Roof replacement, repair and storm damage in all 5 jurisdictions we cover in Madison County, each with its own page: the local permit rule, the code edition it enforces and the building department's number. Of the county's 119,168 homes, 81% were built before 2000 — past the usual 25-year life of a roof — and the median year built is 1971.
We list a building official's name only where the jurisdiction publishes one — 3 of 5 here do. We list a permit answer only where the jurisdiction states one — 1 of 5 here do, and 1 of those clearly require a permit. Everything else is left blank on purpose.
Madison County, town by town
Each line is a summary of that town's own page.
Alton — 12,551 homes, median built 1953, 28% before 1940; code: 2021 IRC; re-roof permit: not published; building official named (Greg Caffey).
Collinsville — 11,644 homes, median built 1971, 17% before 1940; code: 2021 I-Codes; re-roof permit: yes; building official named (Kendrick Soer).
Edwardsville — 10,609 homes, median built 1986, 16% before 1940; code: 2021 IRC; re-roof permit: not published; no official named.
Glen Carbon — 6,007 homes, median built 1990, 5% before 1940; code edition not published; re-roof permit: not published; building official named (Kari Crawford).
Granite City — 12,854 homes, median built 1957, 23% before 1940; code: 2012 IRC; re-roof permit: not published; no official named.
Homes across Madison County: the Census numbers
Built before 2000
81%
96,920 homes
Median year built
1971
15% built before 1940
Built 2000 or later
19%
22,248 homes
Owner-occupied
74%
79% detached houses
Madison County has 119,168 homes in the Census count, with a median year built of 1971. 15% were built before 1940, 61% before 1980 and 19% in 2000 or later; the single biggest decade was the years before 1940, with 17,395 homes (15%). 79% of homes are single-family detached houses and 74% of occupied homes are owner-occupied; the count includes 2,600 mobile homes.
The rule of thumb from Missouri's Department of Commerce and Insurance is a useful life of usually about 25 years for a roof. On that yardstick, 96,920 homes across Madison County (81%) were built before 2000 and have outlived at least one roof, and 57,612 (48%) predate 1970. The 14,019 homes from the 2000s are where first replacements are coming up now.
Across the 5 places we cover here with their own Census figures, Alton has the oldest housing (28% before 1940) and Edwardsville the newest (27% built in 2000 or later). Granite City is the largest, at 12,854 homes, and Alton has the highest share of renters (40%), where the roof is more often a landlord's decision.
Figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035). Survey estimates carry margins of error, widest in the smallest places. Census table.
Hail reports in Madison County, 2016–2025
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged 53 reports of hail 1 inch or larger in Madison County from 2016 through 2025, on 24 days. 12 were 1.75 inches or larger, and 4 of those reached 2 inches; the largest, 3.75 inches, fell on March 14, 2024. The busiest single day was March 14, 2025, with 17 reports.
Year
Reports
2016
3
2017
6
2018
5
2019
4
2020
1
2021
1
2022
0
2023
6
2024
5
2025
22
Counted within 5 miles of each town’s center, Collinsville has the most reports (15) and Alton the fewest (4). Each town’s own page lists its latest dates. Reports come from spotters and the public, so busier places log more of them.
Why the city matters more than the county
Illinois' residential building code covers new construction only, so a re-roof here follows the code each city has adopted for itself. Across the 5 jurisdictions we cover in Madison County, that adds up to 3 different editions in force:
2021 IRC: Alton, Edwardsville
2021 I-Codes: Collinsville
2012 IRC: Granite City
Glen Carbon publishes no edition we could read. Ask before work starts which one the roof will be inspected against.
The design figures are the same across the metro (115 mph ultimate design wind, 20 psf ground snow), so the local difference is the code edition and the permit route. What each figure does to a roof is in our St. Louis roofing code guide.
Common questions about roofing across Madison County
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Madison County?
It depends on the city, not the county. Of the 5 jurisdictions we cover across Madison County, 1 requires one (Collinsville); the other 4 publish no answer either way. Each city page says which applies and links the building department.
Which building codes are in force across Madison County?
Across Madison County the jurisdictions we cover enforce 3 different editions: the 2021 IRC in Alton, Edwardsville; the 2021 I-Codes in Collinsville; the 2012 IRC in Granite City. 1 publishes no edition we could read. The edition in force is the one your roof is inspected against.
How old are the houses across Madison County?
The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates put the median year built across Madison County at 1971, with 15% of its 119,168 homes built before 1940 and 19% in 2000 or later. 81% were built before 2000, so most have had at least one new roof already.
Does a roofer need a license in Madison County?
Yes. Illinois licenses roofing contractors statewide under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335), so a roofer working anywhere in the Metro East needs a current IDFPR roofing license. Among the cities we cover here, Granite City also has its own contractor registration.
Which Madison County jurisdictions name their building official?
3 of the 5 we cover publish a name: Alton, Collinsville, Glen Carbon. Where a name is published, it is on that city's page with the department's own number.
Town rules from each jurisdiction's own pages, researched 2026-09-09; housing, Census ACS 2020–2024; hail, NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sources: data.census.gov · www.spc.noaa.gov · cdb.illinois.gov · cdb.illinois.gov. Rules and staff change; check with the jurisdiction.
Free roof inspection
Roofing anywhere in Madison County
Free inspection, a written scope, and photos you keep either way.
