to approval. One point of contact, every step.

Typical residential variance and permit packages run roughly $4,000 to $9,000 depending on complexity — a fraction of the cost of an attorney-led path. Diagnosis-only consultations and variance-only engagements are also available.

¿Habla español?

Hablamos su idioma — de principio a fin.

Hemos representado a propietarios en audiencias públicas en español, traducido bajo juramento, y ganado la variancia. Si prefiere recibir el servicio completamente en español — desde la consulta inicial hasta la audiencia, los planos, y el permiso — esa es exactamente la forma en que trabajamos.

240-854-7932 · hello@maincareservices.com

Get started

Tell us about your situation.

A free 30-minute call, English or Spanish. Bring whatever paperwork you have — a denial letter, an enforcement notice, a survey. We'll listen first, then talk through what's realistic.

Start a Conversation →

Maincare Services provides land use and permit consulting, including variance application preparation, hearing representation as authorized non-attorney agents, construction document preparation in coordination with a Maryland-licensed Professional Engineer, and permit submission. Maincare Services is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. Where a matter requires legal representation, we coordinate with appropriate counsel. The case described above reflects work performed on a single Montgomery County variance and permit matter; outcomes vary by jurisdiction, facts, and circumstances.