City of Alton

Madison County, Illinois

Last verified September 17, 2026

City of Alton is a jurisdiction in Madison County, Illinois, with an online portal for searching and pulling active or historical building permits. Use the contact information below to reach the local building department, or the mailing address if the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Contact

Phone: 618-463-3500
Email: gcaffey@cityofaltonil.gov
Department Site: Code Enforcement (Building and Zoning) (opens in a new tab)

Source: cityofaltonil.gov (opens in a new tab)

Permit Search

City of Alton Online Permit Application (BS&A Online) (opens in a new tab)

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

City of Alton, Code Enforcement / Building and Zoning
101 E. Third Street
Alton, IL 62002

Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Additional Notes

Confirmed via cityofaltonil.gov/code-enforcement/. Building and Zoning Director Greg Caffey (gcaffey@cityofaltonil.gov). A separate web search surfaced a possibly more specific Building & Zoning line, 618-463-3532, which could not be independently confirmed on an official page during this session; the department's main listed number, 618-463-3500, is used here. Online BS&A permit portal confirmed on the official site.

What You Need Before Applying for a Permit

Most building departments ask for the same core package before they'll issue a permit: a completed application naming the property owner and contractor, the contractor's state license number and proof of insurance (general liability, and workers' comp if employees are on the job), a notice of commencement or equivalent recorded filing for larger jobs where the state requires one, and scaled plans or a site plan for anything beyond minor repairs. Roofing, fence, pool, and solar permits typically have their own simplified checklists — City of Alton's department (above) can confirm exactly what applies to your project.

Why this matters for insurance: permit history is one of the first things an underwriter or adjuster checks. Unpermitted work — a finished basement, an added bedroom, a rebuilt roof — can complicate a claim or even void coverage for that portion of the loss, and it routinely surfaces during a home inspection. Pulling the right permit up front, and keeping the closed-permit record on file, protects both the property's value and its insurability at resale.

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