Madison Borough, New Jersey Building Permit Guide

The Madison Building Department enforces the Uniform Construction Code for both Madison and Chatham Borough. It has temporarily moved, with the zoning and engineering offices, from the Hartley Dodge Memorial at 50 Kings Road to the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps (MVAC) Building at 29 Prospect Street (973-593-3064; weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Zoning approval must come first. Renovations of one- and two-family homes are charged $25 per $1,000 of cost with a $75 minimum, and a new house also pays the borough $14,326 in electric, sewer and water connection fees.

What requires a building permit in Madison?

The Uniform Construction Code is the same in every New Jersey town: ordinary maintenance needs no permit, and minor work needs one but may begin after notice to the office. What Madison adds is a two-step routine, zoning first and then the building permit, and a set of instruction sheets for common projects:

For businesses, the zoning office issues permits for a change in tenancy, use or ownership ($50) and for signs ($100 permanent, $50 temporary). Every residential zoning permit needs a survey no older than 10 years, and a signed certification in lieu of oath unless the survey is less than three months old.

What Madison decides and what the state holds

The code is the state’s; the borough sets the fees, the zoning rules, the construction hours in Section 75-15 (Ordinance 36-2012) and the utility connection fees adopted in 2022 under Chapters 94 (electric), 155 (sewer) and 190 (water). Construction and demolition may run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and federal holidays; no commercial work is allowed on Sundays, and no earthwork for commercial or industrial construction on weekends. The Uniform Construction Code Official may extend the hours where the public will not be harmed.

Madison building department: who handles permitting

The Madison Building Department is the enforcing agency for Madison and, under the same office, for Chatham Borough; DCA’s roster lists the same phone number for both. Chatham Township is separate, with its own construction department at 58 Meyersville Road. Subcode officials review plans and the Construction Official gives the final sign-off. On the roster (as of September 2, 2026) the building, electrical, fire protection and plumbing posts are local, and the Department of Community Affairs holds the elevator subcode, so elevator and lift work is handled by the state.

Madison permit types

Madison uses the state forms: the F100 construction permit application (“yellow jacket”), technical sections F110 to F155, the F170 small form, F190 permit updates and the F270 application for a certificate. Its instruction sheets say what each project needs on top of those forms, and only complete applications are accepted; they are reviewed in the order they are date-stamped.

Residential permits

• New dwelling. Zoning approval first; three sets of plans, two of them signed and sealed by a New Jersey design professional; the builder’s registration; area and volume on the folder and building section; wiring, plumbing riser and gas piping diagrams; framing details and checklist; REScheck energy compliance; a survey; drywell calculations; Morris County Soil Conservation approval; and the preliminary affordable housing (COAH) fee, water and sewer fees paid before issuance.
• Addition. Three sets of plans; a homeowner may draw them only for a house they live in, with their name, address and signature. The addition cost is shown separately from any renovation cost. A new structure with more than 400 square feet of roof area needs drywell calculations and soil district approval, and an addition worth more than half the equalized assessed value of the house pays a COAH fee.
• Renovations. Separate instruction sheets cover basements, bathrooms and kitchens, decks, porches and generators.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial work starts with a zoning permit for any change in tenancy, use or ownership and a sign permit for each sign, then the construction folder. Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment applications are filed online with the borough’s checklists A to F. Commercial roofing and siding are charged $20 per $1,000, and commercial certificates of occupancy cost $150.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the construction permit

• Zoning permit. From the Zoning Office (also temporarily at 29 Prospect Street), with the fee and a recent survey.
• Boards. Variances, site plans and subdivisions go to the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment through the online application.
• Soil district. New houses, and additions with more than 400 square feet of roof area, need Morris County Soil Conservation District approval (973-285-2953).
• Road opening. Curb, sidewalk, driveway, utility and other work in the right of way needs a road opening application to the Engineering Department, a cash deposit, 24 hours’ notice to the Road Department and a mark-out 72 hours ahead.
• Trees and county review. Tree removal permits are online forms, and Morris County reviews site plans on county roads or adding more than an acre of impervious cover.

Madison permit costs and fees

Madison posts one construction fee schedule for both Madison and Chatham Borough on its website. The page does not cite an ordinance number or date, says fees may change at any time, and says the current figures are available from the department; state fees are added on top. The main charges are:

Worked example. A $40,000 kitchen renovation in a single-family house: 40 × $25 = $1,000 for the building subcode, plus the DCA surcharge of 40 × $1.90 = $76. Plumbing and electrical sections are added at their own rates.

