Aging in Place Remodeling and Home Safety in Chevy Chase, MD

On the Maryland side of Chevy Chase, the old house is worth keeping and worth adjusting

This page is about Chevy Chase, Maryland, north of Chevy Chase Circle. Chevy Chase Village and the sections around it are full of older single-family houses, some owned by the same family for decades.

Those houses were framed for younger bodies, with narrow doors and tight baths. Neither one is a reason to sell.

How it works in Chevy Chase, MD

We walk the Chevy Chase, MD house. We look at narrow doors in older houses first, then go through every room.
The price comes in writing. It is fixed before work starts and says whether the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) needs to issue a permit.
Then we work down the list, which here usually starts with wider doors on the daily route.

What we fix in Chevy Chase homes

Wider doors on the daily route

National cost guides put widening an interior doorway at $300 to $2,500 per door. Offset hinges are the cheaper first try, since they gain room without moving the frame.

Wheelchair ramp installation in Chevy Chase, MD

An upstairs bath that works again

Grab bars go in over new backing behind the old plaster, and a handheld shower on a slide bar comes next. A full bathroom safety package, anti-scald valve included, usually costs $500 to $3,000.

Grab bar installation and bath safety in Chevy Chase, MD

A second rail on the main stair

Many of these stairs are wide and handsome with a rail on one side only. A matching second rail comes first, and a straight lift typically falls between $2,900 and $8,000 (Lifeway Mobility 2026 pricing guide).

Stair Lifts in Chevy Chase, MD

Old floors and raised saddles

Old hardwood often leaves raised saddles between rooms. Those get lowered or swapped for flat transitions.

Flooring in Chevy Chase, MD

Neighborhoods we serve around Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase Village
Town of Chevy Chase
Martin's Additions
Friendship Heights
Chevy Chase, DC

Permits and programs in Chevy Chase

Here the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) handles permits, not the DC office south of the circle. Chevy Chase Village and the other incorporated sections can add rules of their own, so check with your village or town before work starts.

On this side of the line, Maryland programs apply. The county can explain its Design for Life property tax credit. Maryland DHCD is the office to call about Maryland Accessible Homes for Seniors. Confirm current terms before you plan around either.

For Chevy Chase, MD, see Senior services, Accessible Homes for Seniors and Design for Life permits.

Chevy Chase, Maryland on the map

Chevy Chase, Maryland starts at Chevy Chase Circle, where Connecticut Avenue crosses the DC line, and runs north toward the Capital Beltway.

East-West Highway cuts across the middle, the Capital Crescent Trail passes on the west side, and Rock Creek runs along the east.

Chevy Chase questions

Is this the same as Chevy Chase, DC?

No. This page covers the Maryland side, north of the circle and about 6.7 miles from the US Capitol. The DC side has its own page.

Our house has plaster walls. Will grab bars hold?

Yes, once there is solid wood behind them. We open the plaster at each bar, add backing, then patch and paint.

Does widening a door ruin the original trim?

The trim comes off and goes back on. Where the old casing can be saved, it is reused around the wider opening.

Services for Chevy Chase, MD homes

Near Chevy Chase, MD

Chevy Chase, MD lies northwest of the US Capitol.

Chevy Chase, DC 0.7 mi southeast
Friendship Heights, MD 0.8 mi southwest
Upper Northwest, DC 1.5 mi south
Bethesda, MD 2.6 mi west
Shepherd Park, DC 2.6 mi east
Takoma, DC 3.0 mi east
Petworth, DC 3.3 mi southeast
Silver Spring, MD 3.5 mi northeast
Takoma Park, MD 3.8 mi east
Brookland, DC 5.7 mi southeast

Aging in place modifications for Chevy Chase, Maryland houses