Brookhaven, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Inside Brookhaven, one combined zoning-building permit comes from the City’s Building Inspector in the Public Works Department (601-833-7766). Bring two sets of plans, a copy of the deed and the completed application; the fee follows the City’s valuation table, from $20 for work of $1,000 or less to $760 for a $200,000 project.

Who issues building permits in Brookhaven?

The Public Works Department runs permitting for property inside the city limits. Its Building Inspector, Daniel Redd, reviews and signs the zoning-building permit, enforces the zoning ordinance and issues the certificate of zoning compliance that a new or changed building needs before anyone uses it. The Director of Public Works, Jason Markham, is the City’s floodplain administrator.

The Board’s regular meeting minutes are not posted online; the City Clerk’s Office provides copies through a records request.

Brookhaven permit types

The zoning ordinance says no building or other structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a permit from the Building Inspector, and the City’s single application form covers erecting, repairing, moving, demolishing and rehabilitating a building. A zoning permit and a building permit for the same job are charged one fee.

Manufactured homes have their own placement rules: a single-wide may go only into a mobile home park, or replace a home of the same size or smaller that was occupied within the last 90 days (shown by a water or electric bill). A double-wide may go into an R-2 or R-3 district if it meets the setbacks, or into a park. A portable storage building must sit in the side or rear yard and meet the setbacks.

Brookhaven permit fees

The fee schedule the City posts is Ordinance No. 143-1996, adopted June 4, 1996, which amended Appendix B of the Standard Building Code. The current City Code leaves permit fees to the schedule adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, and no newer building fee schedule appears on the City’s website or in Board agendas from July to October 2026.

For example, a $200,000 project pays $460 plus 100 × $3, or $760. The application asks for the estimated cost of the plumbing, heating and cooling, wiring and structure separately, plus the total. The City Code says electrical, gas and plumbing permit fees follow the schedule adopted by the governing authority, but the website posts no separate trade fee table; ask the office at 601-833-7766.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC work in Brookhaven

Before an electrical, HVAC or plumbing contractor works inside the city limits, the City must have on file a $5,000 surety bond payable to the City, proof of insurance and the contractor’s State of Mississippi licence. The City Code issues electrical permits only to holders of a valid electrical licence, requires a separate permit for each house or installation and expects a copy of the permit on site. Gas installers need a licence and a bond of at least $5,000.

• Electrical service: if the power has been off for 6 months or longer, or work required the service to be disconnected, the City Inspector inspects the work and issues a permit, then faxes it to the electric company. Have the electrical account number ready. All electrical work must be done by a licensed electrician.
• Gas service: if the meter was removed or the gas has been off for 6 months or longer, a licensed plumber pressure-tests the system and calls the City Inspector to verify there are no leaks; the Inspector then faxes the permit to the gas company.
• Gas piping: customer gas piping in the city must be black iron or galvanized pipe, 1 inch in diameter, buried at least 18 inches deep.

The City’s permit page links the State Board of Contractors lookup for checking a contractor’s state licence.

What to bring for a Brookhaven permit

• Two sets of plans (the zoning ordinance asks for plans drawn to scale showing the lot’s dimensions, existing buildings and the proposed building or alteration)
• A copy of the deed
• The completed Application for Zoning-Building Permit, with the tax parcel number and an accurate legal description attached
• Lot size, building size, number of stories, foundation type, garage size, and whether water and sewer are available
• Estimated costs of the plumbing, heating and cooling, wiring and structure, and the architect or engineer’s name if one is used
• The names of the general, electrical, HVAC and plumbing contractors

The City says review can take up to 2 weeks depending on the job. The zoning ordinance itself calls for plans in triplicate, one copy of which the Building Inspector returns marked approved or disapproved, so ask whether a third set is needed.

