Covington County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Covington County, any development in a mapped floodplain needs a floodplain development permit from the Emergency Management Agency Director, who is the county floodplain administrator (502 S. Arrington Avenue, Collins; 601-765-6687), and new homes there must sit 2 feet above the base flood elevation. Collins charges $100 per trade permit for a new house under its August 2025 fee sheet, and Mount Olive charges $10 per building for each permit.

Who issues permits in Covington County?

Covington County has three incorporated places: the City of Collins, the county seat (2,232 residents in 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate), the Town of Mount Olive (883) and Seminary (295). The Board of Supervisors governs the rest of the county.

House Bill 1163 of 2022 (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)) requires every county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area. The forms Covington County posts are a timber permit and the Emergency Management Agency’s floodplain and address applications; ask the Board office whether anything more applies to your project.

Building in Collins, Mount Olive and Seminary

Collins issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits at City Hall, 300 Main Street (601-765-4491). Its building permit application (April 2026) covers new buildings, additions, renovations, roofing and siding, demolition, foundations, moving, fences, retaining walls, window replacement, accessory structures and swimming pools; the Public Works Director signs it, and the permit fee and processing fee are entered separately.

The same sheet lists sewer taps at $200 (4 to 6 feet) or $300 (8 feet) and water taps at $516.90 for 3/4 inch, $836.50 for 1 inch and $2,353.50 for 2 inch, including material and meter. A residential utility deposit is $180.36. The City also states that it requires liability insurance of $2,000,000 general aggregate and $1,000,000 per occurrence. Collins adopted the 2018 International Fire Code by Ordinance 506, and under its flood ordinance (Ordinance 515, May 3, 2022) the county Emergency Management Agency Director is also the City’s floodplain administrator, with homes 2 feet above the base flood elevation.

Mobile and modular homes in Collins (Ordinance 533, adopted March 17, 2026) need Board of Aldermen approval. Manufactured and mobile homes must carry a HUD label, and no manufactured, mobile or modular home may be more than five years old. The home may be lived in only by the landowner or the landowner’s spouse, child, mother, father, brother, sister or grandchild; a caretaker use needs Board approval and a physician’s statement. Other rules:

• one home per city lot, or one per acre on unplatted land;
• at least 15 feet from side and rear lines and 20 feet from the front line;
• installation by a State Fire Marshal licensed installer, and inspection by the Public Works Director before the home is placed (a $40 travel fee is charged for homes outside the city limits);
• tailored skirting, with no wood, lattice or tin;
• a 911 address and the county tax registration given to the City Clerk before utilities are connected.

An approval lapses if the home is not set up within 90 days.

Mount Olive charges $10 per building for each building, electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing permit. Print the form, fill it in and return it to Town Hall at 501 S. Main Street (601-797-3496, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). A permit becomes void if work has not started within six months or stops for a year. The Town’s zoning ordinance also requires a certificate of compliance from the administrative official, applied for with a duplicate set of plans, before a building is erected, moved, added to or structurally altered. The applicant certifies that the lot has town water and sewer or a septic tank approval from the Covington County Health Department. A mobile home needs a petition to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen with a $75 fee and at least 15 days’ notice before a public hearing. The petition package includes the permit application, proof of land ownership (or the landowner’s permission), an acknowledgment of the public notice, the home’s 911 address and photos of the home. Homes on single lots must connect to town water and sewer, mobile homes may not be rented out, and a home may be lived in only by the landowner, the landowner’s spouse, child, mother, father, brother or sister, or the home’s owner. Under Ordinance 416 (January 11, 2024), a water tap is $125 and a sewer tap $225, with a $100 utility security deposit for non-renters and $200 for renters.

Seminary takes part in the flood insurance program; contact the town clerk about permits.

County floodplain permits, addresses and timber hauling

Floodplain development permit: anyone planning development in a designated floodplain in the county must get this permit from the Emergency Management Agency before work begins. The packet counts buildings, additions, remodeling, demolition, fill, grading, fences, retaining walls and placing a mobile home as development. A permit expires if work has not started within six months, and nothing may be used or occupied until it has passed a final inspection and final elevation check. An addition or remodel worth 50% or more of the structure’s value makes the whole building meet the ordinance, and a relocated home is treated as new construction.

The Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance the agency posts uses the Flood Insurance Study for Covington County and Incorporated Areas dated April 5, 2010. Its posted copy leaves the adoption date blank and states that it takes effect October 1, 2021.

911 addresses: the Emergency Management Agency is also the county’s 911 addressing office. Apply in person or online, and allow 3 to 5 days for a new address.

Timber hauling on county roads: logging companies need a county timber permit signed by the supervisor of the district before operations begin. The permit bars loading in the road, requires caution signs 500 feet from the haul-road intersection, and makes the company pay for road damage.

Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health permits onsite wastewater systems (wastewater call center 1-855-220-0192; wastewater@msdh.ms.gov).

Board meetings: the supervisors meet at 10:00 a.m. on the first Monday of the month in the Chancery Building. To be heard, notify the Board office by noon on the Wednesday before.

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

Official Covington County permit resources

• Covington County Board of Supervisors
• Covington County EMA: floodplain management
• Covington County floodplain development permit application
• Covington County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (as posted by the EMA)
• Covington County 911 addressing
• Covington County timber permit
• FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi NFIP communities
• House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
• City of Collins license, permit and processing fees (August 11, 2025)
• City of Collins building permit application (2026)
• City of Collins Ordinance 533: mobile homes and portable buildings
• City of Collins Ordinance 515: flood damage prevention
• Town of Mount Olive building permits and inspections
• Mount Olive Ordinance 416: water and sewer fees (2024)
• Mount Olive single-lot mobile home permit requirements
• Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater

Covington County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to build in a Covington County flood zone?

Yes. Get a floodplain development permit from the Emergency Management Agency (601-765-6687) before any development in a designated floodplain.

How high must a new house be in a Covington County flood zone?

The lowest floor, including any basement, must be 2 feet above the base flood elevation, both in the county and in Collins.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Collins?

$100 for each permit needed (building, electric, mechanical, plumbing, gas) under the fees effective August 11, 2025, and the sheet also lists a $100 processing fee.

How much are permits in Mount Olive?

$10 per building for each building, electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing permit.

Can I place a mobile home in Collins?

Only with Board of Aldermen approval, and the home must have a HUD label and be no more than five years old (Ordinance 533).

Who permits septic systems in Covington County?

The Mississippi State Department of Health (wastewater call center 1-855-220-0192).

Simplify Covington County 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 Covington County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.