Unincorporated Madison County

A permit must be obtained before construction or demolition of a building or structure, change of occupancy, movement of a lot line that increases hazard or decreases safety to an existing building or structure, and removal or disturbance of asbestos-containing materials. All work or development in a FEMA-designated special flood hazard area must also be permitted.

Note: The county's permit-required handout states that certain work is exempt from the Virginia USBC and from the requirement to obtain a permit and have inspections, but Madison County did not publish a detailed itemized exemption list in its reviewed public materials. Contact the Madison County Building Department at 540-948-6102 to confirm whether your specific project requires a permit before starting work. All work or development in a FEMA special flood hazard area must be permitted regardless of scope.

Building code

2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) — now in full effect; the one-year grace period has ended.

Permit validity

Permits are valid for one year. Inspections are required at minimum 6-month intervals to avoid permit lapse, and the permit holder must demonstrate that work has not been abandoned. The Building Official may grant an extension upon written request; additional fees may apply.

Owner-builder

The county may issue a permit to persons exempt from state contractor-licensing requirements under Virginia Code section 54.1-1101. Owners may qualify under specific circumstances, including building their primary residence and related accessory structures. If an owner obtains the permit and later hires contractors, the owner remains legally responsible for ensuring proper licensing.

Contractor requirements

Virginia contractor license information is required on building and trade permit forms. Virginia code requires a contractor to be properly licensed before bidding or undertaking contracting work of $1,000 or more. Applicants must certify either proper licensure or a lawful exemption.

Source: Madison County Building Department; Madison County Zoning & Planning ↗

1. 01
   Confirm whether the project requires a building permit, a flood-zone development permit, and/or county zoning approval. Madison County requires permits before construction, demolition, alteration, change of occupancy, asbestos disturbance, and all work in a FEMA special flood hazard area.
2. 02
   Download and complete the applicable county forms. Available forms include the building permit application, trade permit application, asbestos certification, AG-UG mitigation form, flood-zone permit form, demolition packet, and manufactured-home forms.
3. 03
   Assemble supporting documents. Depending on the project, supporting materials may include plans, construction documents, project description and estimated cost, contractor information or owner exemption certification, health department approval, and other required trade or floodplain documentation.
4. 04
   Submit the permit package to the Madison County Building Department at 410 N Main Street or by mail to PO Box 1206, Madison, VA 22727. No dedicated online permit-submittal workflow was identified on the county's public pages.
5. 05
   County staff review the application and calculate applicable fees, including building permit charges, plan review charges, zoning fees, and the mandatory 2 percent state levy.
6. 06
   Pay fees through the county's Tyler Portico permit payment page or through county staff. Use the property owner name and tax map or parcel ID to locate the fee record. A 3 percent convenience fee is added for credit-card payments.
7. 07
   After payment, the county will email the permit to the applicant within 2 business days.
8. 08
   Post the approved plans onsite and request inspections as work progresses by phone or through the county's online inspection request form. Final inspection approval and a certificate of occupancy are required before occupancy or change of occupancy.

Typical processing time: No overall permit-review turnaround estimate was published. Once payment is made, allow 2 business days for the permit to be emailed.

Source: Madison County Building Department; Madison County Zoning & Planning ↗

Pay online via Tyler Portico using property owner name and tax map or parcel ID. A 3 percent convenience fee is added for credit-card payments. After payment, allow 2 business days for the permit to be emailed.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ (effective January 2024) before budgeting.

• 540-948-6102 (phone)
• Inspection Request Form (online)

Scheduling deadline

Inspection requests must be made by 3:00 p.m. the day prior to the desired date.

Time windows

AM and PM requests are considered; specific inspection times cannot be given in advance.

Typical sequence: Typical inspections include footing, concrete wall, drain tile/waterproofing, backfill/green plate, crawlspace framing, ground works, water line, slab, gas lines, rough-in stages, framing, and other project-specific inspections, followed by final inspection and certificate of occupancy before occupancy or change of occupancy.

Third-party inspections are allowed only under the county's third-party inspection policy; outside-agency requests must be approved in advance.

Source: Madison County Building Department; Madison County Zoning & Planning ↗