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Madison WI permit search

Madison permit records can be searched by address in Accela. The city lists reroofing a house or garage and building a deck as work needing a permit. Owner-occupants have a separate city rule for doing their own work. Search Madison permits in Accela

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

Sources read: 2026-10-31Updated 2026-10-31

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Madison review timing and Dane County housing context

City of Madison application review statement, as read October 31, 2026The city says it reviews applications within 15 days of receipt. It separately says to follow up after 15 business days without a response.Building Inspection Services | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, City of Madison, read 2026-10-31
Dane County, Wisconsin — 2025 new privately-owned housing units authorized in one-unit buildings1,437 units; county total, rather than a Madison city count.Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual county file 2025, Dane County, Wisconsin (county grain), read 2026-10-31
Dane County, Wisconsin — 2025 new privately-owned housing units authorized in buildings with five or more units4,992 units; Census Building Permits Survey annual county file.Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual county file 2025, Dane County, Wisconsin (county grain), read 2026-10-31

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Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in Madison?

Madison’s project chart marks reroofing a house or garage as requiring a permit. The roofing entry names both buildings, making it useful when the project is a garage roof rather than the house roof.

Roofing - Reroof your house or garage Yes

Source: Permits | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

Start my request for a roof repair or replacement in Madison

Madison permit requirements

Building a deck is another project marked Yes in the city chart. Use the deck entry when describing that project to Building Inspection; roofing and deck construction appear as separate tasks in Madison’s permit list.

Deck - build Yes

Source: Permits | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

The city’s deck process includes a permit-issuance step, where a design meeting the required codes can be reviewed at an appointment.

Start my request for a deck in Madison

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Madison?

The city Tips page allows an owner who occupies a single-family home to do electrical, heating, plumbing and structural work. That statement concerns doing the work; it also says a permit and city inspections are needed.

If you own and occupy a single-family home, you can do the electrical, heating, plumbing and structural work Work done by you or a contractor needs a permit. City Building Inspectors must check the work during and after construction.

Source: Tips | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

What work does not need a permit in Madison?

Wall-mounted cabinet replacement has an explicit limited exemption in the Madison project chart. The city separates that task from more extensive work, so a larger kitchen alteration should not be treated as cabinet replacement alone.

If you are only adding or replacing wall-mounted cabinets, you do not need a permit. More extensive work may require a permit.

Source: Permits | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

Madison also publishes a conditional shed exemption. Size, heat and distance from dwelling units matter together; the shed guide separately describes the permit application for larger and prefabricated sheds.

Sheds that are 150 square feet or less, unheated, and ten feet or more from dwelling units on the property do not require a permit. However, they still need to meet the shed size and placement rules under #2 below.

Source: New Shed | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

You need a permit to put any shed/accessory building over 150 square feet in your yard. Sheds that are built elsewhere and moved to your yard and prefab sheds also require a permit.

Source: New Shed | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

Before you apply in Madison: checklist

For an alteration plan, distinguish the existing work from what is proposed. Include structural information such as beams and headers where relevant. These are items in the city’s plan instructions, rather than an application form supplied by InstaBids.

In the online process, select the Permitting tab, then Apply for a permit, and choose the permit type for the work. The city separates building repair or replacement from electrical, plumbing and HVAC applications.

For rough framing, call after plumbing, heating and electric runs are finished and before insulation or concealment. This is a construction-stage inspection instruction, rather than a promised appointment time.

Rough Framing. Exposed existing or new wall, floor, or ceiling framing. Call for inspection after you finish plumbing, heating, and electric runs. Make sure you call before you insulate or conceal the area.

Source: Inspections | Development Services Center | City of Madison, WI, read 2026-10-31

How do I contact the Madison building department?

The Plan Review and Permit Counter serves visitors by appointment. Schedule with the city before going to the counter; the department says it does not serve walk-ins.

Use the Building Inspection Contact page for the department’s current contact options.

Sources

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