Living Here

From getting settled to caring for your home, find the right starting point for the task in front of you.

Settling In

A practical start for renters and homeowners. Work through the short checklist, then find more detail about the services at your address.

Your Guide to Settling In

View Your Guide to Settling Into Worcester County (PDF) (opens in a new tab)A helpful, print friendly checklist for your move by LizyTylerCo · www.lizytylerco.com

Request USPS mail forwarding online or at a Post Office, and confirm the start date.
Update your address with important accounts and contacts, including banks, insurers, your employer and relevant agencies.
Update applicable Maryland license or ID and vehicle addresses. Moving from another state? Follow the new resident process.
If eligible, register or update your voter address and confirm the change.
Confirm providers and transfer dates for your actual address, including water and sewer. Check electric, fuel and internet availability separately.
Confirm trash and recycling arrangements with your municipality, landlord, community manager or hauler. Check disposal permits and facility rules before moving bulky items.
Register for county alerts, Berlin CodeRED or OC Alert for your location. Update your existing address, contact details and notification preferences when moving.

Use the steps that apply to your move. Confirm address specific services, eligibility and current requirements with the responsible providers and agencies.

Settling in sources reviewed 10/17/2026

Find the Right Office

Start with the property’s actual jurisdiction. Worcester County Development Review and Permitting handles county land use and building questions, while Berlin, Ocean City, Snow Hill and Pocomoke City have municipal offices and approval processes. Confirm the office responsible before submitting an application.

Ocean Pines is not a separate municipality. County approvals and any applicable community association requirements are separate matters, and neither should be assumed to replace the other.

Set Up Utilities and Care for Septic Systems

Verify water and sewer providers separately using the service address. County Water and Wastewater operates designated service areas, while towns, private utilities and individual wells serve other properties. Some service areas have public water without county sewer, or county sewer with private wells.

Contact the actual billing office about account transfers and start dates. For well or septic records and proposed changes, use county Environmental Programs. Confirm electric, gas and other fuel providers independently, and test internet availability at the exact address.

Internet Access

Use the FCC National Broadband Map to identify reported providers for the exact address, then confirm availability directly with each provider. The map is a research starting point, not a promise that installation can happen on a particular date.

Compare upload and download speeds, equipment, installation lead time, total charges and any contract commitment. County library branches provide another place to access online resources while home service is being arranged.

Recycling and Household Waste

Confirm collection arrangements with the municipality, landlord, association or private hauler serving the address. County landfill and homeowner convenience centers are disposal facilities, not a promise of county curbside pickup.

Check whether a current household permit is required and which facility accepts the material you plan to bring. Yard waste and bulky or special items may have different rules from ordinary household trash. Use current county notices for facility closures and accepted recycling rather than relying on an old collection flyer.

Waste and Recycling Rules

Owning & Improving a Home

Keep these resources close when you need property information, help caring for your home or a starting point for a project.

Find Property Records and Tax Bills

Use Maryland SDAT’s Real Property Data Search to find the parcel, ownership and assessment record. Check the county tax record separately for the current bill and payment history, including applicable municipal charges. An assessment record is not a substitute for the tax bill.

Keep deeds, plats, closing documents and permit approvals together. If a mortgage servicer pays taxes from escrow, reconcile those payments with the county record. Ask a qualified professional about boundary or easement questions rather than relying on a tax map.

Find Tax Information and Relief

Maryland’s Homestead Property Tax Credit and Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit are different programs. Homestead limits qualifying assessment increases for an eligible principal residence. The Homeowners’ credit is based on income and requires an application under the current annual rules.

Check your application status, current deadlines and county credit options directly with the administering agency. Do not assume a pending application changes what you owe. Review the actual bill and ask about any adjustment that has not appeared.

Plan a Renovation

Check zoning, setbacks, floodplain requirements and any Critical Area or historic district review before committing to work. Coastal properties can involve shoreline, stormwater and environmental approvals in addition to ordinary building permits.

Gather the plat, site plan, existing approvals and utility information. Ask the county or municipality which reviews must be completed first and whether association approval also applies. A contractor’s schedule is not authorization to begin.

Put your goals, priorities, questions and next steps in one place.View Home Project Planning Sheet (PDF) (opens in a new tab)To keep completed entries, save a copy with your changes using the PDF viewer’s controls.

Understand Permits and Inspections

For county projects, use Development Review and Permitting’s current checklist and application. Ask which trade permits, staged inspections and final occupancy approvals are needed, including for alterations and accessory structures. Municipal projects should follow the town’s process.

Worcester County Environmental Programs handles well, septic and plumbing related permits, along with other environmental reviews. It is the relevant county office for these systems, rather than assuming that every environmental permit is issued by the Health Department.

Repair and Housing Assistance

Worcester County’s Housing Rehabilitation Program provides eligible owners with grant or loan assistance for qualifying repairs and lead abatement. The program is administered through Development Review and Permitting and can involve income, property condition and occupancy requirements.

Ask about current availability and approval before work starts. Grants can carry recorded liens and repayment obligations if a property is sold or refinanced during the applicable period. Review the actual terms rather than treating all assistance as money without conditions.

Housing Rehabilitation Assistance

Check a Contractor

Check a home improvement contractor’s current Maryland Home Improvement Commission license and use the state’s consumer guidance before signing. Confirm insurance, references, the written scope, payment stages and responsibility for permits.

Electrical, plumbing and other specialized work may involve separate credentials and approvals. Ask the appropriate permitting office which licenses apply. Keep contracts, change orders, receipts and final inspections together.

Keep useful questions and conversation notes together as you compare your options.View Questions Before Hiring a Contractor (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

General information to help you find the right starting point. Requirements, eligibility, service areas, and application processes can change. Confirm details with the office or provider serving your exact address. Official links open in a new tab. Found a broken link or a changed office? Contact LizyTylerCo and include “Worcester County Guide,” the link name, and what happened. Return to All Resources.