Hernando, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Inside Hernando, building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are issued by the City’s Building Department in the Office of Planning, and applications are submitted online through My Government Online (MGO Connect). The City adopted the 2024 International codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code on February 3, 2026, and commercial projects need a Certificate of Development from the Office of Planning before the building permit.

What needs a permit in Hernando?

The Building Department lists the construction activities that require a permit inside the city:

A business opening in the city also needs a City business licence, which starts with a zoning verification from the Office of Planning.

Who issues building permits in Hernando?

The Building Department examines plans for code compliance, issues permits and inspects new construction, repairs and additions. It works within the Office of Planning, which also handles zoning, the Planning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, business licences and the City’s stormwater program. Tony Ezell is the Building Official. Land outside the city limits is permitted by DeSoto County, not the City.

Hernando permit applications: houses and commercial projects

Residential permits are submitted online at My Government Online (mgoconnect.org). The Building Department reviews the application when it arrives and, once it is approved, tells the applicant which fees apply.

Commercial permits take two steps. First the project needs Certificate of Development approval from the Office of Planning, which checks it against the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Design Standard Ordinance before construction plans are reviewed; the Certificate of Development application goes in with the online submission. After that approval, the building permit is submitted in My Government Online with all plans uploaded, and the Building Official, the Fire Inspector and the Public Works Department review it.

Contractors must hold the Mississippi licence that state law requires for the work; the Building Department points applicants to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors’ guidance on the 2022 residential licensing changes.

Hernando permit fees

Chapter 8 of the City Code says the fees for permits under the building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical codes are set by a fee schedule established from time to time, rather than printed in the code itself. The Building Department works out the fees during review: for a residential permit, the applicant is told the amount once the application is approved in My Government Online, and payment follows before the permit is issued.

The Board of Aldermen minutes from January to mid-September 2026 contain no change to building permit fees. Ask the Office of Planning (662-429-9095) for the current schedule if you need a figure before you apply.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in Hernando

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each need their own permit from the Building Department. The City enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, adopted with local amendments on February 3, 2026. The City’s residential code amendment still says house wiring follows the 2011 National Electrical Code, while Section 8-26 adopts the 2023 edition, so ask the Building Official which edition the plans for a house must show. For houses, the City’s residential amendments require permanent or pull-down stairs to reach mechanical equipment in an attic, and cooling-unit condensate must drain to a sanitary sewer through an indirect waste or to a french drain sized to the unit.

The City relies on state licensing for contractors rather than a city licence, so trade contractors need the Mississippi licence that applies to their work.

What to submit

Plans must meet the City’s amended codes. For houses these include the climatic table the City adopted in the 2024 International Residential Code, which puts Hernando in seismic design category D0 with a 13-inch frost line, and a requirement for automatic sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings over 6,500 sq ft under roof. Exterior walls with less than 5 feet of fire separation distance need a 2-hour rating instead of 1 hour.

How to get a Hernando building permit: 6 steps

Hernando inspections and appeals

The Building Department carries out construction inspections on new buildings, repairs and additions under the permits it issues. Ask the Office of Planning (662-429-9095) how and when to request each inspection for your permit.

The City Code sets out a written appeal route for code decisions. An appeal, variance request or request to use an alternative method or material goes in writing to the Building Official at the Office of Planning, who answers within 10 working days. The Building Official’s decision can be appealed to the Director of Planning, who also has 10 working days, then to the Planning Commission, and the Board of Aldermen hears appeals and variance requests on the codes.

Local rules that matter in Hernando

Floodplain: under Chapter 20 of the City Code, new homes, other buildings and substantial improvements in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including any basement, at least 18 inches above the base flood elevation, and heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing equipment must sit at least 18 inches above it as well.

Fire sprinklers: the City’s building code amendments require sprinklers in business, factory, mercantile and storage buildings once the fire area exceeds 8,000 sq ft, and in houses over 6,500 sq ft under roof.

Stormwater: Hernando runs a municipal stormwater (MS4) program with DeSoto County, Southaven, Olive Branch and Horn Lake, including construction-site and post-construction runoff control.

Downtown and historic areas: the City has a Historic Preservation Commission, and on August 4, 2026 the Board adopted an ordinance amending the Downtown Overlay District, so check overlay standards before designing work downtown.

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

Hernando permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hernando?

The City’s Building Department in the Office of Planning, 475 West Commerce Street (662-429-9095), for work inside the city limits.

How do I apply for a building permit in Hernando?

Online through My Government Online at mgoconnect.org. Commercial projects first need Certificate of Development approval from the Office of Planning.

What building code does Hernando use?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with City amendments, adopted on February 3, 2026.

How much does a building permit cost in Hernando?

The fees are set by a City fee schedule that is not printed in the code; the Building Department tells you the amount once your application is approved.

Do I need a permit for a shed, fence or pool in Hernando?

Yes. Accessory structures such as sheds, garages and pool houses, fences and swimming pools are all on the City’s list of work that needs a permit.

Does Hernando license contractors?

The City requires the licence that state law requires through the Mississippi State Board of Contractors rather than issuing its own contractor licence.

Official Hernando permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi uniform building codes
• Hernando Building Department
• Hernando Office of Planning contacts
• My Government Online (MGO Connect) permit portal
• Hernando Code Chapter 8, Buildings (adopted codes and amendments)
• Hernando Code Chapter 20, Flood Damage Prevention
• Board of Aldermen minutes, February 3, 2026 (2024 code adoption)
• Hernando stormwater program

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