For land outside Prentiss and Bassfield, the starting point is the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors (P.O. Box 1317, Prentiss; 601-792-4336). Inside Prentiss, the Town requires a building permit for any project costing $5,000 or more, with flat fees from $50 to $250 up to $250,000; septic systems in the county go through the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Who handles permits in Jefferson Davis County?
A 2022 state law requires every county to permit construction in its unincorporated area, whether or not it has adopted a building code, and the permit must show the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or taxpayer ID number (with a copy of the certificate or a W-9) and licence or certificate of responsibility number (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)). Call the Board of Supervisors’ office before you build to learn which county permit applies to your project and what it costs.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Board of Supervisors | P.O. Box 1317, Prentiss, MS 39474; 601-792-4336 |
| Chancery Clerk (Board minutes, land records) | P.O. Box 1137, Prentiss; 601-792-4204 |
| Tax Assessor and Tax Collector | P.O. Box 547, Prentiss; 601-792-4291 |
| Courthouse | 2400 Columbia Avenue, Prentiss |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Towns in Jefferson Davis County
| Town | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Prentiss (896 residents) | The Town of Prentiss: permit application on its website, filed at City Hall, 911 Third Street (P.O. Box 1344), 601-792-5196, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Bassfield (180 residents) | Ask Town Hall, 194 Robert E. Blount Drive South, 601-943-5424 (Monday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon) |
Prentiss building permit fees
The Town of Prentiss uses flat fees by construction cost. Projects under $5,000 need no permit.
| Construction cost | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $4,999 | No permit required |
| $5,000 to $50,000 | $50 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $100 |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | $150 |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | $200 |
| $200,001 to $250,000 | $250 |
| Over $250,000 | Contact City Hall |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →A $200,000 house in Prentiss falls in the $150,001 to $200,000 band, so the permit is $200.
The Prentiss application asks for the owner, the contractor and licence holder, any architect or engineer, the type of work (new, addition, repair, alteration or replacement), the current use, whether the use is changing, and the job cost split into building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other work.
Steps for a project in Jefferson Davis County
Work inside Prentiss or Bassfield goes to that town; land outside them is county jurisdiction.
Call the Board of Supervisors’ office (601-792-4336) for the county permit, and bring the contractor’s material purchase certificate or taxpayer ID number and licence or certificate of responsibility number, which state law puts on the permit.
Download the town’s application, total the job cost and file it with the fee at City Hall.
Without public sewer, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Flood maps, septic and other approvals
Flood insurance program: the county, Prentiss and Bassfield all take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with FEMA flood maps effective December 17, 2010.
Septic systems: individual onsite wastewater systems are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Its application can be filed online or sent by fax, mail or e-mail (wastewater@msdh.ms.gov); a payment link follows by e-mail, and county health offices accept no cash or checks for these fees. Call center: 855-220-0192.
Prentiss ordinances: the town posts its property maintenance and community appearance ordinance (No. 327) and its rezoning request procedures (No. 329). No. 329 replaces the rezoning fee in the Prentiss Zoning Ordinance adopted in 1973 and has rezoning applications filed with the Town Clerk at least 30 days before the meeting that holds the public hearing. Under No. 327, a construction project still going on after 12 months is listed as a nuisance, although a project with a valid building permit may ask for a time extension for circumstances such as natural disasters.
Rather not deal with the Jefferson Davis County building department?
Get a free quote →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 Jefferson Davis County resources
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: Fire Code Enforcement
- Secretary of State: county offices directory 2025
- Secretary of State: county courthouse addresses 2026
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- Town of Prentiss building permits and fees
- Town of Prentiss building permit application (PDF)
- Town of Prentiss ordinances
- Town of Bassfield Town Clerk
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Jefferson Davis County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Jefferson Davis County?
Inside Prentiss, the Town of Prentiss at City Hall (601-792-5196). Inside Bassfield, ask Town Hall (601-943-5424). For the rest of the county, ask the Board of Supervisors’ office at 601-792-4336.
How much is a building permit in Prentiss?
$50 for projects from $5,000 to $50,000, rising in $50 steps to $250 for $200,001 to $250,000; above that, contact City Hall.
Do small jobs in Prentiss need a permit?
No permit is needed for projects under $5,000.
Who approves septic systems in Jefferson Davis County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, through its onsite wastewater program.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Is Jefferson Davis County in the flood insurance program?
Yes. The county, Prentiss and Bassfield all participate, with FEMA maps effective December 17, 2010.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jefferson Davis County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.