Madison County's Building Department reviews building plans and specifications for structural soundness and conformity with the adopted Florida Building Codes, issues building permits, and reviews applications for mobile home permits — a meaningful share of permit volume in this North Florida county. On-site inspections are made at several stages of construction, and staff are available during business hours for code questions by phone or in person.
Both the county and the City of Madison run permit intake through Cloudpermit. Applications, plan uploads, review correspondence, and inspection requests all run through the portal — or you can visit the county counter on the second floor of the Madison County Annex Building at 229 SW Pinckney St., Suite 219.
Applies to all of Madison County outside the City of Madison — the county Building Department also permits Greenville and Lee. Inside city limits, the City of Madison issues its own permits in-house at City Hall, 321 SW Rutledge Street (Community Development, 850-973-5083), also through Cloudpermit. Confirm the routing for city-limits parcels before filing.
What requires a building permit in Madison County?
Permit required
- New homes, additions, and tenant build-outs
- Structural / load-bearing alterations and demolition
- Reroofing, window and door replacement, and exterior work
- Electrical service changes and most wiring alterations
- Mechanical / HVAC changeouts and boilers
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, gas, and water heaters
- Pools and spas (barrier required), signs, and fences
- Manufactured homes and solar PV systems
Usually exempt
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry, and cosmetic work
- Like-for-like minor repairs not altering systems
- Certain low non-structural fences (confirm limits)
- Routine maintenance not extending or rerouting systems
Florida requires a permit under the Florida Building Code (section 105.1) for most construction, alteration, repair, demolition and change of occupancy; since 1 July 2026 a narrow exemption covers some single-family work under $7,500, and single-family permits stay valid for at least a year. When a permit is required in Florida
Who handles permitting in Madison County?
The Building Department operates from the second floor of the Madison County Annex Building at 229 SW Pinckney St., Suite 219, in Madison — phone (850) 973-6785. The department's posted resources include the Land Development Code, Comprehensive Plan, future land use maps, fee information, and county elevation certificates. Building and driveway permit applications are available for download or submission through the Cloudpermit portal, and septic system applications route to the Florida Department of Health in Madison. All permitting runs through the Cloudpermit.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →- Address: Madison County Annex, 229 SW Pinckney St., Suite 219, Madison, FL 32340
- Phone: (850) 973-3179 · Building Administrator (850) 973-6785 · Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Hours: Monday–Friday (county business hours)
In 2025, building permits issued by Madison County authorized 39 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Madison County permit types
A building permit is one record among many. the Madison County Building Department issues work under separate record types, and filing under the wrong one is a rejection, not a correction — the application is closed and refiled, and the review clock restarts.
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures over the exempt threshold | Full plan review (structural, energy, zoning) | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural or load-bearing changes, layout changes, substantial repair | Plan review scaled to scope | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement and most major roof repair | Product approval review; dry-in and nail-off inspections | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount PV installation or replacement | Structural plus electrical review | Flat or system-size based |
| Solar thermal | Passive water heating or pool heating systems | Plumbing and structural review | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, most wiring alterations | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, water heaters, fixtures, gas piping | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts that are not like-for-like, ductwork, refrigeration | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Windows and doors | Replacement units and opening protection | Product approval review for wind-borne debris | Valuation or per-opening |
| Pool and spa | In-ground and above-ground pools, spas, barrier and enclosure work | Plan review plus barrier and electrical bonding | Valuation-based |
| Fence and accessory | Fences, sheds, decks, and carports over the exempt threshold | Zoning plus structural where applicable | Flat or valuation-based |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a structure | Utility disconnect verification required | Flat |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and multifamily | Full multi-discipline plan review | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement | Interior build-outs and suite fit-ups | Plan review across affected disciplines | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural, envelope, or system changes to an existing building | Plan review scaled to scope | Valuation-based |
| Change of use | Converting a building from one occupancy classification to another | Zoning, life-safety, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Reroof | Commercial roof covering replacement | Product approval review plus fire review where applicable | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Commercial rooftop, carport, and ground-mount PV | Structural, electrical, and often fire review | Valuation or system-size based |
| Electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review | Valuation or per-device |
| Plumbing | Supply, waste, vent, and gas systems | Trade review | Valuation or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Rooftop units, ductwork, exhaust, and refrigeration | Trade review | Valuation or per-unit |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler, standpipe, alarm, and suppression systems | Fire prevention plan review | Valuation or per-device |
| Sign | Wall, monument, and illuminated signage | Zoning plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Demolition | Full or partial commercial demolition | Utility disconnect and environmental clearance | Flat or valuation-based |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Master permit with trades filed against it
- Owner-builder route exists but carries statutory affidavits
- Product approval drives roofing and opening protection
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to change of use
- Impact and concurrency fees can apply on top of permit fees
Roofing permits in Madison County
Solar and roofing work follow statewide rules on HOA limits, product approval, reroof inspections and hurricane mitigation. Solar and roofing rules in Florida
Madison County building permit cost
Madison County posts its fee information on the Building Department's pages alongside the permit applications. Fees vary by project type — site-built construction, mobile home permits, and driveway permits each carry their own application and fee path — so pull the county's posted fee information or confirm with the department at (850) 973-6785 before budgeting.
How Madison County permitting works
| Component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit fees | Per the county's posted fee information, by project type |
| Mobile home permits | Separate application reviewed by the Building Department |
| Driveway permits | County application, downloadable or via Cloudpermit |
| Septic system | Permitted through the Florida Department of Health in Madison County |
Rather not deal with the Madison County building department?
