In unincorporated Calhoun County, the Board of Supervisors charges $50 to issue a building permit, a fee it adopted on July 5, 2022 under House Bill 1163, the state law requiring a county permit for construction outside the towns. The Board is reached at PO Box 36, Pittsboro (662-412-3126), and the Chancery Clerk at 662-412-3117; inside the seven towns, ask the town hall.
Who issues permits in Calhoun County?
The county’s permit is a Board of Supervisors matter: on June 20, 2022 the Board first set a $25 fee to issue a building permit, then on July 5, 2022 rescinded it and set the fee at $50 by a unanimous vote. The Board meets in the board room of the courthouse in Pittsboro. No county building department, inspection program or adopted building code appears in the county’s published records.
Each county permit must show the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or federal taxpayer number and the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number, so have those ready when you apply.
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Get a free quote →| Area | Who to ask about building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Calhoun County | Board of Supervisors, PO Box 36, Pittsboro, MS 38951; 662-412-3126 (fax 662-412-3128). Chancery Clerk, PO Box 8, Pittsboro; 662-412-3117, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Calhoun City (1,459) | The published sources do not say which city office issues permits; ask City Hall, 102 South Monroe Street, 662-628-8345 |
| Bruce (1,608), Vardaman (1,060), Derma (914), Pittsboro (155), Big Creek (124) and Slate Springs (99) | The published sources do not say who issues permits in these towns; ask each town clerk |
| Septic systems where there is no sewer | Mississippi State Department of Health (North Region); Wastewater Call Center 1-855-220-0192 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Flood maps in Calhoun County
FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Calhoun County, Bruce, Calhoun City, Derma, Pittsboro and Vardaman as participants in the National Flood Insurance Program. New flood maps for the county and for Bruce, Calhoun City, Derma and Pittsboro take effect on December 23, 2026, so a site’s flood zone can change after that date; Vardaman’s map is dated August 19, 2010. Big Creek is not in the program, and Slate Springs is not listed.
The county does act on floodplain violations: in March 2024 its E911 Coordinator told the Board that a structure built below the flood level in District 4 had to be corrected, warning that uncorrected violations could cost the county federal funding. Check the flood zone before you build, and ask the Board’s office whether the site needs county floodplain approval.
Steps for a project in Calhoun County
Find out whether the land is inside Bruce, Calhoun City, Vardaman, Derma, Pittsboro, Big Creek or Slate Springs, or in the unincorporated county.
Look at the current FEMA map, and at the new maps that take effect on December 23, 2026.
Without sewer, apply to the State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system.
Call the Board of Supervisors’ office, pay the $50 fee and give the contractor’s certificate or tax number and licence number.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Mississippi building code
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
Rather not deal with the Calhoun County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Calhoun County permit resources
- Calhoun County Board of Supervisors minutes (building permit fee, 2022)
- Calhoun County Chancery Clerk records portal
- Mississippi Secretary of State: county officials directory (2025)
- Calhoun City
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Calhoun County permit FAQs
How much is a Calhoun County building permit?
$50. The Board of Supervisors set that fee on July 5, 2022, replacing a $25 fee adopted two weeks earlier.
Who do I call about a permit outside the towns?
The Board of Supervisors’ office in Pittsboro, 662-412-3126, or the Chancery Clerk, 662-412-3117.
Are new flood maps coming to Calhoun County?
Yes. FEMA lists new maps for the county, Bruce, Calhoun City, Derma and Pittsboro taking effect on December 23, 2026.
Who approves a septic system in Calhoun County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, which places Calhoun County in its North Region.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Calhoun County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.