The Jackson County Planning Department serves property owners in the unincorporated county and handles building permits and zoning administration there. The City of Moss Point also sends its building permits to the county Building Department, while Moss Point zoning matters stay with Moss Point City Hall. Its Building Department is at 2915 Canty Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 (mail P.O. Box 998, Pascagoula, MS 39568-0998), phone 228-769-3056, fax 228-769-3312.
This guide covers the county Building Department, its fees and inspections, the coastal wetlands and health offices, and the four cities: Pascagoula, Gautier and Ocean Springs permit inside their own limits, and Moss Point’s building permits come to the county. The county’s documents disagree on the penalty for starting work early; both rules are given below.
What requires a permit in Jackson County?
Building work in the unincorporated county needs a county building permit; the county recommends calling before applying to confirm the right application, fees, attachments and deadlines. Filling, excavating or clearing that is not tied to a building permit needs a development/land disturbance permit. Jackson County is in the Mississippi Coastal Zone, so wetlands permits go through the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (Wetlands Permitting Bureau, 228-523-4106), which forwards applications to the other agencies.
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
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Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Jackson County?
| For | Office | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Building permits, unincorporated county and Moss Point | Building Department, 2915 Canty Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 | 228-769-3056; Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
| Zoning | Zoning Administrator | 228-769-3115 |
| Septic | Jackson County Health Department and Environmental Office, 4600 Lt. Eugene J. Majure Drive, Suite 2, Pascagoula, MS 39581 | 228-762-1117 |
| Inside Pascagoula | City Planning, Building and Code Enforcement, 4015 14th Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 | 228-938-6620 |
| Inside Gautier | City Planning and Building Department, Gautier City Hall, 3330 Highway 90, Gautier, MS 39553 | 228-497-1878 |
| Inside Ocean Springs | City Building Department, 1014 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 | 228-875-6712 |
| Moss Point zoning (variances, conditional uses, rezoning) | Moss Point City Hall, 4320 McInnis Avenue, Moss Point, MS 39563 | 228-475-0300 |
Pascagoula, Gautier and Ocean Springs review plans and inspect inside their own limits; Pascagoula works under its Unified Development Ordinance and Flood Hazard Prevention Ordinance. In areas Ocean Springs annexed from the county, developments begun under county approval stay with Jackson County for subdivision plans and final plats, and once a final plat is recorded, building permits for the lots go to Ocean Springs (Board of Aldermen, August 4, 2026).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What a Jackson County residential application needs
Application A (residential) needs proof of ownership with the parcel number; an approved site evaluation report or a utility letter showing water and sewer availability; an Environmental Certification letter from the Jackson County Utility Authority; a site plan; a stormwater drainage plan; and a Construction Site Runoff Controls Checklist. Plans must reflect the 2018 International Residential Code, be prepared by a Registered Design Professional and be submitted as 2 sets at a minimum 1/4" scale.
In flood zones A or V, three Elevation Certificates are required: at construction drawings, with the building under construction and at finished construction. In Zone V, a V-Zone and Breakaway Design Certificate must be on file before construction starts. Sites need a portable toilet from site preparation and a dumpster once the foundation is done.
Zoning clearance, lot split or lot line adjustment, business permit and public hearing applications can be filed online. New septic systems must meet State Department of Health requirements, and an existing system unused for six months needs an on-site inspection.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Jackson County permit costs and fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| $100.00 or less | No fee, unless inspections are needed ($25.00 each) |
| $101.00 to $49,000.00 of value | $15.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.00 per additional thousand |
| $50,000.00 to $99,000.00 | $260.00 for the first $50,000.00 plus $5.00 per additional thousand |
| $100,000.00 to $399,000.00 | $460.00 for the first $100,000.00 plus $4.00 per thousand |
| Above $400,000.00 | $1660.00 for the first $400,000.00 plus $3.00 per thousand |
| Commercial plan review | One half of the building permit fee |
| Issuance and filing | $10.00 issuance fee and $1.00 public record filing fee on each permit |
| Re-inspection | $35.00 |
| Manufactured or mobile home; swimming pool | $75.00 each |
| Land disturbance not tied to a building permit | $25.00 under one acre; $100.00 plus $5.00 per acre for one acre or more |
There is no building permit fee to rebuild or repair a structure damaged by fire, hurricane, tornado, flood or a similar disaster, if the owner applies within one year and rebuilds on the same parcel.
Starting early: the residential application says starting work before the permit, or missing required inspections, can double all permit fees, while the fee schedule says work started before a required permit is charged five times the normal fee. Ask the Building Department which applies before relying on either.
Fee schedules in Mississippi are set locally and revised on each jurisdiction’s own cycle, so ask Jackson County for the schedule in force on your filing date, and ask separately about plan review, trade, re-inspection and revision charges. How Mississippi permit fees work
Rather not deal with the Jackson County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in Jackson County
Confirm the application, fees, attachments and deadlines with the Building Department.
A for residential, B for mobile home placement, C for commercial or industrial, D for other work.
GovPilot (‘Construction Primary Permits’) or the paper form.
Elevation Certificates in zones A or V; a V-Zone and Breakaway Design Certificate in Zone V.
Residential building permits are valid for 180 days.
In Mississippi, correction cycles turn mostly on the local layer: which code edition Jackson County enforces, whether a coastal or flood-zone parcel triggers wind and elevation requirements, whether the project value crosses a state licensing threshold, and whether the submittal has the sets and forms the office requires. Permits also carry a validity period set by the issuing jurisdiction, so confirm the expiry on phased or delayed work. Review and corrections in Mississippi
Inspections in Jackson County
Request inspections 48 hours in advance at (228) 471-1142; no specific time is guaranteed. The approved red-lined prints signed by the building official must be on site, and no inspections are done until all permits for the job are issued.
The residential list includes footing, stack vent, foundation, window nailing, brick tie, framing, insulation, temporary non-occupancy (30 Day Power) and final, which comes after all work including permanent erosion control.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Jackson County permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Jackson County Building Department
- Application A: residential building permit
- Jackson County building permit fee schedule
- Jackson County Zoning
- Mississippi Department of Marine Resources permitting
- Pascagoula Planning and Building
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead do I book a Jackson County inspection?
48 hours, at (228) 471-1142. No specific time is guaranteed.
Is there a permit fee to rebuild after a hurricane in Jackson County?
No building permit fee, if the owner applies within one year of the disaster and rebuilds on the same parcel.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What does starting work without a permit cost in Jackson County?
The county’s documents differ: the residential application says fees can double, the fee schedule says five times the normal fee. Ask the Building Department.
Simplify Jackson County permitting with Alliance Permitting
- Assemble Application A with the utility letter, Environmental Certification, site, drainage and runoff documents
- Prepare the Elevation Certificate sequence for flood zone A or V lots
- Book the 48-hour inspection requests and track the permit within its 180 days
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.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jackson County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.