Get a free quote →Madison County trade permits
Electrical permits
Required for service installations, panel upgrades, solar PV, and most wiring alterations in Madison County, filed by a licensed electrical contractor against the master building permit through the Madison County Building Department.
Plumbing permits
Required for new plumbing, repipes, water heater changeouts, fixture relocations, and gas piping; fees follow the local schedule with per-permit minimums.
Mechanical (HVAC) permits
Required for HVAC installations and changeouts, ductwork, and refrigeration; specialized systems are permitted and inspected separately.
Miscellaneous & specialty
Roofs, pools and spas, screen enclosures, mobile home set-ups, and demolition are permitted separately. Exterior components need current Florida Product Approval rated for the local wind speed.
How to get a building permit in Madison County
Confirm jurisdiction
Verify whether the parcel is inside the City of Madison. Outside the city (including Greenville and Lee), the county Building Department issues the permit; inside the city, apply through the city’s Cloudpermit intake at City Hall (Community Development, 850-973-5083).
Handle septic and driveway first
Septic system permits run through the Florida Department of Health in Madison County; driveway permits use the county's application. Sequence both before or alongside the building application.
Create your Cloudpermit application
Register at us.cloudpermit.com, select the county and permit type, and upload plans, valuation, and contractor information — or file at the Annex counter, Suite 219.
Plan review
The department examines plans and specifications for structural soundness and code conformity, corresponding through the portal on any corrections.
Pay fees & pull the permit
Pay per the county's posted fee information and record a Notice of Commencement where Florida law requires it.
Request inspections through close-out
Schedule the staged on-site inspections through Cloudpermit or the department, through final approval.
Inspections in Madison County
On-site inspections are made at several different times during the building process — the county's stated practice — to ensure construction or installation complies with all adopted codes. Cloudpermit users request and track inspections in the portal; results and any correction notes post to the application record, keeping the whole history in one place.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Madison County permitting resources
- Madison County Building Department
- Fee information
- Online permitting / portal
- Permit lookup
- Florida Building Code (8th Ed.)
- Florida Product Approval search
- DBPR license verification
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a building permit in Madison County?
Cloudpermit keeps simple permits moving — complete trade and mobile home applications generally process quickly, while site-built homes depend on plan review workload. The septic step through the Department of Health often sets the real critical path on rural parcels, so start it first. Call (850) 973-6785 for current review times.
How do I look up a permit in Madison County?
Permit applications submitted through Cloudpermit can be tracked in the portal, where applicants see review status, messages, and inspection results on their dashboard. For permits predating the portal or third-party lookups, call the Building Department at (850) 973-6785.
Does Madison County use an online permitting portal?
Yes — Madison County runs permit intake through Cloudpermit (us.cloudpermit.com), and the City of Madison uses the same platform for its own permits. Applications, plan uploads, review correspondence, and inspection requests all run through the portal, with in-person filing still available at the Annex Building counter.
Who issues septic permits in Madison County?
The Florida Department of Health in Madison County — not the Building Department. Sequence the septic application early, since it typically has to align with the site plan before the building permit moves.
Does Madison County permit mobile homes?
Yes — the Building Department is specifically responsible for reviewing mobile home permit applications, and installations are inspected at the required stages. It's a distinct application track from site-built construction, with its own posted forms.
Where is the Madison County Building Department located?
On the second floor of the Madison County Annex Building at 229 SW Pinckney St., Suite 219, Madison, FL 32340 — phone (850) 973-6785. Staff are available during business hours to answer code questions by telephone or in person.
Do I need a permit to install solar panels in Madison County?
Yes. Photovoltaic installations in Madison County are permitted under a dedicated solar record type reviewed on both a structural and an electrical track. Solar thermal — passive water and pool heating — is a separate record. Under Fla. Stat. §163.04 a homeowners' association cannot ban solar panels, though it can decide where on the roof they go if that does not reduce their performance; HOA review is separate from the building permit. Utility interconnection and Permission to Operate run in parallel with the permit, not inside it.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does a roof replacement require a permit in Madison County?
Yes. A roof covering replacement almost always requires a permit in Florida, including Madison County. Products must carry a current Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance rated for the wind speed at the project address, and inspections usually run deck nailing, then dry-in, then final. Some minor repairs fall below the permit threshold, and a small single-family job under $7,500 can qualify for the written-request exemption under F.S. 553.79(1)(g), so ask the department first.
What is the difference between a residential and a commercial permit in Madison County?
Residential work is generally a single-discipline review filed as a master permit with trades filed against it. Commercial work in Madison County runs concurrent review across building, fire, and zoning, requires signed and sealed plans for every affected discipline, and can carry impact and concurrency fees on top of permit fees. Change of use adds accessibility and life-safety review.
Do trade permits need to be pulled separately in Madison County?
Yes in most cases. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work is permitted separately by the licensed contractor for each trade and filed against the master building permit. Each trade permit carries its own fee and its own inspection sequence.
What happens if I file under the wrong permit type in Madison County?
The application is rejected rather than corrected. the Madison County Building Department closes the record, the filing is resubmitted under the correct record type, and the review clock restarts from zero. Confirming the record type before filing is the cheapest step in the entire process.
Can I apply for all Madison permit types online?
Yes for most permits: the county takes building and driveway permit applications online through Cloudpermit (us.cloudpermit.com), and printable applications can still be filed at the Annex counter, Suite 219. Septic applications go to the Florida Department of Health in Madison County.
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More Florida permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information believed accurate as of July 2026. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change; always confirm current details with the Madison County Building Department before filing. This is not legal advice.