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Roofing in Madison, Indiana

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Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Madison, IN, issued by City of Madison, Indiana - Building and Design Division. WHERE AND HOW. Building permits, inspections and contractor registration sit with the Building and Design Division of the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design at City Hall, 101 W. Main St., Madison, 812-265-8324. The Division "issues building permits, performs building inspections, enforces land use ordinances, and enforces zoning regulations." Applications go through the City's Permit Portal; the application form says paper applications "will be accepted by the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design; however, electronic submissions through our Permit Portal are preferred." Under 150.21(A) no building permit issues unless the application "is accompanied by a plat or sketch of the proposed location showing lot boundaries, and by plans and specifications showing the work to be done"; the form asks for the cost of construction and the business name of each contractor on the job, with a line for the roofing contractor, and it must be filed before work begins. IN THE MADISON HISTORIC DISTRICT, ASK ABOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FIRST. The Unified Development Ordinance adopted March 17, 2026 provides in Section 2.19, the Historic District overlay, that construction or alteration of a primary or accessory structure within the district "shall comply with the Madison Historic District Design Guidelines and obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness prior to a building permit", and Section 7.10, on building permits, provides that a certificate "is required from the Madison Historic District Board of Review for all structures and demolition within the Madison Historic District prior to issuance of a building permit." The district's design guidelines (2022) list among routine maintenance actions that do not require a certificate "Ordinary maintenance, cleaning, or replacement" in kind, "including roofs, (using same materials, shape, size, design etc.) of a property feature consistent with the historic design Standards". THE TWO DOCUMENTS PULL DIFFERENT WAYS AND THIS RECORD DOES NOT SETTLE IT. Section 7.10 requires a certificate for all structures in the district before a building permit issues, while the guidelines exempt an in-kind roof replacement from a certificate outright. The Unified Development Ordinance was adopted March 17, 2026 and so postdates the 2022 guidelines, but Section 2.19 of that same ordinance directs compliance with those guidelines, which is where the exemption sits, so the later instrument does not plainly displace the earlier one. On any roof in the district ask the City's Historic Preservationist, who processes certificate applications, whether the job needs one before ordering material. THE DISTRICT'S ROOFING RULES apply inside the district only; they sit in the Roofs section of the guidelines for historic properties and are not a citywide code. Guideline 15.4 provides that "New roofing materials should be compatible with either the existing or original roofing material", that "Cedar shake roofs are not appropriate for the historic district due to their lack of durability and susceptibility to damage from storms", and that "Asphalt or fiberglass-asphalt shingles as well as metal standing seam are acceptable substitutes for wood shingles"; it adds that "Galvanized standing-seam with a large ridge, exposed fastener and snap lock roofs are not appropriate in the historic district", asks for metal roof seams no more than one and a half inches in profile and pan widths between sixteen and eighteen inches, allows snap-lock roofs that follow those limits, and provides that "Any distinctive patterns of shingles or slates shall be retained and/or replicated exactly." Guideline 15.9 provides that ridge vents, where needed, "shall be of the low-profile type". INSPECTIONS, STOP WORK AND PENALTIES. After a permit issues the Building Inspector makes the inspections "as are necessary" under 150.36(A), and may enter a building at reasonable times on presenting credentials under 150.37. Under 150.38 the Building Inspector or Fire Inspector may order work being done contrary to the code stopped by written notice, and it stays stopped until they authorize it to proceed. A violation is a class A infraction with a judgment of not more than $2,500 under 150.99(A). Appeals from an order of the Building Inspector go first to the Board of Zoning Appeals and then to the state Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission under 150.50. TEAR-OFF IS NOT FILL: 150.84(B)(1) bars construction and demolition debris, shingles included, from use as fill material in the city. FLOOD PLAIN: under 150.22(C) an application for major repairs within the flood plain area having special flood hazards is reviewed for materials and equipment resistant to flood damage. Madison, Indiana sits in one of the country's most hail-prone regions. This hub aggregates Madison's roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements and impact-resistant material options — every fact linked to its sourced directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in Madison

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in Madison are set locally by City of Madison, Indiana - Building and Design Division. Indiana does not license roofing contractors at the state level — roofing and general contracting are absent from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s list of licensed professions — so any contractor credential is a city or county one, while the Indiana Residential Code applies statewide and limits how far a local ordinance may depart from it — always confirm the current requirements with the authority before starting work.

