Hancock County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Hancock County, the Planning & Zoning Department (228-467-4157) issues every building permit, including heating, plumbing, electrical and mobile home permits, and enforces the county’s flood ordinance. Building fees follow a valuation table, so a $200,000 house pays $760 plus a $50 plan review fee and a $1 records fee. Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead and Waveland run their own building departments.

Who issues building permits in Hancock County?

The county’s Building Department sits within Planning & Zoning. Its director, Anthony Cuevas, is also the county’s Building Official and inspector, and under the flood ordinance the Building Official is the county’s Floodplain Administrator. The same office runs the county zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations and recreational vehicle park ordinance for the unincorporated area.

Cities in Hancock County

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Trade permits come from the same county office. Since October 1, 2011 the county has required residential electrical, plumbing and mechanical (HVAC) permits to be pulled by a licensed subcontractor in that craft, using the separate Permit Application for Sub Contractors, which also covers gas and fire suppression work. On a new house built by a licensed residential builder, each subcontractor’s permit costs $26 ($25 plus the $1 records fee).

A homeowner building a single-family house to live in as a primary residence must still take out the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for any of that work they do themselves, but pays no fee for them; if a licensed contractor does the work instead, the contractor pulls the permit and pays. Both application forms authorize the Building Official to have the power company disconnect service if work is found in violation.

Hancock County permit fees

The county’s posted permit fee schedule (undated) bases the building permit on the total valuation of the work. A $1 records management fee is added to every permit.

For example, a house valued at $200,000 pays $460 plus 100 × $3, or $760, plus the $50 residential plan review fee and the $1 records fee, a total of $811 before any trade permits. The schedule also includes a building valuation table of square-foot construction costs by occupancy and construction type, drawn from the 2003 International Building Code. New commercial trade work and pools are priced on the valuation table. The mobile home checklist accepts cash, checks and credit or debit cards.

What to submit for a new house

• The tax parcel number from the county Tax Office
• A 911 address
• A perk test from the State Department of Health, or a “will serve” letter from the water and sewer provider (where community water or sewer is available, you must connect to it)
• A copy of the recorded deed, plus a notarized letter from the owner if the applicant does not own the land
• The completed Permit Application for Residential-Commercial structures, listing the flood zone, required base flood elevation, FEMA panel and any fill
• Two complete sets of house plans
• A plot plan showing the distances to the property lines
• An elevation certificate if the lot is in a special flood hazard area, and a V Zone Building Design and Performance Certificate signed by an engineer or architect for V zone construction

The county asks applicants to print and complete the paper forms on its Permits / Forms page, which also carries a Site Plan Packet and the Planning Commission application and appeal forms. Before final power is released, the county needs an account with the power company, a final elevation certificate in a flood zone and the Hancock County Health Department’s final approval of the septic system.

Steps to a Hancock County building permit

Inspections and final approval

The Building Department inspects building and trade work in the unincorporated county; call 228-467-4157 to arrange inspections. In a flood hazard area the permit holder must send the Floodplain Administrator a surveyor’s or engineer’s certificate of the lowest floor elevation as soon as the lowest floor is placed, and any work done before that certificate is reviewed is at the owner’s risk. A permit extension of 6 months costs $25.

For a mobile home in a special flood hazard area, the county must approve a foundation plan before it issues the permit, and a foundation inspection is needed before the home is set. Dry-stacked blocks are not accepted there, or anywhere the home sits more than 80 inches above the ground; blocks must be concrete-filled and reinforced with rebar. Homes must be Wind Zone 2 or higher, and the State Fire Marshal inspects the pad and tie-downs before final power.

Flood and coastal rules in Hancock County

The county’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, first adopted in 1977, revised effective October 16, 2009 and amended September 17, 2012, sets these rules for new construction and substantial improvements:

• A zones: the lowest floor of homes and non-residential buildings, including manufactured homes, must be no lower than the base flood elevation; non-residential buildings may instead be floodproofed to at least 1 foot above it. Mechanical and electrical equipment must be at or above the base flood elevation.
• V zones (V, VE and V1–30): buildings must stand on pilings or columns with the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member at least 1 foot above the base flood level, designed or reviewed and certified by a registered engineer or architect. New construction must be landward of mean high tide, fill may not be used for structural support, and sand dunes may not be altered in ways that increase flood damage.
• Coastal A zones: the area between the landward limit of the 1.5-foot breaking wave and the V zone boundary is treated as a V zone.
• Below elevated buildings: space under the lowest floor in a V zone must be open or enclosed only with breakaway walls rated between 10 and 20 pounds per square foot, solid breakaway enclosures are limited to 299 square feet, and the space may be used only for parking, access or storage.
• Street level: the lowest floor must also be at least 1 foot above the centerline of the street, unless the lot’s topography does not allow it.
• Substantial improvement: improvements made within any 5-year period count together, and reaching 50% of the building’s market value triggers the full rules.
• Accessory buildings in A zones: non-habitable, anchored, built of flood-resistant materials, with flood openings and utilities 4 feet above the base flood elevation.
• Shallow flooding (AO) areas: lowest floor at the depth number on the flood map, or 2 feet above the highest adjacent grade for homes and 3 feet for other buildings where no depth is shown.

For houses, the 2018 International Residential Code the county follows sets a higher minimum than the ordinance: the lowest floor at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation in flood hazard areas, including Coastal A zones (section R322.2.1). Variances from the flood ordinance are heard by the county Planning Commission.

Coastal code law: Hancock County and its cities are named in Miss. Code §17-2-1 (House Bill 1406 of 2006), which required them to enforce the wind and flood provisions of the International Building and Residential Codes unless a board opted out by resolution within 60 days in 2006; the county says it follows the 2018 IBC and IRC.

Planning updates: in August 2026 the Board of Supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding with the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission on updating the Comprehensive Plan and related ordinances; no new ordinance had been adopted by October 19, 2026.

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 Hancock County resources

• Mississippi Fire Code Enforcement
• Hancock County residential construction checklist
• Hancock County permits and forms
• Hancock County Planning & Zoning
• Hancock County permit fee schedule
• Hancock County permit application, residential and commercial
• Hancock County permit application for subcontractors
• Hancock County mobile home checklist
• Hancock County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
• Hancock County V Zone Building Design and Performance Certificate
• Hancock County Zoning Ordinance
• Hancock County Board of Supervisors
• Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
• City of Bay St. Louis Building Department
• City of Diamondhead Building Department
• City of Waveland Building Department

Hancock County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hancock County?

For unincorporated land, the county Planning & Zoning Department’s Building Department at 854 Highway 90 (228-467-4157). Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead and Waveland issue permits inside their own limits.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

The fee follows the valuation table: $760 for a $200,000 house, plus $50 for plan review and the $1 records fee. Trade permits pulled by subcontractors are $26 each.

Which building codes does Hancock County use?

The county says it follows the 2018 International Building and Residential Codes.

How high must I build in a V zone?

On pilings or columns, with the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member at least 1 foot above the base flood level, certified by an engineer or architect. Coastal A zone areas seaward of the 1.5-foot breaking wave line are treated the same way.

Can a homeowner do their own wiring or plumbing?

Yes, on a single-family house they are building as their primary residence; they still take out the trade permits, with no fee.

What does a mobile home permit cost?

$101 including the records fee, and the same amount again as an after-the-fact fee if the home is placed before the permit is issued.

Who approves septic systems?

The Mississippi State Department of Health; its final approval is needed before the county releases final power.

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