Electrical Permit in Madison, WI
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
A residential property owner may perform electrical wiring work without the ordinary electrician or electrical-contractor licensing requirements on premises the owner owns and occupies as a single-family residence. Madison may issue that owner a permit only if the owner shows competence to perform the work in conformity with residential electrical rules and pays the same permit fee required of electrical contractors. The City's online workflow also provides a homeowner self-work applicant option.
Contractor Rules
For work not covered by a licensing exception, electricians and electrical contractors must be licensed or registered with the State of Wisconsin, and a person who is not a master electrician must work under the responsibility of a master electrician. Madison's online portal requires contractor accounts to be associated with the applicable professional license. Chapter 19 also contains specific licensing exceptions, including qualifying owner-occupants and certain low-voltage or specialized systems.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Madison Chapter 19 generally requires a permit before erection, construction, alteration, or change of an electrical installation, work, or wiring, except defined minor repair work. The City's current permit index lists 'Electrical Work, All' as permit-required. Common existing-building permit scopes include outlets, switches, fixtures, junction boxes, subpanels, fixed-appliance connections, and electric service-panel replacement.
Plan Review Rules
Plan review depends on project scope. Madison's online Electrical Repair or Replace workflow requires the applicant to confirm that the project does not require plan review. The City's permit-application guidance states that projects needing plan review must complete that review before using the permit data sheet, while projects with approved plans or no plan review may use the data-sheet process. New buildings, additions, and first-time buildouts are not eligible for the repair/replacement online path and are entered manually by permit counter staff.
Quick / No-Plan Permit Rules
An online Electrical Repair or Replace permit path is available for eligible remodel work in existing space. Fees are based on openings and/or new or replaced service entrances. The online path is not available for new buildings, additions, or first-time buildouts of shell spaces; those permits are set up manually by permit counter staff. Contractor license verification may be required before a new portal account is associated with a licensed professional.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Electric service-panel replacement is a permit scope and the current City fee is $50 per service panel. Service work must meet the applicable electrical code and City inspection requirements. Where the work affects connection or energization by the serving utility, service inspection approval and utility coordination are required before the service is energized.
Service Reconnect Rules
Chapter 19 prohibits connecting building wiring or turning on current until an Electrical Inspector has issued the required certificate of service inspection, and the supplying utility must obtain that inspection approval before supplying service. Wiring or equipment disconnected as unsafe may not be reenergized until written permission is obtained from an Electrical Inspector or supervisor. Madison Gas and Electric likewise states that it turns on permanent electric service after receiving the required local electrical inspection permit.
Low-Voltage Rules
Chapter 19 exempts persons installing, repairing, or maintaining equipment or systems operating at 100 volts or less, and certain electronic emergency monitoring or alarm systems, from the chapter's ordinary electrician and electrical-contractor licensing subsections. That licensing exception is not itself a blanket electrical-permit exemption; the permit section separately exempts only defined minor repair work. Fire-alarm and certain life-safety systems may also require a separate Madison Fire Department construction/work permit and plan review.
Utility Coordination Rules
Utility coordination applies when work affects new, modified, disconnected, or reenergized electric service. Chapter 19 requires the serving electrical utility to obtain the City's service-inspection approval before supplying service. Madison Gas and Electric's current building-project guidance requires electrical inspection approval for temporary and permanent service and provides a separate process for adding or modifying electric service. Chapter 19 also imposes underground entrance-facility requirements in specified areas and circumstances.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
The City's current inspection guidance lists underground inspection for below-grade or trenched work before cover, rough inspection for work inside wall or building cavities before concealment or installation of electrical devices, and final inspection after the work is complete and before occupancy. Chapter 19 additionally requires service inspection approval before applicable electrical service is connected or energized.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
An electrical permit lapses unless authorized work begins within 6 months of issuance and is completed within 24 months. The permit is eligible for up to two 12-month extensions; each extension fee is one-half of the original permit inspection fee. If the permit lapses, a new permit must be obtained under the code then in force.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Obtain an electrical permit before starting covered electrical installation, construction, alteration, or wiring work unless a Chapter 19 exemption applies. The application must identify the work and premises, applicable fees must be paid, and the work must comply with the electrical codes currently adopted for the building type. Contractors must hold the required Wisconsin electrical credentials unless an applicable licensing exception applies. Required electrical inspections must be completed before concealment and at final, with service inspection approval required before energization where applicable.
Exemptions
Chapter 19 exempts defined minor repair work from the permit requirement: replacement of broken or defective sockets, snap, push or toggle switches, convenience outlets, lighting fixtures, and portable electric appliances. For an emergency occurring when the Building Inspection office is closed and immediate work is necessary to protect fire, health, or property, work may begin without first obtaining a permit number, but the permit number must be obtained on the first business morning and the application and fees must follow within 10 days.
Required Documents
The City's Electrical Permit Application/Data Sheet requests the project address; owner name, phone and email; electrical contractor name, phone and email; building type; description of work; and, for existing-building work, the number of electrical openings and service panels used to calculate fees. Projects requiring plan review must also submit the applicable plans and supporting documents through the City's plan-review process before permit issuance.