Aging-in-Place Remodeling in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, MD

Anne Arundel County had 105,956 residents 65 and over on July 1, 2025, 17.6% of the county and up 16.9% since 2020 (Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates); Annapolis itself is 20.4%. The housing is newer than Baltimore County's and older than Frederick's: 59.5% detached houses and 21.4% townhouses, a median year built of 1983, and 45.1% of units from before 1980, with Annapolis older still (median year built 1975). Every contractor needs a Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license and plumbers hold a State Board of Plumbing license. The projects that come up most are the bathroom, the front steps and a stair lift.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Tell us about the home and get matched with a licensed remodeler serving Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.

Annapolis and Anne Arundel County by the numbers

• 105,956 residents 65 and over, 17.6% of the county, up 16.9% since 2020 (Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates).
• 59.5% of homes are detached and 21.4% attached, with a median year built of 1983 (ACS 2020 to 2024). 45.1% of units predate 1980 (Maryland Environmental Public Health Tracking).
• Annapolis is 20.4% residents 65 and over, with a median year built of 1975 (ACS 2020 to 2024).

The homes here

Split-levels and colonials, 1970s and 1980s. Glen Burnie, Severna Park and the neighborhoods between Baltimore and Annapolis filled in during those decades, mostly with two-story colonials and split-levels. A split-level is the hardest house to age in: the front door opens onto a landing with a half flight up to the bedrooms and a half flight down to the family room, so no single level has a bedroom, a bath and the kitchen. A stair lift handles one flight; a main-floor bedroom and bath on the kitchen level solves the whole house.

Annapolis. The oldest homes in the county are in the city itself (median year built 1975). Older houses tend to have small bathrooms and interior doors well under the 32 to 36 inch clear opening a wheelchair needs, so widened doorways come up more here than in the newer parts of the county.

The bathroom. A 1970s or 1980s bath has a tub you step over and a door built for a person, not a walker. A bathroom safety remodel is a curbless shower where the tub was, grab bars anchored into the studs, a comfort-height toilet and a non-slip floor.

The front steps and the weather. Snow is lighter on the Chesapeake Bay than in western Maryland (the state averages 20.6 inches a season, with about 10 inches on the lower Eastern Shore), but ice on brick steps is the same fall anywhere. Under ADA guidance a ramp needs about 1 foot of run per inch of rise, so a stoop a few steps up calls for a long ramp or a switchback, with a non-slip surface and rails on both sides.

Licensing and permits in Anne Arundel County

Every home improvement contractor in Maryland needs an MHIC license, with no minimum job size, and the license number must appear on the written contract. The state page on aging-in-place remodeling in Maryland covers the one-third deposit cap, the 3-day cancellation right, the Guaranty Fund and the $500,000 insurance rule. Unlike Baltimore County and the WSSC counties, Anne Arundel has no local plumbing license: plumbers here hold a State Board of Plumbing license. Electricians have held a state license since July 1, 2021, and the county issues permits and inspects under the Maryland Building Performance Standards, which adopt the 2021 International Residential Code.

Who pays

Most Anne Arundel families pay directly, from savings, home equity or siblings splitting the cost; see paying out of pocket. The county's Area Agency on Aging is listed in the Maryland Department of Aging directory, and Maryland Access Point (1-844-627-5465) will route you to it. The state's Accessible Homes for Seniors program (0% deferred loans, and grants up to $15,000 for lower-income owners who cannot carry a loan, applied for through the county housing office or Maryland Access Point) covers ramps, grab bars, accessible showers and doorway widening, and Rebuilding Together has an Anne Arundel County affiliate for low-income owners. For Medicaid, ask the Maryland Department of Health whether home modifications are covered in your situation and whether there is a waitlist. Long-term care insurance and VA grants each pay in specific cases, and those pages say which.

Common projects in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County

• Bathroom safety remodel: curbless shower, grab bars, comfort-height toilet, non-slip floor. $6,600 to $28,000 nationally for a full remodel; a curbless conversion alone is $2,500 to $9,000.
• Wheelchair ramp or step-free entry: $875 to $5,000, average near $1,100 for a short wood or aluminum ramp.
• Walk-in tub or walk-in shower: $3,000 to $15,000 installed, average near $5,000.
• Widened doorways and hallways: the target is a 32 to 36 inch clear opening; a load-bearing wall or wiring in the wall moves the price up.

Maryland construction wages sit right at the national average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). Get 3 written quotes from MHIC-licensed contractors and compare them line by line.

Ready to talk to a certified aging-in-place remodeler? Request a match and talk to a licensed remodeler serving Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.