Madison height limits vary by district: 35 ft in most residential (TR-C), up to 12 stories in DC (Downtown Core) with view-corridor protections for the Wisconsin State Capitol under WI Stat 13.48(2).
Madison General Ordinances 28 establishes height limits by zoning district, measured to the mean of pitched roofs. Residential: TR-C 35 feet / 2.5 stories, SR-V 35 feet / 2.5 stories, TR-V 40 feet / 3 stories. Mixed-use: NMX 40 feet, TSS 50 feet, CC 60 feet. Downtown Core (DC) allows heights up to 12 stories (approximately 140-187 feet) subject to the Downtown Height Map. Notably, the Capitol View Preservation ordinance (MGO 28.071) restricts building heights within 1 mile of the Wisconsin State Capitol to preserve protected view corridors — this is a locally-adopted implementation of state interest under WI Stat 13.48(2)(b), which sets a 187.2-foot height cap for structures within 1 mile of the Capitol to prevent obstruction of the dome. Rooftop mechanical equipment, chimneys, steeples, and antennas may exceed height limits per MGO 28.135. Height variances require Zoning Board of Appeals approval.
Overheight construction: stop-work, remove excess, $500-$5,000 + daily. Capitol view violations: state-level challenge possible.
Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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Madison, WI
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See how Madison's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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