Outside Brookhaven and Wesson, construction in Lincoln County falls under the Board of Supervisors, whose County Administrator (601-835-3421) supervises any building code ordinance the Board adopts. The county’s website lists no building department, permit form or fee, so call the Administrator’s office before you build; septic systems go through the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Who handles construction permits in Lincoln County?
State law requires every Mississippi county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area, whether or not it has adopted a building code (Miss. Code §19-5-9(11)). Lincoln County’s website does not name the office that issues that permit or publish an application, so the starting point is the County Administrator, who under the Board’s delegation supervises and administers any zoning and building code ordinances the Board adopts.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| County Administrator | 301 South First Street, Room 202, Brookhaven, MS 39601; 601-835-3421 |
| Board of Supervisors | 301 South First Street, Brookhaven; 601-835-3411; meets the first and third Monday at 9:00 a.m. |
| Chancery Clerk (Board minutes, deeds) | Room 111, same building; 601-835-3411 |
| E911 addressing | County E911 Coordinator, Room 202; 601-835-4344 |
| County roads and drainage | Road Department, through the district supervisor |
The Board’s minutes are kept by the Chancery Clerk and are not posted online. To put an item before the Board, notify the Chancery Clerk by noon on the Wednesday before the Monday meeting.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Brookhaven (city, 11,646 residents) | The City’s Building Inspector in the Public Works Department, 601-833-7766; the Director of Public Works is the floodplain administrator |
| Wesson (town; the Census counts 22 of its residents in Lincoln County) | The Town: its zoning ordinance says building permits are issued by the official the Mayor and Board of Aldermen designate, and its Zoning Administrator reviews each application against the zoning rules; Town Hall, 1011 Spring Street, 601-643-5221 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Steps for a project in Lincoln County
If the land is inside Brookhaven or Wesson, apply to that city or town instead of the county.
For a new home or building in the county, the E911 Coordinator in Room 202 assigns the address; know the street name and a neighbor’s address.
Ask what county permit applies to your project, what it costs and what to bring; have your contractor’s state licence or certificate number ready.
If the site has no public sewer, apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health for the onsite wastewater system.
Work on a county road right-of-way, culverts or ditches is handled by the county Road Department through your district supervisor.
Other approvals in unincorporated Lincoln County
Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health permits individual onsite wastewater systems. Applications are filed online, by fax, by mail or by e-mail to wastewater@msdh.ms.gov; once an application is complete, the Department e-mails a payment link, and county health offices take no cash or checks for these fees. The wastewater call center is 1-855-220-0192.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Business licences: a business outside the city limits gets its privilege licence from the county Tax Collector; inside Brookhaven the City issues it.
Brookhaven’s edge: a new subdivision outside the Brookhaven city limits that connects to City water or sewer must also meet the City’s subdivision ordinance.
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
Rather not deal with the Lincoln County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Lincoln County resources
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: Fire Code Enforcement
- Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi Uniform Building Codes
- Lincoln County Board of Supervisors
- Lincoln County Administrator
- Lincoln County Chancery Clerk
- Lincoln County How Do I page (911 addresses, licences)
- Lincoln County Road Department
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city permit requirement
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- City of Brookhaven building permits
- Town of Wesson contact page
- Town of Wesson Zoning Ordinance
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Lincoln County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Lincoln County?
Inside Brookhaven, the City’s Building Inspector (601-833-7766); inside Wesson, the Town. For unincorporated land, contact the County Administrator’s office (601-835-3421), which oversees any building code ordinance the Board of Supervisors adopts.
Does Lincoln County have a building permit fee?
The county’s website publishes no permit fee or fee schedule. Ask the County Administrator’s office for the amount that applies to your project.
Do I need a permit to build outside Brookhaven?
State law requires every county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area, so ask the county before starting, even though it publishes no application.
Who approves a septic system?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, which takes applications online and by fax, mail or e-mail and bills the fee by e-mailed payment link.
How do I get an address for a new house?
The County E911 Coordinator in Room 202 of the courthouse assigns 911 addresses (601-835-4344).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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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.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lincoln County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.