Madison building department

Madison’s Building and Permit Department issues construction permits and enforces the city’s adopted codes. The Mississippi State Rating Bureau rates the department Class 4 for both commercial and residential areas, the bureau’s highest rating, and Madison was among the first cities in the state to earn it. All of the city’s building inspectors are ICC-certified. The department is reached at (601) 856-6336 or [email protected]. City Hall, at 120 Montgomery Street, has a main line of (601) 856-7116.

What needs a permit

Madison requires permits for:

• New residential buildings and residential additions or renovations
• New commercial buildings and miscellaneous commercial work
• Foundation work, roofs, and fences
• Pools, which also need an owner’s letter
• Demolition and site grading
• Banners and POD storage units
• Rental property

Gas and electric permits are issued when utilities have been off for more than six months. Ready-to-install structures such as storage sheds need a permit, just as site-built accessory structures, renovations, and additions do. Commercial building plans must be stamped by a registered architect.

Adopted codes

Code	Edition
International Building Code	2018
International Residential Code	2018
International Fire Code	2018
International Property Maintenance Code	2021, with local amendments
International Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel Gas Codes	2012
National Electrical Code	2011
ICC/ANSI A117.1 accessibility	2003, with amendments

The city describes its code and fee basis as the 2018 International Building Codes family. Plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, and electrical work, however, still falls under older editions.

New home permits

For residential construction, the builder or contractor provides:

• A bond with the city of $5,000 or 0.5% (whichever is greater)
• A Mississippi license where state law requires one
• Two sets of plans: all four elevations, a plot plan (setbacks, drainage, sidewalks, finished floor elevation, erosion and siltation control, and accessory features such as fences, pools, and antennas), a floor plan with door and window schedule, an electrical plan and schedule, and a gutter detail for zero-lot-line homes
• HOA approval of the plans where covenants require it
• Copies of the Mississippi master licenses for the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC subcontractors
• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms, heated square footage, and construction cost (excluding the lot)

All fees are paid when the permit is issued.

The ten inspections

Inspections are performed the day after the call-in, with no set time. A $200 reinspection fee applies when work isn’t ready or fails a second time, and removing a stop-work order costs $500.

#	Inspection	When
1	Setback and site	Erosion control must already protect downhill properties
2	Rough plumbing	Building sewer lines before backfill
3	Sewer	City tap connections must use a Fernco adaptor
4	Foundation	After rough grading, before the concrete pour
5	Gas	With an air gauge installed
6	Framing	Before insulation or wall coverings
7	Insulation	Before sheetrock
8	Electrical	Circuits terminated, trim installed, A/C compressor connected
9	Drainage	Final grade matches the approved plot plan, before sod or seed
10	Final	Required before occupancy; occupying without a CO is a misdemeanor

Job-site rules

Madison’s permit rules include several local requirements contractors often miss:

• Culverts in dedicated street rights-of-way must be concrete, sized as the city approves.
• Concrete trucks may carry no more than 8 cubic yards on city streets.
• Sidewalks are 48 inches wide, scored every 5 feet, with at least 24 inches of grass or landscaping between the sidewalk and curb.
• Builders must provide trash containers. Burning builder’s debris is illegal under state law, and burning natural debris requires a Madison Fire Department permit.
• Mud tracked into the street must be cleaned up immediately, and the site must stay accessible to emergency vehicles.
• Any plan change after application must be approved by the city before it is built, and the permit must be posted on site before work starts.

Floodplain and drainage

Madison enforces a Stormwater Management Ordinance based on the Mississippi model ordinance, along with local floodplain ordinances. It also takes part in the NFIP Community Rating System, which lowers flood insurance premiums for residents. Get a permit from Building and Permits before building, adding fill, or making substantial improvements, and do not build or grade within 10 feet of property lines, so drainage between homes is not altered. If a lender or insurer asks for an elevation certificate, Community Development ((601) 856-7116) may already have one on file.

Code compliance

The Code Compliance Officer enforces the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code and city ordinances on housing, vehicles, litter, signage, commercial banners, overgrowth, and nuisances. Unless other regulations allow it, inoperative or unlicensed vehicles may not be kept on any premises, and vehicle painting is allowed only inside an approved spray booth.