In Oakhurst or Coarsegold, a remodel often starts with practical problems: a bathroom fan that never kept up with winter showers, or a kitchen with one overworked outlet by the coffee maker. Homes in the foothills and in the unincorporated communities around Madera fall under the County’s Building Division, and its online system and forms shape how the work gets approved.

Which homes the County covers

The Building Division regulates the construction, alteration, and repair of buildings within the unincorporated area of Madera County. That includes foothill and mountain communities such as Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, North Fork, and Yosemite Lakes, and valley communities such as Madera Ranchos, Madera Acres, Fairmead, and Parksdale. Homes inside the city of Madera follow the City of Madera permit guide instead.

Building and Fire Safety, within the Community and Economic Development Department, is at 200 W. 4th Street, Suite 3100, in Madera, and the phone is (559) 675-7821.

Apply without the drive down the hill

The County’s online permit system is open around the clock for applying, submitting plans as PDFs, paying, and checking status. Have the property address or Assessor’s Parcel Number ready; for help finding an APN, the County lists (559) 675-7710. It also offers streamlined over-the-counter permits for replacement water heaters and HVAC change-outs.

The typical Oakhurst home dates to about 1980 and the typical Coarsegold home to about 1993, per Census Bureau estimates, so foothill homes span several decades of code changes. The system is at Madera County Permits Online.

Exempt work under the 2025 code

The County’s handout on work exempt from permit, based on the 2025 California code, lists painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work. The handout also notes that an exemption never authorizes work that violates the code, so exempt work still has to be done right.

Its electrical and plumbing exemptions are narrow: replacing lamps, reinstalling plug receptacles but not the outlets themselves, stopping leaks, and clearing stoppages. Window replacements have their own permit application on the County’s document list.

For mountain properties, the County also publishes snow load requirements, which come into play when a project changes the roof or other structure.

HVAC change-outs, new circuits, and gas work are handled by licensed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades, and the in-home consultation is where we sort out whether your plan includes them.

The inspection sequence

The County’s inspection information sheet sets the order. For a bathroom or kitchen, the stages that usually apply are:

• Rough plumbing and top-out, with piping water tested

• Rough mechanical, including flue vents, ductwork, and exhaust fans

• Rough electrical, with boxes and wiring in place

• Wallboard nailing, inspected before taping and texture

• A final inspection

To schedule an inspection, the sheet lists (559) 675-5206. The County may charge reinspection fees when a job is not ready, earlier corrections are incomplete, the permit card is not posted, or the approved plans are not on site, so call only when the work is truly ready.

If your house number is not visible from the county road, the sheet asks for an additional address sign at the road so the inspector can find the job. Insulation goes in only after the rough inspections, the job card stays posted on site, and a stamped set of approved plans stays at the job. Because exhaust fans are part of the rough mechanical inspection, our guide to bathroom ventilation and moisture is worth a look before you pick one.

Records and owner-builders

The online system shows permit status, and the Building Division’s documents include a public records request form for older files. Unpermitted additions and baths can come up when a property sells, so it pays to know what is on record before you build around it.

The County also posts an owner-builder permit application. CSLB’s point to weigh first: an owner-builder is responsible for supervising the job, getting failed work corrected and re-inspected, and making sure workers and suppliers are paid. The details are on CSLB’s owner-builder responsibilities page.

Planning a foothill remodel with All American

From the valley floor to the foothills, Madera County is part of the area All American serves, and the estimator confirms coverage for your ZIP code. Permit needs for a foothill remodel are confirmed in person, at the free in-home consultation. See our pages on remodeling in the Sierra foothills and Madera County, and the County’s Building Division page for forms.