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Agricultural Exempt Permit in Unincorporated Madison County, Idaho

Required for structures built on property where the primary land use is a bona fide agricultural operation and the structure is used exclusively for agricultural-related storage — barns, pole barns, hay sheds, farm equipment sheds, livestock shelters, poultry buildings, horticultural structures, and grain silos. May not be used for structures with any habitable space. Property must be at least 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture, meeting Idaho Code 63-604 eligibility for agricultural property tax appraisal. Governed by the 2018 IRC as adopted by Madison County.

Verified 2026-07-08 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Property's primary land use must be a bona fide agricultural operation on more than 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture, per Idaho Code 63-604 agricultural property appraisal/taxation eligibility criteria
  • Structure must be for agricultural storage/shelter use only (barns, pole barns, equipment sheds, livestock shelters, poultry buildings, horticultural structures, grain silos, stables) — no habitable area permitted
  • Recorded Warranty Deed (Madison County Clerk's Office)
  • Signed Understanding of Policy form (Agricultural Buildings Exemption)
  • One electronic copy (PDF) and two physical copies of plans, scale no smaller than 1/8"=1', sheet size 11"x17": Site Plan (showing structures, septic, well, drain field, drain field replacement area, setbacks from side property lines, county road centerlines, waterways), Cross Sections, Elevations, Full Foundation drawing, Window & door schedule
  • Copy of the Building Contractor's State of Idaho Registration
  • Preliminary/Final Elevation Certificate if property is in a designated floodplain
  • Permit fee payment ($150.00) plus review fee ($45.00) due upon application submittal

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Agricultural Exempt Permit feeAgricultural Exempt Permit Application (2025), Checklist item: 'Permit fee payment - $150.00 and a review fee of $45 due upon application submittal.'
$150.00
Review feeDue upon application submittal, alongside the $150 permit fee
$45.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Madison County’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days

How long did your Agricultural Exempt Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Madison County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation

    Per Inspection Checklist Agricultural — foundation verified before concealment

  2. 2

    Final

    All work complete per approved plans

See the full Unincorporated Madison County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • This permit is exclusively for non-habitable agricultural storage/shelter structures — any habitable area disqualifies the structure from this permit type and requires a standard Residential Building Permit instead.
  • Qualifying acreage is strict: property must be more than 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture per Idaho Code 63-604, including the home site.
  • Two physical copies of plans are required (in addition to one electronic PDF copy) — this differs from the standard residential building permit's one physical copy requirement.
  • The 2020-vintage 'Agriculture Application' link in the Related Pages sidebar is superseded by the 2025 version in the page's Attachments section — use the current 2025 application.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Madison County requires an agricultural exempt permit for: Property's primary land use must be a bona fide agricultural operation on more than 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture, per Idaho Code 63-604 agricultural property appraisal/taxation eligibility criteria; Structure must be for agricultural storage/shelter use only (barns, pole barns, equipment sheds, livestock shelters, poultry buildings, horticultural structures, grain silos, stables) — no habitable area permitted; Recorded Warranty Deed (Madison County Clerk's Office); Signed Understanding of Policy form (Agricultural Buildings Exemption); One electronic copy (PDF) and two physical copies of plans, scale no smaller than 1/8"=1', sheet size 11"x17": Site Plan (showing structures, septic, well, drain field, drain field replacement area, setbacks from side property lines, county road centerlines, waterways), Cross Sections, Elevations, Full Foundation drawing, Window & door schedule; Copy of the Building Contractor's State of Idaho Registration; Preliminary/Final Elevation Certificate if property is in a designated floodplain; Permit fee payment ($150.00) plus review fee ($45.00) due upon application submittal. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Madison County Building Department at 208-359-6262 before starting work.

In Unincorporated Madison County, the published Agricultural Exempt Permit fee is: $150.00. Additional published fees: Review fee — $45.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Unincorporated Madison County's published plan-review target for an agricultural exempt permit is 10–10 business days.

You'll need: Agricultural Exempt Permit Application (2025); Site Plan; Understanding of Policy Form. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Madison County may also ask for: Inspection Checklist Agricultural. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Madison County requires 2 inspection(s) for an agricultural exempt permit, in order: Foundation, Final. Schedule each through Madison County Building Department (208-359-6262).

Apply through Madison County Building Department at 134 E Main St., Ste. 206, Rexburg, ID 83440. Phone: 208-359-6262, email: ddecker@co.madison.id.us. Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Madison County government offices; closed all federal holidays) — hours confirmed on the co-located Planning & Zoning Dept page (134 E Main St. Ste. 208); Building Department page itself does not publish separate hours. Official information: https://www.madisoncountyid.gov/departments/building_department/index.php.

Unincorporated Madison County, Idaho has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 1-1, as reflected in IDAPA 24.39.30; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 2-1; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 3-1; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 4-1, with local amendments to insulation/fenestration tables (Sec. 4-2); Climate Zone 6B; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 5-1; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 6-1; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted via Madison County Code Chapter 103, Article II, Sec. 7-1, as adopted by the Idaho State Fire Marshal (IDAPA 18.08.01); 2017 National Electrical Code — regulated solely by the State of Idaho per Idaho Code Title 54, Chapters 10 and 26 (county has deleted electrical provisions from its IRC per Sec. 2-2(B)); 2017 Idaho Plumbing Code — regulated solely by the State of Idaho per Idaho Code Title 54; 2013 NFPA 72 Fire Alarm & Signaling Code — referenced on Building Department resource list. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Madison County overview page for the full list.

Yes, but if the structure is used exclusively for agricultural storage (barns, sheds, grain silos, livestock shelters, etc.) on more than 5 contiguous acres actively devoted to agriculture, it qualifies for the Agricultural Exempt Permit rather than a standard building permit. Fee: $150 permit fee + $45 review fee, both due at submittal. Review takes a minimum of 10 working days. Source: Madison County Agricultural Exempt Permit Application (2025).

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-08.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Madison County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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