Utility connection fees. Madison’s 2022 ordinances charge a new single-family house one unit of each: $2,957 for electric (Ordinance 33-2022), $7,000 for sewer (Ordinance 35-2022) and $4,369 for water (Ordinance 34-2022), a total of $14,326. Half is due when the permit is issued and the balance at certificate approval; other projects are rated by their added electric demand, sewer flow or water use.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, fire and mechanical work each has its own technical section and fee table, and the person performing the work signs the section with the estimated cost. The borough asks for a wiring diagram showing receptacles, switches and devices, a plumbing riser diagram, a gas piping diagram for new gas lines, and specifications for new or replacement heating units and fireplaces; a chimney verification signed by a professional goes with new or replacement heating units and fireplaces.

• Electrical: devices are counted in blocks (1 to 50 devices $50, 51 to 75 devices $70, and $20 more for each further block of 25), services and subpanels are priced by amperage, and pools and hot tubs carry their own charges.
• Mechanical: replacements of AC units, furnaces, boilers, water heaters, gas piping and oil or LPG tanks are $50 each, but the mechanical subcode minimum is $100.
• Fire: sprinklers are priced by head count and alarm devices in groups, with tank installation or removal at $75.
• Registration: a contractor must supply the home improvement registration card (a new house needs the builder’s registration). New Jersey has no general contractor license; electricians, master plumbers and HVACR contractors hold state licenses.

How to apply for a Madison building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Once a complete application, including its prior approvals, is in, the department has 20 business days to prepare the permit. Subcode officials review the plans, the Construction Official signs off, and the permit number and cost are set last. Missing prior approvals and incomplete packages are the usual hold-ups, since files are reviewed in date order. Permit refusals can be appealed to the Morris County Construction Board of Appeals.

Inspections and certificates in Madison

Schedule inspections through the SDL portal or call 973-593-3064, with at least 24 hours’ notice and the permit number. Building, electrical and plumbing inspections run Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.; fire inspections on Mondays and Thursdays. The work must be finished and ready when you call, and the office cannot give an arrival time. A framing checklist is presented at the framing inspection, and the residential inspection checklist and new-dwelling CO checklist list what must be in place before the certificate of occupancy.

Leaving a permit open has consequences: the department follows up every open permit with notices of violation and, in some cases, notices and orders to pay penalties, so book the final inspection when work is done.

Selling or renting a one- or two-family home needs the fire department’s smoke and carbon monoxide alarm inspection, booked at 973-593-3021. The fee is $75, paid by check to the Borough of Madison after the inspection, with $40 for each re-inspection, and the certificate lasts six months or until the tenancy changes. Smoke alarms are required on every level, including the basement, and within 10 feet of bedrooms, with 10-year non-replaceable batteries in stand-alone units; CO alarms go on each level with bedrooms.

New Jersey building code in Madison

Madison enforces the state code locally, for itself and Chatham Borough, and DCA covers elevators. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Madison (community 340347) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps effective April 15, 2002. Health services, including environmental health, come from the Westfield Health Department (908-789-4070), which also serves Chatham Borough.

New Jersey has one Uniform Construction Code for every municipality; the town supplies the enforcing agency, the fee ordinance and the zoning approvals. New Jersey rules

Madison permit search and official resources

Madison’s SDL page offers a permit status lookup for Madison and a separate one for Chatham Borough. For copies of permits, plans or certificates, use the borough’s Public Records Request (OPRA) form, posted with the clerk’s permits and applications.

• Madison Building Construction Department
• Construction fee schedule (Madison and Chatham Borough)
• UCC forms and instruction sheets
• Inspection schedule
• Construction hours ordinances
• Planning and Zoning Office
• Zoning permit application
• New dwelling application instructions
• Residential addition instructions
• Connection fee and road opening forms
• Fire Department: selling your home
• Public records request form (OPRA)
• Morris County Soil Conservation District
• Morris County land development review
• DCA roster of local construction offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, New Jersey

Madison building permit FAQs

Where is the Madison Building Department now?

Temporarily at the MVAC Building, 29 Prospect Street, open weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; its usual home is the Hartley Dodge Memorial, 50 Kings Road.

How much is a permit for a renovation?

For a one- or two-family home, $25 per $1,000 of cost with a $75 minimum, plus the state surcharge of $1.90 per $1,000.

What does a zoning permit cost?

$50 for decks, fences, sheds, patios, driveways, pools, AC units and generators; $150 for additions and detached garages; $300 for a new house.

How long does a permit take?

Up to 20 business days after a complete application with all prior approvals; files are reviewed in date order.

What fees does a new house pay for utilities?

$14,326 in electric, sewer and water connection fees, half at permit issuance and half at the certificate.

Does Madison inspect smoke alarms on a sale?

Yes; call the fire department at 973-593-3021. The inspection costs $75, re-inspections $40, and the certificate lasts six months.

Does the same office handle Chatham?

It handles Chatham Borough, using the same fee schedule. Chatham Township has its own department at 58 Meyersville Road.

Simplify Madison Borough permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Jersey. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Madison Borough permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.