Madison County
Madison County Building & Zoning Department
In short
Madison County Building & Zoning Department issues 5 permits we publish for Madison County, last verified 2026-10-24. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial/Industrial Building Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)only if it applies to you | Madison County Building & Zoning Department | Commercial/Industrial: $390.00 plus $.15 per sq. ft. from 3,000 to 100,000 sq. ft., plus $.08 per sq. ft. over 100,000 sq. ft.; plumbing inspection for new construction $60.00; electrical inspection for new construction $50.00 | per project | 2026-10-24 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)only if it applies to you | Madison County Building & Zoning Department | $50.00 plus $.40 per sq. ft. over 25 sq. ft. | null and void if the work has not been completed within 90 days (Code §93.161(C)) | 2026-10-24 |
| Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Unincorporated Madison County)only if it applies to you | Madison County Building & Zoning Department | Applied for together with the building permit application (Code §93.164(A)); a separate amount for the certificate is not published in the Building Information Booklet or Code §93.164. Contact the Building & Zoning Department (618-296-4468). | issued within five county working days after an approved final inspection (Code §93.164(A)) | 2026-10-24 |
| Type B Home Occupation Special Use Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)only if it applies to you | Madison County Building & Zoning Department | $300 special use permit zoning fee | granted only to the current owner or lessee of the property and nontransferable (Code §93.083(A)(7)) | 2026-10-24 |
| Private Sewage Disposal Contractor License (Installer or Pumper)only if it applies to you | Madison County Building & Zoning Department | $75 application fee, due by January 1; applications received after January 1 carry a $25 late fee | apply by January 1 each year | 2026-10-24 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Commercial/Industrial Building Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)
The Building Permits page states that the Building & Zoning Department administers the International Building Code for construction in the unincorporated areas of Madison County. New commercial or industrial construction there is permitted on the department's Commercial Building application. The fee is $390.00 plus $.15 per square foot from 3,000 to 100,000 square feet, plus $.08 per square foot over 100,000 square feet, with a $60.00 plumbing inspection fee and a $50.00 electrical inspection fee for new construction, as published in the Building & Zoning Department's Building Information Booklet (revised 2026), Attachment D, linked from the department's Building Permits page. The booklet asks for plans and specifications sealed by an architect licensed and registered in Illinois, a recorded deed, truss designs and license numbers for plumbers, sewage installers and roofing contractors. Work inside a city or village is permitted by that municipality instead.
Sign Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)
Madison County Code §93.161(A) states: "No sign shall be erected, altered, or relocated without a permit issued by the Zoning Administrator," except as the zoning code otherwise provides, and §93.161(C) makes a sign permit null and void if the work has not been completed within 90 days. This applies to signs in unincorporated Madison County; the application is the department's Sign Permit Application, with a drawing of the sign. The fee for a sign or billboard permit is $50.00 plus $.40 per square foot over 25 square feet, as published in the Building & Zoning Department's Building Information Booklet (revised 2026), Attachment D, linked from the department's Building Permits page. A sign inside a city or village is permitted by that municipality.
Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Unincorporated Madison County)
Madison County Code §93.164(A) provides that no land shall be occupied or used, and no building erected, altered or extended shall be used or changed in use, until the Zoning Administrator has issued a certificate of zoning compliance stating that the zoning classification, building location and proposed use comply with the zoning code. For a new building or the reconstruction or alteration of an existing building, the compliance permit is applied for at the same time as the building permit, and the certificate is issued within five county working days after an approved final inspection. Under §93.164(B), a nonconforming structure or use may not be extended, changed in use or substantially altered without one. The County Clerk's Registering a Business page states that any new business located in an unincorporated area needs zoning approval from the county's Planning and Development department.
Type B Home Occupation Special Use Permit (Unincorporated Madison County)
Under Madison County Code §93.083(C), a Type "B" home occupation, one where employees and customers visit the property, requires a special use permit, and the listed Type B occupations include "Hair salon, beauty parlor, and barber shops." A Type B home occupation may have no more than one non-resident employee on site, customers only between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and all parking off-street. The special use permit zoning fee is $300, as published in the subdivision and zoning fee schedule of the Building & Zoning Department's Building Information Booklet (revised 2026). The County Clerk's Registering a Business page directs businesses in unincorporated areas to complete the Home Occupation Assessment form and submit it to the Planning & Development office. This applies in unincorporated Madison County only.
Private Sewage Disposal Contractor License (Installer or Pumper)
Contractors who install or pump private sewage disposal systems in Madison County file the Building & Zoning Department's Private Sewage Disposal Contractors Application, which states: "Please submit the following information along with the $75 application fee by January 1. Applications received after January 1 will be subject to a $25 late fee." The form also states: "A CURRENT COPY OF YOUR STATE LICENSE MUST ACCOMPANY THIS APPLICATION OR YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A MADISON COUNTY LICENSE." The department's Building Information Booklet (revised 2026) lists the Septic or Pumper Installer License at $75.00 in its Attachment D fee schedule.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Madison County
- Phone
- (618) 296-4468
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building Information Booklet REVISED 2026Madison County Building and Zoning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Building PermitsMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Commercial Building Permit ApplicationMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Home Occupation ApplicationMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Madison County Code §93.083 (home occupations)Madison County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Madison County Code §93.161 (sign permits)Madison County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Madison County Code §93.164 (certificate of zoning compliance)Madison County, Illinois (American Legal Publishing codification) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Permits & InspectionsMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Private Sewage Disposal Contractors ApplicationMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Registering a BusinessMadison County Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Sign Permit ApplicationMadison County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
Other offices serving Madison County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in Madison County
- Coffee shops in Madison County
- Retail stores in Madison County
- Salons and barbers in Madison County
- Fitness studios in Madison County
- Childcare centres in Madison County
- Contractors and trades in Madison County
- Auto repair shops in Madison County
- Veterinary clinics in Madison County
Illinois jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.