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How do masons in Maryland get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Masons in Maryland get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Baltimore, Frederick and Gaithersburg, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Department of Labor. The state had 354 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Department of Labor.
- MHIC: every home improvement ad must show the contractor's name and license number. Statute is Business Regulation 8-615, with wording "MHIC No." or "Maryland Home Improvement Commission License No."
- 354 businesses with staff in 2022, 20th of 50 states; 74% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Baltimore, Frederick and Gaithersburg.
- Coldest month January (about 34°F), warmest July (about 77°F), statewide average.
- Code edition: 2021 International Residential Code (IRC).
Do masons need a license in Maryland?
In Maryland, the licensing body for this work is Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Department of Labor.
License or registration types named by the state: MHIC Home Improvement Contractor license.
- Home improvement covers painting, fences, driveways, patios, masonry pointing, decks, foundations and retaining walls on homes. All need an MHIC license.
- The MHIC page lists no dollar threshold. It excludes common areas of condos and buildings with four or more single family units.
- Chimney cleaning alone and demolition only are not home improvement. Building or capping a chimney is.
License numbers in ads and on websites
MHIC: every home improvement ad must show the contractor's name and license number. Statute is Business Regulation 8-615, with wording "MHIC No." or "Maryland Home Improvement Commission License No."
What does a year of mason work look like in Maryland?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
| February | 36°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
| March | 44°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
| April | 54°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
| May | 63°F | retaining walls, stone veneer, patios |
| June | 72°F | outdoor projects, chimney work before fall |
| July | 77°F | outdoor projects, chimney work before fall |
| August | 75°F | outdoor projects, chimney work before fall |
| September | 68°F | retaining walls, stone veneer, patios |
| October | 57°F | retaining walls, stone veneer, patios |
| November | 46°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
| December | 38°F | tuckpointing and brick repair after freeze-thaw |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many masonry contractors compete in Maryland’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Baltimore city | 15 | 37,683 |
| Frederick | Frederick County | 19 | 15,442 |
| Gaithersburg | Montgomery County | 53 | 19,971 |
| Rockville | Montgomery County | 53 | 19,971 |
| Bowie | Prince George's County | 55 | 17,226 |
Competition is tightest around Frederick (Frederick County), with one business for every 15,442 residents, and loosest around Baltimore, at one per 37,683.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many masonry contractors are in Maryland?
The Census Bureau counted 354 businesses with employees in Maryland in 2022, in the category “Masonry contractors”. That ranks Maryland 20th of 50 states, a mid-sized market, and 2% of the US total. 74% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 53 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 4,996 people, with an average yearly payroll of $784,675 per business. The three busiest counties hold 41% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 6,180,253 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 17,458 people, against 18,092 nationally: close to the US average.
Maryland next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 354 | 17,458 | 74% |
| Delaware | 65 | 15,875 | 83% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,060 | 12,228 | 86% |
| Virginia | 594 | 14,673 | 83% |
| West Virginia | 77 | 22,988 | 94% |
Counties with the most masonry contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County | 55 | 17,226 |
| Montgomery County | 53 | 19,971 |
| Anne Arundel County | 38 | 15,647 |
| Baltimore County | 35 | 24,134 |
| Carroll County | 23 | 7,680 |
| Frederick County | 19 | 15,442 |
| Harford County | 19 | 13,929 |
| Howard County | 15 | 22,400 |
| Baltimore city | 15 | 37,683 |
| Wicomico County | 11 | 9,527 |
23 of Maryland’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 205 with 1-4 staff, 58 with 5-9 staff, 38 with 10-19 staff, 36 with 20-49 staff, 17 with 50+ staff.
Where Maryland is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Maryland's population changed +0.1% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Frederick County: 293,391 people, +7.6% since 2020, 19 masonry contractors
- Queen Anne's County: 52,508 people, +4.9% since 2020, 4 masonry contractors
- Worcester County: 54,171 people, +3.1% since 2020, 3 masonry contractors
- Charles County: 171,973 people, +3.1% since 2020, 8 masonry contractors
- Carroll County: 176,639 people, +2.1% since 2020, 23 masonry contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Maryland?
Maryland uses the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2021 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Maryland mason website show?
- Your license number in the footer of every page. Maryland requires it in advertising for at least some trades.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Prince George's County, Montgomery County and Anne Arundel County.
- Seasonal pages published before April, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Maryland questions
Who licenses masons in Maryland?
Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Department of Labor. Home improvement covers painting, fences, driveways, patios, masonry pointing, decks, foundations and retaining walls on homes. All need an MHIC license. The MHIC page lists no dollar threshold. It excludes common areas of condos and buildings with four or more single family units. Chimney cleaning alone and demolition only are not home improvement. Building or capping a chimney is.
How many masonry contractors are there in Maryland?
The US Census Bureau counted 354 businesses with employees in Maryland in 2022 in the category Masonry contractors, and 74% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Maryland has the most masonry contractors?
Prince George's County, with 55 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Maryland?
MHIC: every home improvement ad must show the contractor's name and license number. Statute is Business Regulation 8-615, with wording "MHIC No." or "Maryland Home Improvement Commission License No."
Which edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) does Maryland use?
The 2021 edition.
When is the busiest season for masons in Maryland?
Maryland’s statewide average runs from about 34°F in January to about 77°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/mhic/mhicwhatishi.shtml
- https://labor.maryland.gov/license/mhic/mhicad.shtml
- https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/pages/programapps/newtreeexpert.aspx
- https://labor.maryland.gov/labor/build/buildadmin.shtml
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