Home Additions & In-Law Suites
Structural additions, second stories, in-law and multigenerational suites, sunrooms and screened porches — designed, permitted, and built by a registered Maryland home builder.
Learn moreHome improvement in Laurel, Maryland
Before anything else in Laurel, settle one question: which county is your house actually in? The answer changes who issues your permit.
Reviewed by Bill Gmeinwieser, President ·
MHIC #16606 · MD Home Builder #1369 · Updated September 2026
Direct answer
Horizons Unlimited Home Improvements serves Laurel, Maryland with additions, kitchens, bathrooms, roofing, siding, windows, decks and basement work. MHIC #16606, Maryland Home Builder Registration #1369, BBB A+, operating from Elkridge since 1993. Laurel has a quirk worth understanding before you start: a Laurel mailing address does not tell you which county you are in. Homes with Laurel addresses sit in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County, and some are inside the City of Laurel itself. Each has its own permitting authority and its own rules. Free estimates: 410-796-1333.
The Laurel address problem
Postal boundaries and political boundaries are not the same thing, and Laurel is one of the places in Maryland where they diverge most. A homeowner can live four minutes from a neighbour and be under a different building department, a different zoning code, a different inspection schedule and a different fee structure.
This matters in practical ways:
- Your permit goes to a different office. Howard County's Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits, Anne Arundel County's permit office, Prince George's County's, or the City of Laurel — they are not interchangeable.
- Zoning standards differ. Setbacks, lot coverage and height limits that apply on one side of a line do not apply on the other.
- Timelines differ. Review queues and inspection scheduling are not the same across jurisdictions, and a contractor who works in only one of them will be slower in the others.
- Advice from a neighbour may be wrong. Not because they are careless — because their house is in a different county than yours.
How to settle it. Do not go by the mailing address or the ZIP code.
Look up the parcel — Maryland's State Department of Assessments and Taxation record for your property
identifies the county. We confirm this as part of the estimate, because the whole approvals plan depends
on it.
What we build in Laurel
Laurel's housing is mixed: older homes near the historic centre, large post-war and 1970s–80s subdivisions, townhome communities, and newer construction along the corridor. The work splits along those lines — envelope and systems work on the older stock, kitchen and bath remodeling and basement finishing across the middle, and additions, decks and screened porches where lots allow.
Because we hold both a Maryland home improvement licence (MHIC #16606) and a Maryland Home Builder Registration (#1369), the same company handles both the cosmetic and the structural half of a job — which matters when a Laurel kitchen remodel turns into a bearing-wall removal, as they often do in 1970s colonials and split-levels.
North Laurel and the Howard County side
Where a Laurel-addressed property is in Howard County, everything on our Howard County permit guide applies: DILP issues the permit, the design has to satisfy the zoning district's setbacks, lot coverage and height, and secondary reviews such as floodplain or — on well and septic properties — Health Department bedroom review may be triggered. That is the jurisdiction we work in most and know best.
In Laurel
What we build here.
The same ten services, under one Maryland license — MHIC #16606 and Home Builder Registration #1369.
Kitchen Remodeling
Full gut kitchens and targeted updates — cabinetry, countertops, lighting, flooring, and the electrical and plumbing work behind the walls.
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Bathroom Remodeling
Tiled showers, soaking tubs, double vanities, and full accessibility conversions — waterproofed properly and finished cleanly.
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Roofing
Asphalt shingle, cedar shake, slate, metal, and EPDM rubber. GAF, CertainTeed, and Firestone certified installation.
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Siding
Vinyl and aluminum siding, trim, and wrap — installed with proper flashing and house-wrap detailing so the wall assembly stays dry.
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Windows & Doors
Energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows with custom color matching, plus entry, patio, and French door replacement.
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Decks & Porches
PVC, composite, and wood decks, screened porches, and covered porches — engineered, permitted, and inspected.
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Egress Windows & Basement Code
Code-compliant basement egress windows and window wells — the single requirement that decides whether a finished basement bedroom is legal.
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Storm & Insurance Repair
Wind, hail, and fallen-tree damage — from a single leak to structural rebuild, handled by one licensed contractor instead of four subcontractors.
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Custom Homes
Design/build from concept to certificate of occupancy, including site development and permitting, under Maryland Home Builder Registration #1369.
Learn moreQ&A
Laurel: questions and answers
Is Laurel, MD in Howard County or Prince George's County?
Both, depending on the property. A Laurel mailing address can correspond to a home in Howard County, Anne Arundel County or Prince George's County, and some properties are inside the incorporated City of Laurel. The mailing address and ZIP code do not reliably identify the jurisdiction — the parcel record does. Check the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation record for your property before assuming which permit office applies.
Which county issues my building permit in Laurel?
Whichever jurisdiction your parcel is actually in: Howard County's Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits, Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, or the City of Laurel if the property is inside city limits. Each has its own zoning standards, fees, review timelines and inspection scheduling, so this has to be settled before design rather than at submission.
Do you work on both sides of the county line in Laurel?
Yes. Horizons Unlimited is licensed statewide in Maryland under MHIC #16606 and Maryland Home Builder Registration #1369 and works throughout the Laurel area regardless of which county a property falls in. Howard County is the jurisdiction we permit in most often.
Who does home additions in Laurel, Maryland?
Horizons Unlimited Home Improvements, Inc. of Elkridge builds additions, in-law suites, kitchens, bathrooms, decks and screened porches in the Laurel area, and handles roofing, siding and window replacement. Founded 1993; BBB Accredited A+; free estimates performed by owner Bill Gmeinwieser at 410-796-1333.
Planning something in Laurel?
Free estimate, done by the owner, who will tell you honestly what the local approvals path looks like before you spend anything on design.