New Garage

Your first step is to talk to Zoning. Your property may have restrictions on garage placement. Zoning staff will tell you if any conditions affect your project. If so, our staff will give you information about next steps.

Find out the zoning for your property.

Who to Contact

Zoning at Building Permits: (608) 266-4551, ext. 3.

Size

• The maximum height that your garage can be is fifteen (15) feet. Measure height from the ground to a point midway between the eave and top of the roof.
• The total area of accessory buildings, including sheds and detached garages, may not exceed 1,000 square feet. Measure area at the ground floor. Conditional use approval may allow a larger total building area.

Driveways

• Driveways must be at least eight (8) feet wide at the sidewalk.
• If you want a new driveway opening or to expand an existing driveway opening, check with Zoning staff at (608) 266-4551 and the Engineering Division at (608) 266-4751 to find out the specific requirements in your area.

Placement

• A detached garage must be at least three (3) feet away from your house or other structures.
• A garage should be at least three (3) feet from the rear or side lot lines of your yard.
• A garage located in the rear forty (40) feet of your lot most likely meets zoning requirements in your neighborhood.
• A garage located along the side of your house requires a setback greater than three (3) feet from the side lot line. Check with Zoning staff for this setback distance.

If your lot is on a corner or is irregularly shaped, the setbacks may be different than described. Show your site plan to city Zoning staff to find out quickly and accurately where you can build your garage and the size it can be.

Make a drawing (site plan) of your lot. The site plan drawing must show:

• All existing and proposed structures.
• The dimensions of the lot, the shed, the house, and any other structures.
• The distances from the shed to the lot lines and the distances to all other structures.

Where to Go

Building Inspection Permit Counter by appointment only
Madison Municipal Building
215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Suite 017
Madison, WI 53703

What to Include

• Bring two (2) copies of the 8 1/2 x 11 inch drawing (site plan) from Step 3.
• You also need two (2) sets of the construction plans drawn to scale.

The initial plan review will take 10 – 15 business days.

The City charges fee for building permits to cover the cost of plan review and inspections.

We base the fee for each project on the type, square footage, or value of the project. Staff will calculate your fee once we approve your plans.

During construction, be sure to display the permit where it can be seen from the street.

When we issue your permit, staff will tell you about the required inspections. 

It is your responsibility to schedule inspections.

If your project has several permits (electrical, heating or plumbing), a different inspector may check each type of work.

If any work does not pass inspection, you must correct it and call for a reinspection.

After your final inspection, your project will be considered complete.