Madison County, AL
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Residential Permitting & Inspections
Madison County enforces the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) with local amendments as adopted in the Residential Construction Resolution (2021). This resolution also outlines all permitting fees, exceptions, and licensing requirements.
This page is designed to help anyone building a Single Family Residential Home, Duplex, or Townhome, to know each step that needs to be completed from the beginning to the end of the permitting and inspections process.
Permit Application Requirements
To apply for a residential building permit, the following items must be submitted via the CityView permitting portal, located on the Inspection Department's home page.
You will need the following information when applying:
- Address Assignment
Must be issued by the Madison County Addressing Department. Link
- Sewer or Septic Approval
Provide one of the following:
- Sewer authorization to tap letter or permit from the sewer utility for your location.
- Septic permit from the Madison County Health Department
- Complete Building Plans
The plans and details must be clear and legible. The plans must include:
- a floor plan with total square footage (heated, unheated, under beam),
- foundation,
- framing details,
- mechanical location and layout,
- electrical layout,
- plumbing details,
- site plan showing all Minimum Building lines, easements, and property lines
- code compliance notes common to residential construction (for instance, framing sizing and layout, impact-resistant glazing, fall protection, access to attics or concealed spaces, egress components, smoke and CO detection, attic/crawlspace ventilation, drip edge, size of electrical service, and the like.
For a detailed explanation of these plan types, review this document. Residential Permit Plan Submittal Guide (PDF).
- Engineered Systems or Structures (if applicable)
Items not covered by the prescriptive code IRC must include sealed engineered drawings.
These include:
- Roof trusses, TJI floor joist, Open web floor truss
- Post-frame/pole barn
- Metal sheds or carports
- Sunroom panels
- Foundation walls over 4 feet
- Retaining walls over 4 feet
- Structural insulated panels (SIP),
- Modular buildings/structures not certified by the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission
- Fences over 7 feet tall
- Solar Arrays - Interconnection agreements with supporting engineered documents and single-line drawing, here is a link to Huntsville Utilities FAQs page addressing Solar Arrays
- Architecturally Designed Structures (if applicable)
Residential structures that contain 2 or more dwellings (Duplex, Townhome, etc) must be designed by a licensed Architect as prescribed by the Alabama Board of Architects and shall include sealed drawings.
Including the complete building plans as noted above, the plans shall also include:
- Listings for rated walls and penetration products
- Section and through-section details for wall, floor, and roof framing systems
- Section and through-section details for rated walls and their extent
- Home Builder Information
- Alabama Home Builders License
- Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- State Business License
- Complete an Application via the CityView Portal
- Temporary Power
If the project needs to have a Temporary Power Pole erected for the course of construction. Please review these Construction Specifications and obtain a permit for a Temporary Power Pole through the CityView portal.
If the project will need power to be installed onto the main power system of the home, nearing the end of construction, please complete this Temporary Power Affidavit and upload it to the CityView portal.
Fees
All permits have fees associated with obtaining each permit. Residential Permit fees are based on the type, size, or cost of the construction.
The Madison County Fee Table can be found on the last page of the Madison County Resolution (PDF).
Fees will also be assessed for failed inspections called “Re-inspection fees”.
Fees will be assessed and paid through the CityView portal.
Required Inspections
Typical inspections for residential construction include:
- Footing and foundation
- Foundation Walls and Framing
- Under-slab plumbing
- Floor System Framing and Anchoring
- Exterior Dry-In (before installing Brick/Vinyl/Veneer)
- Firewall Framing and Membrane (Sheetrock, Shaftliner, Cementitious) Installation (as applicable)
- Framing & Rough-in (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas, frame)
- Energy Compliance (provided by Huntsville Utilities, or a private accredited agency)
- Electrical Conduit
- Temporary Power
- Miscellaneous (Specialty Request)
- Final (includes building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing)
Inspections must be requested by the contractor or permit holder via email, by phone, or through the online portal. Inspection requests are to be received no later than 2 PM one business day in advance of the date for inspection. Inspections received after 2 PM will not be scheduled for the following business day.
Inspection requests can be made via email, call or through the CityView portal.
See this document on the Madison County website for additional clarity. Required Inspections
Final Inspection & Closeout
To request a final inspection and close out the permit, the following must be submitted before requesting a Building Final Inspection:
- Final Subcontractors List Link
- Final septic approval or sewer connection confirmation
- A Passed Energy Compliance Report for the Rough and Final phases of construction.
Additional clarity for the above requirements can be found within this PDF Link
Once the Final Building Inspection (including all trades) has passed inspection, a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) will be issued within 2 business days.