Building Safety in Madison, WI (2026)
10 verified building safety rules for Madison, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Anyone painting or remodeling a Madison building built before 1978 must follow lead-safe work practices: no open-flame burning, machine sanding or abrasive blasting without HEPA-filtered controls, sealed windows and plastic sheeting during work, and 11-by-8-inch warning signs posted at the job site.
Madison Lead-Safe Paint Removal Rules
Significant RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 7.49
(1)Scope. Owners of buildings and structures built before 1978 shall paint or remodel or cause to be painted or remodeled any painted exterior surface of such buildings or structures in conformity with the standards set forth in this section. ... (2)Standards for Paint Removal Methods.(a)The following methods shall not be used to remove paint or other surface coating materials without the use o...
Elevator Maintenance
Madison's Conveyance Code requires every elevator, escalator, moving walk, and similar lift device in the city to be kept maintained and operational at all times, with periodic inspection, testing and permitting overseen by the Madison Fire Chief under MGO Ch. 40.
Madison Elevator & Conveyance Maintenance
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 40.115; § 40.16
40.115 - CONVEYANCE MAINTENANCE. All conveyances, required under this chapter or Chapter 29 of the Madison General Ordinances, shall be maintained and operational at all times. Exceptions: 1.When the conveyance is undergoing routine testing. 2.When the conveyance is undergoing routine maintenance. (Sec. 40.115 Cr. by ORD-11-00056, 4-7-11) ... 40.16 - PENALTIES. Any person violating a provision ...
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Madison's building code requires automatic sprinklers in shared basement storage areas of multi-family residential buildings once those storage spaces exceed 2,500 square feet, under Section 29.23(10)(b)1, MGO. Smaller storage areas can instead rely on one-hour fire-rated enclosures and heat or smoke detectors, but crossing the 2,500-square-foot threshold triggers a sprinkler mandate tied to IFC Section 903.3.1.
Madison Basement Storage Sprinkler Rule
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.23(10)(b)1
1.In residential buildings constructed on or after July 14, 1972, where tenant or owner storage areas are provided (other than those within lodging rooms of lodging houses or dwelling units of multi-family dwellings), and the total area of the storage spaces is two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet or less, the storage areas shall be enclosed with not less than one (1) hour rated constr...
Door Locking Hardware
Madison's building code requires self-closing, locking doors on shared basement storage rooms in residential buildings, under Section 29.23(10)(b)1, MGO. The lock must let occupants exit freely from inside while staying secured from outside, and Section 29.23(10)(b)2, MGO extends the same self-closer and locking-hardware standard to buildings built before July 14, 1972.
Madison Basement Storage Door Locks
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.23(10)(b)1
The door shall be equipped with an approved self-closing device and lock. The lock shall satisfy the functions as follows:a.A rotating inside knob that will retract a live bolt;b.An outside knob permanently fixed;c.Lock to open from outside with key;d.Inside knob always free for immediate exit; ande.Latch bolt returns to locked position when door is closed... Doors leading to the basement shall...
Green Building Code
Madison General Ordinances § 29.40 requires owners of large commercial buildings to annually benchmark energy use through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and to complete periodic building tune-ups, on a phased schedule tied to square footage, with forfeitures for missed deadlines or falsified data.
Madison Building Energy Savings Code
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.40(3)(a)
(3)Energy Benchmarking.(a)Applicability.1.Covered Buildings. This Subsection applies to all commercial buildings that are equal to or larger than 25,000 square feet of floor area. 2.Benchmarking Schedule. Owners of covered buildings under Paragraph 1 shall complete their annual energy benchmarking requirements by June 30 of each year. The requirements of this Subsection shall be applicable on t...
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Madison's Building Code adopts Wisconsin's SPS 328 (Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors) by reference under MGO § 29.22, applying it to all new one- and two-family homes plus additions, alterations and accessory buildings: making CO detector installation a mandatory, state-standard requirement enforced through the city's own building permit and inspection process.
Madison Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirement
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.22
The Wis. Admin. Code Chapters: SPS 320 (Uniform Dwelling Code — Administration and Enforcement); SPS 321 (Uniform Dwelling Code — Construction Standards); SPS 322 (Uniform Dwelling Code — Energy Conservation); ... SPS 328 (Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors); ... This includes all subsequent amendments, additions and recodifications thereto, are hereby adopted by reference except for...
Building Permits
Madison requires a building permit from the Building Inspection Division before anyone erects, adds to, alters, converts, or demolishes any building or structure, per Section 29.07(1), MGO. The Director may waive the requirement only for minor work under $500 that involves no structural change and no change of use. Permits lapse if work does not start within six months or finish within 24 months.
Madison Building Permit Required
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.07(1)
No person shall erect or construct any building or structure whatever, or add to, enlarge, move, improve, alter, convert, extend or demolish any building or structure, or cause the same to be done, or commence any work covered by this code on any structure without first obtaining a building permit therefor from the Director of the Building Inspection Division; provided, however, that the Direct...
Electrical Permits
Madison requires a permit from the Building Inspection Division before any electrical installation, alteration, or wiring change begins, under Madison General Ordinances § 19.09. The permit must be pulled by a person licensed under § 19.08, and minor repairs like swapping a broken switch or outlet are the only exception.
Madison Electrical Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 19.09(1), (6)
(1)It shall be unlawful for a person to enter upon the erection, construction, alteration or change of any electrical installation, work or wiring, except minor repair work as defined in Subsection (2) of this section, until a permit has been obtained from the Building Inspection Division of the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development by a person properly licensed for the ...
Plumbing Permits
Any plumbing work in Madison needs a permit filed with the Building Inspection Division before work starts, under Madison General Ordinances § 18.08. Only a plumber licensed with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services may sign the application, except an owner-occupant may do their own single-family home's plumbing. Permits lapse if the work isn't started or finished on time.
Madison Plumbing Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 18.08(1), (5)
(1)Any person desiring to do plumbing shall file a permit application with the City of Madison before starting any work, except as provided in Section 18.08(2), MGO... All permit applications shall be properly filled out and shall be signed by a person qualified as a licensed plumber registered with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services... (5)Plumbing permits shall lapse ...
Building Inspections
Madison's Building Inspection Division requires three staged inspections during construction, foundation, structure and insulation, plus a basement floor inspection for sleeping space and a final inspection, under Section 29.10, MGO. Contractors must call for each inspection before work continues, and occupancy is unlawful until the final inspection and certificate of occupancy issue.
Madison Building Inspection Stages
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 29.10
No work shall be done on any part of the building or structure beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the Director of the Building Inspection Division... It shall be the responsibility of the contractor/owner to call the Building Inspection Division for all required inspections listed below:(a)Inspection of Foundations: To be made after ...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Madison city rules.
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