Aging-in-Place Remodeling in Maryland: Homes, Licenses, Who Pays

Maryland had 1,149,859 residents 65 and over on July 1, 2025, 18.4% of the state, according to Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates (1,114,890, or 17.9%, on July 1, 2024). Many live in homes built before 1980 (59.5% of Baltimore County's housing, 49.1% of Montgomery County's), which here usually means two stories, a basement and the only full bath upstairs, plus a front step that ices over in January. Every contractor who alters, remodels or repairs a Maryland home needs a Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license, with no minimum job size. Most families pay directly, with Medicare Advantage, long-term care insurance, Medicaid, the VA and the state's Accessible Homes for Seniors program covering specific cases.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Tell us about the home and get matched with a licensed Maryland remodeler serving your area.

Maryland by the numbers

• 1,149,859 Marylanders were 65 or older on July 1, 2025, 18.4% of 6,265,347 residents and up 16.3% since 2020 (Census Bureau Vintage 2025).
• Montgomery County has the most residents 65 and over (201,065), then Baltimore County (168,779); Talbot County has the highest share (32.0%), then Worcester (30.1%).
• 59.5% of Baltimore County homes, 49.1% of Montgomery County homes and 82.5% of Baltimore City homes predate 1980 (Maryland Environmental Public Health Tracking, ACS 2019 to 2023).

Why Maryland homes are different

Two stories and a basement. The 1960s to 1980s suburbs are mostly two-story colonials and split-levels over a basement; Baltimore City is half rowhouse (50.4% attached, median year built 1947), with steep, narrow stairs and often no bath downstairs. Either way the biggest projects here are about stairs: a stair lift on the main staircase, or a main-floor bedroom and bath built from a dining room or den.

Bathrooms from before 1980. Small, with a tub you step over and a door too narrow for a walker. A bathroom safety remodel usually means a curbless shower where the tub was, grab bars anchored into the studs and a comfort-height toilet.

Winter at the front door. Maryland averages 20.6 inches of snow a season, with winter temperatures averaging 34.1 F (Maryland State Archives), so the front stoop is the most dangerous square yard of the house from December to March. Entry work means a covered landing, a ramp with a non-slip surface, railings on both sides and a light over the door.

Checking a Maryland contractor's license

A person must hold a contractor license whenever they act as a contractor in Maryland, and "home improvement" means any alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement of a residence, condo units included. There is no dollar floor and no handyman exemption, so the person installing your grab bars needs an MHIC license too. Plumbers and electricians are licensed separately (plumbers by the State Board of Plumbing, except in Baltimore County and the WSSC area, which issue their own; electricians by the state since July 1, 2021). Counties issue building permits under the Maryland Building Performance Standards (the 2021 International Residential Code).

Before you sign, look up the MHIC number on the Maryland Department of Labor's license search and read the complaint history. The contract must carry that number; the deposit is capped at one third of the price, nothing is due before signing, and if the job is secured by your home you have 3 business days to cancel. MHIC contractors must carry $500,000 in general liability insurance (since June 1, 2024), so ask for the certificate. If a licensed contractor does bad work or walks away, the MHIC Guaranty Fund can pay a homeowner up to $30,000 per claim; unlicensed work is not covered.

CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) is training, not a license. Look for both, and read how to choose an aging-in-place remodeler for the full checklist.

Who pays in Maryland

Most Maryland families pay directly, from savings, home equity or adult children splitting the bill: no pre-approval, your choice of contractor, and the deposit cap protects the first check. Paying out of pocket covers the tools. The other channels, honestly:

• Medicare. Original Medicare pays nothing toward home modifications; some Medicare Advantage plans add a bathroom safety allowance (commonly up to $500 a year), and structural work is rarely covered. See Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
• Long-term care insurance. Many policies include a home modification benefit tied to help with daily activities, with pre-approval and a cap. See long-term care insurance.
• Medicaid. Maryland Medicaid (Medical Assistance) is run by the Maryland Department of Health. Ask it whether home modifications are covered in your situation and whether there is a waitlist. See Medicaid waivers.
• Veterans. The VA's HISA grant pays for medically necessary alterations prescribed by a VA clinician. See VA grants.
• Accessible Homes for Seniors. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development offers 0% deferred loans (repaid when the home sells) to owner-occupied homes with a household member 55 or older and income up to 80% of the area median, plus grants up to $15,000 for owners under 50% who cannot carry a loan, for ramps, grab bars, accessible showers and doorway widening. Apply through the county housing office or Maryland Access Point.
• County programs. Baltimore County's BCAUSE pays up to $4,500 of safety modifications for homeowners 65 and over at or below 50% of the area median income. Montgomery County's Design for Life property tax credit covers accessibility features, with caps that differ between county pages. Rebuilding Together affiliates do accessibility work for low-income owners, and medical modifications can count as tax deductions.

The Maryland Department of Aging oversees 24 Area Agencies on Aging, one per county plus Baltimore City; Maryland Access Point (MAP), 1-844-627-5465, reaches all of them.

Where we work in Maryland

Maryland is Maryland, and we are matching here first:

• Montgomery County: 201,065 residents 65 and over (18.7%), the most in the state.
• Baltimore County: 168,779 (19.9%), Towson and the older suburbs around Baltimore City.
• Annapolis and Anne Arundel County: 105,956 (17.6%), Annapolis itself 20.4%.
• Frederick: 50,907 (16.8%), up 24.7% since 2020, the fastest growth of any large county.
• The Eastern Shore: Talbot (12,225, 32.0%) and Worcester (16,413, 30.1%) counties, Easton and Ocean Pines.

Outside these areas, request a match anyway: there is no charge to the homeowner, and a certified aging-in-place remodeler serving your area will reach out once matched.

What it costs in Maryland

Maryland construction wages sit at the national average, higher in the Washington suburbs and lower around Baltimore (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025), so these national estimates from 2022 to 2026 secondary sources apply:

Project	National installed range
Curbless shower conversion	$2,500 to $9,000
Full accessible bathroom	$6,600 to $28,000
Stair lift	$3,000 to $20,000
Entrance ramp	$875 to $5,000

Get 3 written local quotes; the cost guide explains what drives each number.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Request a match and talk to a licensed Maryland remodeler serving your area.