Dane County · Wisconsin
Metal buildings in Madison and south-central Wisconsin.
We supply shops, garages, farm buildings, barndominiums and more across Dane and Rock counties. Our work reaches from Madison and Sun Prairie down to Janesville and Beloit, and anywhere else you’re building.
City permit
Any garage
City accessory cap
1,000 sq ft total
County zoning permit
Over 120 sq ft
County ground
House comes first
The permit and size rules are City of Madison rules. County figures cover towns under Dane County zoning.
What people build around Madison
City lots, lake country and some of the state’s best farm ground sit within a short drive of each other.
Garages in town
In the city, the 1,000 sq ft accessory cap and the 15 ft height limit set the size before anything else does.
Acreage shops
Unfinished and under sixty feet wide, tubular steel is usually the answer, insulated or not.
Farm buildings
Machine sheds and hay storage go up on Dane County farm ground. Red iron takes over past eighty feet.
Barndominiums
Steel truss is the fit. Drywall attaches to the frame, and the house is built to the state dwelling code.
See what a steel building costs for real per-square-foot ranges.
Permitting metal buildings in Madison and Dane County
Inside Madison
- Any garage needs a permit, attached or detached.
- All accessory buildings together can’t exceed a 1,000 sq ft footprint.
- A detached garage tops out at 15 ft and sits at least 3 ft from the house and from side and rear lot lines.
- Building Inspection is at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 017, (608) 266-4551.
Towns under county zoning
- Any building over 120 sq ft needs a Dane County zoning permit.
- The house has to exist or be under construction before an accessory building is allowed.
- Accessory buildings can’t be used as living space, and plumbing takes a conditional use permit.
- Call Dane County Zoning at (608) 266-4266.
Farms & the state code
- County zoning permit fees don’t apply to farm buildings on farms of 35 acres or more.
- The state dwelling code doesn’t cover detached shops, but it does cover a building you live in.
On county ground, the house comes before the shop. Dane County won’t issue a zoning permit for an accessory building until the home exists or is under construction, and the shop can’t be plumbed or lived in without a conditional use permit. Plan the order before you plan the steel.
We also serve Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, Stoughton and Waunakee. See all of Wisconsin.
Local guides for south-central Wisconsin
Start with a conversation
Let’s talk about your Madison project.
Tell us what you’re planning and where you’re building. We’ll help you work out the next steps.
- Tell us what and whereSend us the size, how you’ll use the building and the address.
- We check the siteWe confirm who permits the address and which code and loads apply.
- You get a clear recommendationWe recommend the frame that fits and price it against the alternatives.
Or call
417-218-8348