Last updated: September 17, 2026
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of MarylandADUGuide.com and its articles, databases, calculators, checkers, planning tools, downloads, email resources, reader-revenue features, and other services (collectively, the “Site”). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.
1. Independent Informational Resource
Maryland ADU Guide is an independent research and planning resource. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the State of Maryland, any county, municipality, planning department, zoning authority, permitting office, code-enforcement agency, utility, homeowners association, or other government or regulatory body.
2. Not Legal, Architectural, Engineering, Tax, Financial, or Permit Advice
Content on the Site is provided for general informational and planning purposes only. It is not legal, architectural, engineering, surveying, zoning, tax, financial, lending, construction, code-compliance, or other professional advice, and it is not a permit determination or approval.
ADU rules can depend on property-specific facts, zoning districts, municipal boundaries, overlays, historic or environmental restrictions, utilities, septic or well conditions, deed restrictions, homeowners-association rules, building and fire codes, and changes in state or local law. You are responsible for confirming requirements with the government authority and qualified professionals responsible for your property before relying on information or spending money.
3. Accuracy, Currency, and Official Sources
We aim to use reliable sources and identify uncertainty, but laws, ordinances, agency guidance, maps, fees, forms, deadlines, and administrative practices can change without notice. We do not warrant that every item on the Site is complete, current, error-free, or applicable to a particular property.
When Site content conflicts with an enacted law, ordinance, regulation, official code, permit requirement, or authoritative direction from the responsible agency, the applicable official authority controls. Links to official sources are provided to help users verify current requirements.
4. Acceptable Use
You may use the Site only for lawful purposes. You agree not to misuse the Site, attempt unauthorized access, interfere with security or operation, introduce malicious code, scrape or harvest data in a manner that materially burdens the Site or violates law, impersonate another person, submit unlawful or infringing material, or use the Site to facilitate fraud or other unlawful activity.
5. Planning Tools, Calculators, Maps, and Automated Outputs
Calculators, jurisdiction finders, feasibility checkers, maps, rule summaries, cost estimates, and other automated or interactive outputs are screening and planning aids. They may depend on user-entered information, third-party data, geographic boundaries, assumptions, or simplified logic. They do not replace a title review, survey, zoning verification, code review, permit review, utility determination, professional estimate, or other property-specific due diligence.
6. Intellectual Property
Except for material identified as belonging to third parties or public bodies, the Site’s original text, organization, graphics, branding, databases, software, tool interfaces, and other original content are owned by or licensed to Maryland ADU Guide and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.
You may view, print, or download reasonable portions of the Site for personal, non-commercial planning use. You may not reproduce, republish, sell, license, systematically extract, create a competing database from, or commercially exploit substantial portions of our original content or tools without permission, except as allowed by law.
7. Government Materials and Third-Party Content
The Site may quote, summarize, link to, or reference statutes, ordinances, government publications, maps, forms, and third-party materials. Ownership and permitted use of those materials remain subject to the rights and rules applicable to the original source. Our presentation or explanation of such material does not create ownership over material that is in the public domain or otherwise belongs to another party.
8. User Submissions and Corrections
If you send feedback, correction suggestions, source links, comments, or other submissions, you represent that you have the right to provide them. You grant us permission to use, reproduce, adapt, and incorporate non-confidential portions of those submissions for operating and improving the Site. Do not submit confidential, privileged, proprietary, or sensitive personal information unless specifically requested through an appropriate channel.
9. Third-Party Links and Services
The Site may link to government websites, professional services, document hosts, mapping services, payment providers, Google services, or other third-party websites and tools. We are not responsible for third-party content, availability, security, products, services, or privacy practices. A link does not necessarily constitute endorsement.
10. Reader Revenue, Paid Products, Contributions, and Subscriptions
If the Site offers a paid product, voluntary contribution, membership, or subscription, the price, billing frequency, included benefits, cancellation method, renewal terms, and any refund policy displayed at the point of purchase form part of these Terms. Additional terms presented by a payment, app-store, or reader-revenue provider may also apply.
Where recurring billing is offered, applicable billing terms will be shown before purchase. You remain responsible for cancelling through the method provided for the applicable service. Nothing in these Terms limits refund, cancellation, renewal, or other consumer rights that apply under mandatory law.
11. Disclaimer of Warranties
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Site and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We disclaim warranties that may lawfully be disclaimed, whether express, implied, or statutory, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, reliability, availability, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
We do not warrant that using the Site will result in permit approval, zoning eligibility, construction feasibility, financing approval, project savings, rental income, increased property value, or any other particular outcome.
12. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Maryland ADU Guide and its owner, contributors, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, data, opportunities, or use, arising from or related to your use of or reliance on the Site.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain warranty exclusions or liability limitations. In those jurisdictions, these provisions apply only to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
13. Indemnity
To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to be responsible for claims, losses, or expenses arising from your unlawful misuse of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or material you submit that infringes another person’s rights. This provision does not require you to indemnify us for conduct for which indemnification cannot lawfully be required.
14. Suspension or Termination
We may restrict or terminate access to Site features when reasonably necessary to protect the Site, users, legal rights, or security, or when these Terms are materially violated. We may also modify, suspend, or discontinue features. Where mandatory law requires notice or other protections, those requirements control.
15. Privacy
Our collection and use of personal information are described in our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference to the extent permitted by law.
16. Copyright Concerns
If you believe material on the Site infringes your copyright, contact us through our Contact page with enough information to identify the copyrighted work, the material at issue, its location on the Site, your contact information, and the basis for your request. If a formal notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is required, it must satisfy the applicable statutory requirements. This section does not represent that Maryland ADU Guide has registered a designated DMCA agent or qualifies for any particular statutory safe harbor.
17. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms to reflect changes in the Site, our practices, or applicable law. The “Last updated” date identifies the most recent revision. Your continued use of the Site after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law. Where law requires additional notice or consent, we will follow the applicable requirement.
18. Severability and No Waiver
If a provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent permitted by law. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of the right to enforce it later.
19. Applicable Law and Mandatory Consumer Rights
These Terms are subject to applicable law. Nothing in these Terms deprives you of consumer, privacy, or other statutory rights that cannot lawfully be waived by contract. Any governing-law, forum, or dispute rule that may later be presented for a specific paid product or service will apply only to the extent permitted by applicable law.
20. Contact
Questions about these Terms may be submitted through the Maryland ADU Guide Contact page.