Building Division Information

For your reference:

• Solar Submittals will be processed at the Madera Government Center location.  Roof mount solar submittals can be submitted to the office or online.  Click here for online permit submittal.  At this time ground mount solar submittals are not available for online submittal.
• All in-person permit submittals are accepted Monday – Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Exciting News for Madera County Residents: Pre-Approved ADU Plans Now Available!

Madera County is thrilled to offer pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans to residents in the county's unincorporated areas. This new resource is designed to streamline the process of building ADUs and make them more accessible for our community.

Accessory Dwelling Units | Madera County

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The Building Division was established pursuant to Sections 50022.1 through 50022.4 of the California Government Code to provide minimum standards to safeguard life or limb, health, property, and public welfare, by regulating and controlling structural design, construction, materials, occupancy, and location of all buildings and structures within the unincorporated area of the county.

Madera County has adopted the California Building Code as mandated by the State of California. The provisions of this Code shall be administered by the Department of Engineering and General Services, Building Division. Whenever the term "administrative authority" is used in this code, it means the county engineer or his authorized representative. The administrative authority shall have the right of entry, during usual business hours, to inspect any and all buildings and premises in the performance of their duties.

These codes shall apply to the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, relocation, conversion, occupancy and maintenance of buildings, structures, swimming pools, the installation of electrical wiring and appliances, the plumbing, heating and cooling facilities and appurtenances necessary within the unincorporated area of the county

It is unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, local public agency or any political subdivision of the state of California to do, or cause to be done, any of the following without having first secured a permit from the administrative authority:

• Building Division Documents
• Online Permitting System

Building Relocations

Madera County also has a building relocation board which consists of the planning director, the county engineer and the environmental health department director, or their representatives. This board considers whether the architectural and general appearance of such building or structure is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood where the purposed relocated construction will take place and whether the same will not be detrimental to the orderly and harmonious development of the neighborhood and complies with all applicable codes.

No person shall relocate any building containing more than one hundred twenty square feet of projected floor area within the unincorporated area of the county without first obtaining, in addition to other permits, a relocation permit from the building relocation board.

Plumbing

The provisions of the California Plumbing Code shall apply to all new construction, relocated buildings and to any alterations, repairs or-reconstruction, except as provided for otherwise in the code. No person shall connect any utility without receiving approval from the building official. Permanent utilities shall not be connected until all of the requirements of the code have been met as verified by a tag placed by the building official giving approval to the service.

Mechanical

The provisions of the California Mechanical Code shall apply to all new construction, relocated buildings and to any alterations, repairs or-reconstruction, except as provided for otherwise in this code. No person shall connect any utility without receiving approval from the building official. Permanent utilities shall not be connected until all of the requirements of the code have been met as verified by a tag placed by the building official giving approval to the service.

Electrical

The provisions of the National Electrical Code shall apply to all new construction, relocated buildings and to any alterations, repairs or-reconstruction, except as provided for otherwise in this code. No person shall connect any utility without receiving approval from the building official. Permanent utilities shall not be connected until all of the requirements of the code have been met as verified by a tag placed by the building official giving approval to the service.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

County of Madera’s Expedited Permitting Process for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) provides an expedited and streamlined permitting process for qualifying EVCS systems. Once all the documentation is correctly and fully completed and submitted, a permit will be processed and approved for issuance in a timely manner (usually 1 to 3 business days).

Please follow the link below to the Expedited Permitting Process for Electric Vehicle Charging:

Vehicle Charging Stations checklist

Electric Vehicle Charging ordinance

Mobile Homes

Mobile homes and temporary or permanent mobile offices installed within the County of Madera require a building permit for the installation of such structure, regardless of the type of installation being performed.

For statutory provisions regarding the occupancy of mobile homes and mobile home accessory structures, see Cal. Administrative Code Title 25, Chapter 5 (March 30, 1971); for the authority to adopt codes by reference, see Gov. Code 50022.1 et seq..

Demolition

A Demolition Permit is required for the removal of any structure, in excess of 120 square feet, located within the County of Madera. Demolition permits have to be pre-approved by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) as part of the permit process. An application will be given the owner whom will then need to fill it out and take it to the SJVUAPCD in Fresno to have the application approved and signed off by them. The application is then returned to the building department to obtain the permit.

Re-Inspections

Reinspection fees may be charged for each subsequent inspection of a job under circumstances where the job was not ready for inspection or where corrections previously required were not completed. This is not to be interpreted as requiring reinspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the requirements of this code, but is meant to control the practice of requesting inspection before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection. Reinspection fees may be assessed when the permit card is not properly posted on the worksite, the approved plans are not readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which inspection is requested, or for deviating from plans requiring the approval of the building official. C. To obtain a reinspection, the applicant shall file an application in writing upon a form furnished for that purpose and pay the reinspection fee. D. No additional inspections of the work will be performed until the required fees have been paid.

Grading

The purpose of this chapter is to set minimum standards for the construction of landfills, excavations and related activities so as to prevent erosion, sedimentation and other environmental damage and to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the community.

Normal English usage shall apply in the interpretation of this chapter. The Glossary of the Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, May 1978, Department of Conservation, Resources Agency, state of California, maintained by the county engineer, however, shall be controlling as to the terms and phrases contained in this chapter in the event of a dispute as to their meaning.