General building work permit checklist — Madison, Wisconsin
Assembled from Madison’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Madison requires a permit for general building work.
The Director of the Building Inspection Division may authorize minor improvements that do not involve structural alterations or a change in use and do not exceed a cost of five hundred dollars ($500) without a building permit being issued. The Director may also authorize a permit to be issued without plans or specifications for small or unimportant work. Accessory buildings used with single and two-family dwellings, such as tool sheds, storage shelters, and garages not more than one story in height, are exempt from the certificate of use and occupancy requirement that applies to new buildings.
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Sources
- building — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Madison publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Madison before you build.