This is the City of Madison only; the surrounding towns and villages and Dane County issue their own permits.
The rule
The Development Services Center's Permits page (read 24 October 2026) lists "Central Air Conditioner, install" and "Furnace, install" as permit work, handled by Building Inspection (608-266-4551). The HVAC Data Sheet covers four kinds of work in existing single-family homes, two-unit homes, condos and commercial buildings:
| Job (existing building) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Replacement heating equipment, 100,000 BTU or less | $25 |
| Replacement heating equipment, 100,001 to 165,000 BTU | $50 |
| Replacement heating equipment, 165,001 BTU and up | $75 |
| New or replacement air conditioning unit | $25 per unit |
| Ductless split system or wall pack unit | $25 per split system |
| Alteration or addition to ductwork | $11 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $25 minimum |
| New building or addition | Fee set by the permit counter, (608) 266-4551 |
The same rates are on the City's Building Inspection Fees page. A furnace of 100,000 BTU or less plus a new AC unit is $50. The Permit Applications page adds that a central air install needs a site plan if you are installing a condenser.
Who can pull it
The data sheet asks for the owner's and the HVAC contractor's names and contact details, and the City's pages don't say whether an owner may file for their own equipment. Ask Building Inspection before you file as an owner. Furnace work with a new gas line or a new circuit brings in plumbing or electrical permits as well.
How to apply
- Projects with no plan review: fill out the HVAC Data Sheet, choosing one fee option, or use HVAC Upgrades and Replacements in the City's Accela Citizen Access site.
- For a central air condenser, attach the site plan.
- Building Inspection is at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 017, by appointment, Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What 7,927 Madison HVAC permits show
From Madison HVAC permits, permits filed October 2024 to September 2026:
| Measure | City of Madison HVAC |
|---|---|
| Filed | 7,927 (17% of all permits) |
| Last 12 months / 12 months before | 4,079 / 3,848 (+6%) |
| Filed as HVAC / new residential / new commercial | 6,690 / 653 / 573 |
| Busiest months (index) | July (128), January (126) |
| Quietest months | May (80), April (82), February (83) |
| ZIPs with the most | 53704 (1,384, 17%), 53711 (1,151), 53719 (912) |
Madison has two HVAC peaks, July in the cooling season and January in the heating season, each about 27% above an average month. Spring is the gap, with April and May about 20% below average, so a planned furnace or AC swap is easiest to book then. Filings rose 6% in the latest year. Year, month and ZIP counts are on Madison permit statistics and the rows on browse Madison permits; the HVAC page also lists the contractors named on the most permits (volume, not quality).
Before you hire
Search the address's permit history in Accela with the Madison building permit search guide; Wisconsin HVAC credentials are issued by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Rules elsewhere: HVAC replacement. Costs: HVAC replacement cost.
What this does not tell you
The reports have no status or final inspection date, so no finished share or time to final, and HVAC permits carry no job value. HVAC permits are dated by the day they were filed. Counts include new commercial buildings (573).
How we know this
The permit list, contacts and the condenser site plan note are from the City of Madison Development Services Center's Permits and Permit Applications pages; fees from the HVAC Data Sheet and the Building Inspection Fees page, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City's Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC permit report (CSV export), read 19 October 2026: HVAC permits filed October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a furnace in Madison, WI?
Yes. The City of Madison lists installing a furnace among the jobs that need a permit. The HVAC data sheet prices replacement heating equipment at $25 up to 100,000 BTU, $50 from 100,001 to 165,000 BTU and $75 above that.
- Do I need a permit for central air in Madison?
Yes. Installing a central air conditioner needs a permit, $25 per unit, and the City's Permit Applications page notes a site plan is needed if you are installing a condenser.
- How much is a mini-split permit in Madison?
$25 per ductless split system or wall pack unit on the City's HVAC data sheet. Altering or adding ductwork is $11 per $1,000 of estimated cost, with a $25 minimum.
- Can a homeowner pull an HVAC permit in Madison?
The City's HVAC data sheet has owner and HVAC contractor fields but does not say who may sign, and the City's permit pages don't address it. Ask Building Inspection at 608-266-4551 before filing as an owner.
- When do Madison HVAC permits peak?
Twice a year. From October 2024 to September 2026, July ran 28% above an average month and January 26% above; May was the quietest, 20% below, followed by April.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
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- Permits — City of Madison Development Services Center (2026-10-24)
- Permit Applications — City of Madison Development Services Center (2026-10-24)
- HVAC Permit Data Sheet — City of Madison (2026-10-24)
- Building Inspection Fees — City of Madison (2026-10-24)
- Permit Reports — City of Madison Development Services Center (2026-10-19)