Prince George's County delays universal design housing rules to July 1, 2026
New homes in Prince George’s must add universal design features by July 1, a change meant to help seniors, injured residents and families stay put.
Prince George’s County pushed its universal design housing requirements to July 1, giving builders more time before certain new homes must include features meant to keep seniors, injured residents and multigenerational families in place.
The change applies only to certain newly constructed residential homes and buildings, not to existing homes. Under the county’s rules, the affected projects generally include single-family detached homes, single-family attached homes such as townhouses, two-family homes, two-over-two units, three-family homes and multifamily residential buildings, with exemptions and approved waivers still available in some cases.
The county designed the rules to make homes easier to use for people of all ages, abilities and mobility levels. Universal design can help residents stay safely in their homes as their needs change over time and reduce the need for costly future modifications at the owner’s expense. New homes will not have to be fully ADA accessible.
The start date moved from Jan. 1, 2026, to July 1, 2026, under Council Resolution CR-151-2025. That extension comes after Prince George’s County Council unanimously voted on Sept. 12, 2023, to enact legislation requiring some elements of universal design in certain new residential construction.
The housing policy was built through a series of bills and resolutions, including CB-65-2023, CB-85-2024, CB-35-2025 and CB-41-2025. The county created the Universal Design Implementation Work Group under Council Resolution 70-2023. The work group held its first meeting on Nov. 8, 2023, and later submitted a report dated Nov. 15, 2024, saying the legislation reflected its deliberations and mission to promote universal design for housing in the county.
The Planning Board currently lacks a quorum and cannot meet. As July 1 approaches, the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement has posted guidance and frequently asked questions for builders and property owners who will have to navigate the new requirements.
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