Design for Life Permit & Inspection Process
Live longer in the home you love! Montgomery County has a property tax credit program to help pay for making your home more universally accessible.
The Design for Life Property Tax Credit Program is for all ages and stages of life. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, young family, active adult or person living with a temporary or permanent impairment, these additional design elements will enhance your home — and at the same time, meet your needs and your visitors’ needs. These design elements include a no-step entrance, 32” doorways, chair lift device, relocation of switches, doorbells, thermostats, and breaker boxes, closet renovations for accessibility, alternative sensory alarm, maneuverable kitchens, accessible bathrooms, properly-installed grab bars, and elevators.
Learn more about this program by visiting the Design for Life website and watching the Podcast video.
Listen to the podcast:
You are eligible to apply for Design for Life Property Tax credits if you are a property owner of a new or existing residential dwelling, including single-family dwelling, townhouse, or duplex. Credit is also available for accessibility features installed in a residential condominium unit.
Property owners can be owners of individual properties as well as commercial builders and developers.
The property to be built or renovated must be the principal residence of the property owner.
Owner’s Principal Residence means the residence for which the “Occupancy” box for the property’s real property tax bill reads “Principal Residence.”
You may only submit one application for a tax credit for each property during a single tax year.
The property to be built or renovated must be your principal residence.
Owner’s Principal Residence means the residence for which the “Occupancy” box for the property’s real property tax bill reads “Principal Residence.”
Before the buyer signs a contract for the purchase of a new, single-family residential property, the seller must disclose to the prospective buyer that a real property tax credit may be available to the buyer for the cost of installing individual Accessibility Features to the property.
The disclosure must include general information about the types of improvements for which the credits are available and an estimate of the general cost to make the improvements.
New and existing residential dwellings, including single-family homes, townhomes and duplexes and condominium units in existing multifamily dwellings.
Property owners of condominium units must file a Commercial Building permit rather than a Residential Building Permit. Everyone should use the "Apply for Design for Life Features" option if they are installing individual accessibility features.
Visit the Design for Life website for details about the accessibility features that may qualify.