Roofing permit
Required
Contractor registration
Required
Adopted building code
THE STATE'S RESIDENTIAL CODE, AND MADISON NAMES THE SAME MODEL CODE ITSELF. One- and two-family dwellings in Madison are built to the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, 675 IAC 14-4.4. Its first section provides that "That certain document being titled the 2018 International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, first printing August 2017, published by the International Code Council ... is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set out in this rule save and except those revisions made in this rule" and that "This rule shall be known as the 2020 Indiana Residential Code." The rule was filed November 26, 2019 and readopted by a filing of November 18, 2025. WHAT MADISON'S OWN CODE SAYS. Section 150.06(A) of the Building Code of the City of Madison provides that "Building rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission as set out in the following Articles of Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code are hereby incorporated by reference in this code and shall include later amendments to those Articles as the same are published in the Indiana Register or the Indiana Administrative Code with effective dates as fixed therein", and then lists Articles 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The titles it prints under Article 14, "One and Two Family Dwelling Codes", are the "Council of American Building Officials One and Two Family Dwelling Code", the "CABO One and Two Family Dwelling Code; Amendments" and the "Standard for Permanent Installation of Manufactured Homes". The section's history note records no amendment since Ordinance 4-1988, passed May 17, 1988. The text of those older rules was not read for this record; the state's own table of contents for Article 14 marks its original one- and two-family code and the CABO amendment rule as repealed, and the newest rule in the article is 675 IAC 14-4.4. The section adopts the article together with its later amendments, which reaches 675 IAC 14-4.4, and Indiana law reads a local adoption the same way: IC 22-13-2-3(b) provides that a local reference to the commission's rules by citation to the Indiana Administrative Code "shall be construed to include all amendments as of the date that the reference is written and any later amendments to that provision, unless accompanied by a reference to a specific edition or supplement to the Indiana Administrative Code." THE CITY'S OWN STATEMENT. The Building and Design Division's page lists the code books available for review at City Hall, and its residential entry is the "2018 International Residential Code", the model code the state rule incorporates; the same list names the 2012 International Building Code, the 2012 International Fire Code and the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code. NO LOCAL ROOFING CODE. The Building Code of the City of Madison, Chapter 150 of the City Code in the 2025 S-35 codification, was read section by section and contains no roof-covering provision, and IC 22-13-2-3(c) provides that "A city, town, or county may not adopt an ordinance that conflicts with or includes more stringent or detailed requirements than the commission's rules." The local chapter's scope, in its own words at 150.03: "The provisions of this code apply to the construction, alterations, repair, use, occupancy, and addition to all buildings and structures, other than industrialized building systems or mobile structures certified under IC 22-15-4, in the city." Variances are a state matter: 150.35 closes "Any variance from adopted building rules are subject to approval under IC 22-13-2-7(b)." One vocabulary point: "Class 2" in Indiana is a structure class, broadly one- and two-family dwellings, and has nothing to do with a fire or impact class of roof covering.
Registration details
  • state_level: NO STATE CREDENTIAL FOR ROOFING. Indiana issues no state roofing, general-contractor or home-improvement credential. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's published directory of the professions it regulates names none of them; the construction-adjacent entries it carries are Architects and Landscape Architects, Engineering, Surveyors, Home Inspectors, Manufactured Home Installers, Interior Design Registry and Plumbing. Plumbing is the one that can reach a roofing job, and Madison's registration asks for it: the Building and Design Division states that "All plumbers must provide a copy of their State of Indiana license at the time of registration or renewal."
  • city_level: MADISON REGISTERS CONTRACTORS ITSELF, EVERY YEAR. Section 150.07(A) of the City Code provides: "Effective July 1, 2009, all general and specialized contractors building new construction, or making alterations or repairs to existing construction on structures totaling more than 100 square feet, or having a cost to the ultimate owner over $500, shall register annually with the Plan Commission. Handymen who provide repair or maintenance services, which would not require a building permit under the Building Code of the City of Madison, are exempt from the provisions of this section." A re-roof over either figure is inside it, and the handyman exemption reaches only work that would not need a building permit. WHAT THE REGISTRATION CARRIES. Under 150.07(B) each annual registration includes whatever the Building Inspector reasonably requests, "including, but not limited to, a list of subcontractors the general contractor employs, a copy of the general and specialized contractors’ current certificate(s) of insurance, a statement of the general and specialized contractors’ qualifications, and a list of previously completed building projects." The City's Application for General and Specialized Contractor's Registration lists "Roofing Contractor" among the trades, charges an initial application fee of $50.00 and a yearly renewal fee of $50.00, and has the applicant confirm that they "must provide a copy of my current Certificate of Liability with this application, and it must be up to date during the duration of my registration." It states that "Registrations are good for one year and must be renewed by 4:00 p.m. on the date of expiration or the registration is expired." Under 150.07(C) the fee may be revised by the Board of Public Works and Safety, and under 150.07(D) registration documents are public record. CARRY THE CARD: 150.07(E) requires registered contractors "to have their registration with them at all times while performing any work requiring the registration." NO REGISTRATION, NO PERMIT: 150.07(F) provides that a contractor who fails to register "may not obtain building permits from the Plan Commission Office", and the application form adds that "Building Permits will be held until all contractors and subcontractors are registered and up to date with the City of Madison." The Building Inspector enforces the section with a stop order on work that violates division (A), and violators face a fine of up to $250 for a first violation and up to $2,500 for each later one. Applications can be filed through the City's Permit Portal or on paper at City Hall, 101 W. Main St.; the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design is on 812-265-8324. A general business registration, if your company needs one, is not this credential and does not replace it.
