Madison County’s Building Inspections & Code Enforcement Department in Danielsville issues building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits for unincorporated Madison County and for work inside Colbert, Comer, Ila and Danielsville once the city has approved it in writing. Many permits can be filed through the County’s Online Services portal; a new site-built home costs $0.20 per heated and $0.10 per unheated square foot, with a $200 minimum.
What requires a building permit in Madison County?
County rules make it unlawful to put up, move, add to or structurally alter a home, office or business building by 100 square feet or more without a building permit, plus Health Department approval where it applies. Any building larger than 400 square feet also needs a permit to be built or moved into the county. The Department publishes application packets for these permit types:
Homes
- New site-built homes, remodels and additions
- Modular and manufactured homes, and moving a mobile home out (exit permit)
- Pre-owned mobile home health and safety inspection before it is moved in
- Temporary housing (camper) during a new home build
- Porches, decks, garages, carports, barns and other non-residential buildings
- Swimming pools and demolition
Trades and commercial
- Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits, including trade-only jobs
- Commercial buildings, with plans review
- Cell towers (on the commercial packet)
- Poultry houses
A home build needs its building, electrical, heating and air and plumbing permits bought together before construction starts.
Who handles permitting in Madison County?
The Building Inspections & Code Enforcement Department issues permits and inspects all construction, including building, electrical, HVAC and plumbing work. Eddie Pritchett is the Department Head and Chief Building Inspector.
Zoning depends on where the property is. Outside city limits, the County Zoning Department approves the permit first. Inside Colbert, Comer, Ila or Danielsville the property falls under that city: contact City Hall, and if the city requires a permit, bring a letter on city letterhead giving the location, the work, the permits needed and confirmation that city zoning is met. With that letter you do not need County zoning approval, and the County then issues the permit.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Carlton, Hull and Royston: the County page names only those four cities, but its general rule is the same for any property inside city limits: bring a letter of approval from that City Hall instead of County zoning approval. Carlton (706-797-3210) and Hull (706-234-0430) are on the County’s list of city phone numbers. Royston, which lies mainly in Franklin County, has its own building regulations (City Code Chapter 18) covering all land inside its city limits, enforced by the City’s building official.
| Office | Details |
|---|---|
| Building Inspections & Code Enforcement | 91 Albany Ave, Suite 4, Danielsville, GA 30633 · permit clerk 706-795-6350 |
| Office hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; permits issued until 4:30 p.m. |
| Inspectors in the office | 8:00–9:00 a.m. and 4:00–5:00 p.m. |
| Zoning Department | 706-795-6340 |
| Health Department (septic) | 1424 Hwy 98 W, Danielsville · 706-795-2131 |
| Clerk of Court (plats and deeds) | 706-795-6310 |
| City Halls | Carlton 706-797-3210 · Colbert 706-788-2311 · Comer 706-783-4552 · Danielsville 706-795-2189 · Hull 706-234-0430 · Ila 706-789-2244 |
Permit costs and fees in Madison County
Fees come from the Building Inspection Department Fee Schedule adopted by the Board of Commissioners on November 27, 2023. Building fees are set by square footage, and electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits are added on top.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New site-built home | $0.20 per heated sq ft and $0.10 per unheated sq ft, $200 minimum |
| Addition to an existing home | Same rates, $100 minimum |
| Basement finished after the CO | $100 minimum |
| Porch or deck over 16 sq ft | $0.05 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Accessory building over 400 sq ft (barn, shed, shop, metal carport) | $50 up to 1,000 sq ft; $60 for 1,001–2,000 sq ft; $0.05 per sq ft over 2,000 |
| Modular home | $0.15 per heated and $0.10 per unheated sq ft, $300 minimum |
| Mobile home | $0.20 per sq ft, $300 minimum (includes a porch up to 4 x 4 ft) |
| Mobile home pre-health inspection in the county | $100, plus $50 per extra trip |
| Residential swimming pool | $150 |
| Residential demolition | $150 (valid 6 months, no extensions) |
| Commercial building | $450 up to 2,499 sq ft; $600 for 2,500–4,999 sq ft; $600 plus $0.10 per sq ft from 5,000 sq ft |
| Commercial plans review | $200 up to 50,000 sq ft |
| Site plan review / storm water plan review | $200 / $100 |
| Re-inspection | $50 first trip, $75 second, $100 third |
| Residential permit extension | $100 for 90 days, with the Chief Building Inspector’s approval |
For example, a new home with 2,000 heated and 500 unheated square feet has a building permit fee of $450 before the trade permits. Payment is by cash, check, or debit or credit card; American Express and payment by phone are not accepted. Fees for online permits are paid in the portal.
Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits in Madison County
Trade-only electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits are filed through Online Services. Every building contractor, electrician, HVAC contractor and plumber must register with the Department each year (registration renews in January) with a copy of their state licence card, and each one must turn in a signed Contractor Affidavit for every permitted job. Without the affidavits on file, the Department will not schedule an inspection.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, 100 / 150 / 200 A | $55 / $60 / $65 |
| Electrical, 300 / 400 / 500 / 600 A | $75 / $85 / $95 / $100, plus $10 per extra 100 A |
| Electrical minimum or tie-in | $50 |
| Same-day permit and power approval | $50 on top of the electrical fee |
| HVAC, electric | $60 per 2-ton unit, plus $2 per ton over 2 tons |
| HVAC, gas | $60 for 50,000 BTU, plus $2 per 25,000 BTU over that |
| HVAC, gas and electric combination | $75 (mini-splits no charge) |
| Plumbing | $60 for up to 10 fixtures, $3 per extra fixture |
How to apply in Madison County
Outside city limits, get Zoning Department approval. Inside Colbert, Comer, Ila or Danielsville, get the City Hall approval letter instead.
A new system needs a soil scientist report and the recorded plat before you apply to the Health Department; an existing tank needs Health Department approval. Allow up to 5 days.
Use the current application packet (updated February 2026) or Online Services. Attach the recorded plat, a qPublic property report and map, a water meter application from the Industrial Authority if needed, and a DOT access letter for a new driveway onto a state highway.
The builder and trade contractors must be registered and submit job affidavits. Permits are issued in the owner’s name, so anyone else pulling the permit needs the owner’s Property Owner Authorization Form, signed in front of a notary.
Paper applications must be complete and approved and in the office by 4:00 p.m. They are handled in order of arrival, and anything not finished by 4:30 p.m. is processed the next business day.
Keep it in a construction box at the job entrance; the inspector signs it at each visit.
Rather not deal with the Madison County building department?
Get a free quote →What to submit
New home
- Septic tank permit or existing-system approval
- Recorded plat of the property
- Property Owner Authorization Form, if someone other than the owner applies
- Heated and unheated square footage (basement, garage and porches)
- Service panel amperage, heating system size in tons and number of plumbing fixtures
- Names of the registered builder, electrician, plumber and heating and air contractor
Commercial
- Letter of site plan approval from Planning and Zoning
- One complete set of plans drawn to scale: floor plan, elevations and plans for each trade
- A state licensed design professional’s stamp on all commercial buildings and on any building of 3 or more storeys or 5,000 sq ft or more
- Name, address and phone number of a contact person
Department staff review commercial plans within 10 working days of submittal and reply in writing, by phone or both. Once the plans are approved, the permit application moves forward.
Inspections in Madison County
Inspections are by phone request only (706-795-6350), never by email or voicemail. Call before 4:30 p.m. to be scheduled for the next available business day, and allow up to two business days. Visits have no set time: you can call between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. on the day for an estimated arrival, and you do not need to be on site if the inspector can get in. To cancel without a re-inspection fee, call by 8:15 a.m.; inspections are not cancelled automatically for bad weather. The residential inspection stages are:
- Footing and temporary pole: before concrete, with grade stakes and bulkheads set and the temporary power pole ready.
- Plumbing and slab: under-slab plumbing left exposed before burial and the pour.
- Rough-in: framing, electrical, plumbing and heating and air together, before insulation, with windows and exterior doors installed. A framing-only visit is charged a $50 re-inspection fee.
- Semi-final: receptacles and switches in, door locks working, septic installed, approved and connected, and the 911 address posted at the driveway.
- Final: the house ready for occupancy. It may not be occupied until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →A permit lasts 6 months, and each passing inspection renews it for another 6 months. If no inspection is passed in that time, the permit expires and you must re-permit at full cost.
Georgia building code
Georgia's State Minimum Standard Codes apply statewide: the 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with Georgia Amendments, in force since 1 January 2026; the energy code is still the 2015 IECC with Georgia supplements. The Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes
Madison County permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Madison County — Frequently Asked Questions
- Madison County — Building Inspections & Code Enforcement
- Madison County Online Services permit portal
- Madison County Building Inspection Fee Schedule (adopted November 27, 2023)
- Madison County Residential Permit packet
- Madison County Commercial Plans Review Requirements
- Madison County Property Owner Authorization Form
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Madison County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Madison County?
The County’s Building Inspections & Code Enforcement Department at 91 Albany Ave in Danielsville, for unincorporated areas and for work inside Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Danielsville, Hull or Ila that has the city’s approval letter. The part of Royston in Madison County falls under the City of Royston’s own building regulations.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Madison County?
$0.20 per heated and $0.10 per unheated square foot, with a $200 minimum, plus separate electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits. A home with 2,000 heated and 500 unheated square feet pays $450 for the building permit.
Do I need a permit for a shed or barn?
Any building over 400 square feet needs a permit, and the fee for accessory buildings of that size starts at $50. Adding 100 square feet or more to a home, office or business building also needs a permit.
Can someone else pull the permit for me?
Yes, with the Property Owner Authorization Form completed and signed by the owner in front of a notary, because permits are issued in the owner’s name.
How do I schedule an inspection?
By phone only, at 706-795-6350, before 4:30 p.m. for the next available business day. Contractor affidavits must be on file first.
How long does commercial plan review take?
Department staff review commercial plans within 10 working days of submittal.
How long is a permit valid?
6 months from issue, renewed for another 6 months by each passing inspection. Otherwise it expires and must be re-permitted at full cost.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Madison County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.