Steps to a Brookhaven building permit

Inspections in Brookhaven

Inspections are arranged with the Building Inspector through Public Works at 601-833-7766. A zoning permit expires if the work has not begun within 90 days or is not finished within 1 year of issue, and a new permit is then needed. No one may use or occupy a new, altered or enlarged building until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of zoning compliance; a temporary certificate of up to 6 months is possible during alterations or partial occupancy.

In a flood hazard area the floodplain administrator checks the site at least three times: when the base flood elevation reference mark is set, when the footprint or lowest floor is set before the slab is poured, and at completion with the finished-construction elevation certificate.

Brookhaven rules that shape a project

Flood zones: Chapter 24 of the City Code (Ordinance 235-2019, June 4, 2019) requires a development permit from the floodplain administrator before any development in a flood hazard area. New and substantially improved homes, manufactured homes and non-residential buildings must have the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and electrical, heating, plumbing and air conditioning equipment must also sit at least 2 feet above it. Every new or substantially improved building, inside or outside the flood zone, needs its lowest floor at least 1 foot above the centerline of the street unless the lot’s topography prevents it. An elevation certificate is due once the lowest floor is set, before framing continues, and a FEMA elevation certificate at completion. Enclosed areas below an elevated floor are limited to 299 square feet, and the owner records a non-conversion agreement. Improvements count toward the 50% substantial improvement threshold cumulatively, over a ten-year period starting with the first improvement.

Outside the city limits: land outside Brookhaven is in unincorporated Lincoln County, which is a separate jurisdiction from the City. A new subdivision outside the city that connects to City water or sewer must still meet the City’s subdivision ordinance.

Codes Brookhaven enforces

Section 10-1 of the City Code (Ordinance 225-2016, December 20, 2016) adopts the 2015 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing and Mechanical Codes and 2015 gas and electrical codes, and Section 10-20 adopts the 2014 National Electrical Code. The 2015 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code also applies.

Some work is exempt statewide: farm structures once the owner files an affidavit (Mississippi Code §17-2-7), and manufactured housing built to federal standards, certain industrial and utility facilities, buildings on non-public fairgrounds and hunting or fishing camps with an owner’s affidavit (§17-2-9). None of these exemptions reaches floodplain rules. The state minimum codes are the Mississippi Building Code and Mississippi Residential Code, the residential code drawn from the 2021 International Residential Code. How building codes apply in Mississippi

Brookhaven permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Brookhaven?

The City’s Building Inspector in the Public Works Department (601-833-7766) issues the combined zoning-building permit for property inside the city limits.

How much does a building permit cost in Brookhaven?

It is based on valuation: $20 for work of $1,000 or less, $260 at $50,000, $460 at $100,000 and $760 for a $200,000 project. Moving a building costs $100.

Do I need a permit for a portable storage building?

Yes. The City says a portable storage building needs a permit and must sit in the side or rear yard within the setbacks; the zoning ordinance also requires a permit for any building that is erected or moved.

What do trade contractors need on file?

A $5,000 surety bond payable to the City, proof of insurance and a State of Mississippi licence before doing electrical, HVAC or plumbing work in the city.

How high must a house be built in a flood zone?

The lowest floor must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and at least 1 foot above the centerline of the street.

How long does review take?

The City says there may be a review period of about 2 weeks, depending on the job.

Can I bring a mobile home into Brookhaven?

A double-wide may go into an R-2 or R-3 district or a park; a single-wide only into a park or as a same-size-or-smaller replacement. A moving permit comes first.

Official Brookhaven permit resources

• Brookhaven building permits page
• Brookhaven Application for Zoning-Building Permit
• Brookhaven building permit fees (Ordinance 143-1996)
• Brookhaven sign permit application
• Brookhaven zoning map
• Brookhaven Public Works Department contacts
• Brookhaven Board meeting agendas
• Brookhaven City Code, Chapter 10: Buildings
• Brookhaven City Code, Chapter 24: Flood damage prevention
• Brookhaven zoning ordinance, administration and permits
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors
• Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi Uniform Building Codes

Simplify Brookhaven permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Mississippi. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Brookhaven permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.