Permit process
WHERE AND HOW. Building permits, inspections and contractor registration sit with the Building and Design Division of the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design at City Hall, 101 W. Main St., Madison, 812-265-8324. The Division "issues building permits, performs building inspections, enforces land use ordinances, and enforces zoning regulations." Applications go through the City's Permit Portal; the application form says paper applications "will be accepted by the Office of Planning, Preservation, and Design; however, electronic submissions through our Permit Portal are preferred." Under 150.21(A) no building permit issues unless the application "is accompanied by a plat or sketch of the proposed location showing lot boundaries, and by plans and specifications showing the work to be done"; the form asks for the cost of construction and the business name of each contractor on the job, with a line for the roofing contractor, and it must be filed before work begins. IN THE MADISON HISTORIC DISTRICT, ASK ABOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FIRST. The Unified Development Ordinance adopted March 17, 2026 provides in Section 2.19, the Historic District overlay, that construction or alteration of a primary or accessory structure within the district "shall comply with the Madison Historic District Design Guidelines and obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness prior to a building permit", and Section 7.10, on building permits, provides that a certificate "is required from the Madison Historic District Board of Review for all structures and demolition within the Madison Historic District prior to issuance of a building permit." The district's design guidelines (2022) list among routine maintenance actions that do not require a certificate "Ordinary maintenance, cleaning, or replacement" in kind, "including roofs, (using same materials, shape, size, design etc.) of a property feature consistent with the historic design Standards". THE TWO DOCUMENTS PULL DIFFERENT WAYS AND THIS RECORD DOES NOT SETTLE IT. Section 7.10 requires a certificate for all structures in the district before a building permit issues, while the guidelines exempt an in-kind roof replacement from a certificate outright. The Unified Development Ordinance was adopted March 17, 2026 and so postdates the 2022 guidelines, but Section 2.19 of that same ordinance directs compliance with those guidelines, which is where the exemption sits, so the later instrument does not plainly displace the earlier one. On any roof in the district ask the City's Historic Preservationist, who processes certificate applications, whether the job needs one before ordering material. THE DISTRICT'S ROOFING RULES apply inside the district only; they sit in the Roofs section of the guidelines for historic properties and are not a citywide code. Guideline 15.4 provides that "New roofing materials should be compatible with either the existing or original roofing material", that "Cedar shake roofs are not appropriate for the historic district due to their lack of durability and susceptibility to damage from storms", and that "Asphalt or fiberglass-asphalt shingles as well as metal standing seam are acceptable substitutes for wood shingles"; it adds that "Galvanized standing-seam with a large ridge, exposed fastener and snap lock roofs are not appropriate in the historic district", asks for metal roof seams no more than one and a half inches in profile and pan widths between sixteen and eighteen inches, allows snap-lock roofs that follow those limits, and provides that "Any distinctive patterns of shingles or slates shall be retained and/or replicated exactly." Guideline 15.9 provides that ridge vents, where needed, "shall be of the low-profile type". INSPECTIONS, STOP WORK AND PENALTIES. After a permit issues the Building Inspector makes the inspections "as are necessary" under 150.36(A), and may enter a building at reasonable times on presenting credentials under 150.37. Under 150.38 the Building Inspector or Fire Inspector may order work being done contrary to the code stopped by written notice, and it stays stopped until they authorize it to proceed. A violation is a class A infraction with a judgment of not more than $2,500 under 150.99(A). Appeals from an order of the Building Inspector go first to the Board of Zoning Appeals and then to the state Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission under 150.50. TEAR-OFF IS NOT FILL: 150.84(B)(1) bars construction and demolition debris, shingles included, from use as fill material in the city. FLOOD PLAIN: under 150.22(C) an application for major repairs within the flood plain area having special flood hazards is reviewed for materials and equipment resistant to flood damage.
Portal
Permit portal

View the full Madison permitting authority record →

Impact-resistant roofing materials for Madison hail

Madison, Indiana sits in one of the country's most hail-prone regions. For hail exposure, the highest impact rating a roof covering can earn is UL 2218 Class 4. These cataloged material categories reach Class 4:

Class 4 impact-resistant materials

Class 4 Impact-Resistant Shingle Corrugated Metal Panel Metal Shingle Rubber (Polymer) Shingle Standing-Seam Metal Roof Stone-Coated Steel Synthetic Shake Synthetic Slate Synthetic Tile

Browse every option on the Class 4 impact-resistant materials hub, and read the Class 4 impact-resistant shingles buyer's guide. Many insurers offer premium credits for a documented Class 4 roof — confirm terms with your carrier.

Local permitting authority

City of Madison, Indiana - Building and Design Divisioncity

Roofing guides

Class 4 Impact-Resistant ShinglesGuide Asphalt vs. Metal vs. TileGuide Wind & Fire RatingsGuide

Sources