Holmes County’s Board of Supervisors governs the land outside Lexington, Durant, Tchula, Goodman, Pickens, Cruger and West. Ask the Chancery Clerk’s office in Lexington (662-834-2508), which keeps the Board’s records, which county permit applies before you build outside a town.
Who issues building permits in Holmes County?
A 2022 state law (House Bill 1163) requires each Mississippi county, Holmes included, to make building in its unincorporated area subject to a permit, whether or not the county has adopted building codes. The Chancery Clerk’s office records the Board of Supervisors’ orders, so it is the place to ask for the county application, any fee and any flood-zone requirement.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Chancery Clerk | PO Box 1211, Lexington, MS 39095; 662-834-2508 |
| County Comptroller | PO Box 239, Lexington, MS 39095; 662-834-2508 |
Who permits each town in Holmes County?
- Lexington, Durant, Goodman, Pickens, Cruger and West: each governs building inside its own limits; ask the city or town clerk who issues building permits there.
- Tchula: City Hall is at 1027 Main Street (PO Box 356; 662-235-5112; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.; ask City Hall who issues building permits in Tchula.
Septic systems and trade work
Where a lot in Holmes County has no sewer, the onsite wastewater system needs a permit from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Ask the Chancery Clerk’s office whether electrical, plumbing or mechanical work outside the towns needs anything beyond the county construction permit.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Starting a project in unincorporated Holmes County
Lexington, Durant, Tchula, Goodman, Pickens, Cruger and West each govern their own land.
Ask at 662-834-2508 for the county construction permit, its fee and whether the lot is in a mapped flood zone.
Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health if the house will need a septic system.
Miss. Code §19-5-9(11) requires every county permit to show the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number together with either a material purchase certificate number or a taxpayer ID.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Holmes County details worth knowing
Flood insurance program: FEMA lists Holmes County and all seven of its towns as taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Building code in Holmes County
Ask the Chancery Clerk’s office whether the Board of Supervisors has adopted a code edition for county permits, and ask each town about its own 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 Holmes County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Holmes County resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State county government directory, 2024–2028 (Holmes County officials)
- City of Tchula
- Mississippi State Department of Health: on-site wastewater
Holmes County permit FAQs
Where do I ask about a county building permit in Holmes County?
The Chancery Clerk’s office in Lexington (662-834-2508), which keeps the Board of Supervisors’ records.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Do the towns use the county permit?
No. Lexington, Durant, Tchula, Goodman, Pickens, Cruger and West each govern building inside their own limits.
Who handles septic permits?
The state health department (MSDH) permits septic systems in Holmes County.
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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.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Holmes County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.