Inside Long Beach, building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits come from the city’s Building Department at City Hall, 201 Jeff Davis Avenue (228-863-1554), where Mike Gundlach is the Building Official and Floodplain Manager. Fees follow the valuation schedule of Ordinance 589, with half paid when you apply, and homes in the flood zone must have their lowest floor 2 feet above the base flood elevation.
Who issues building permits in Long Beach?
The Building Department (the forms also call it the Building Office or Building Official’s Office) reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction, licenses contractors and administers the flood ordinance for the city. It also keeps elevation certificates for new construction from October 2005 onward and gives out flood zone information on request. Stormwater questions go to the same office.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Department, City Hall, 201 Jeff Davis Avenue, Long Beach, MS 39560 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 929, Long Beach, MS 39560 |
| Phone and fax | 228-863-1554; fax 228-863-1558 |
| Building Official and Floodplain Manager | Mike Gundlach |
| City Hall main line | 228-863-1556 |
| Public Works (drainage) | 228-863-0440 |
Permit applications in Long Beach
There are two building permit applications, chosen by the property’s flood zone: one for X flood zone lots and one for VE and AE flood zone lots, which carries the elevation certificate, V zone and non-conversion paperwork. Each trade has its own form, listing the items being installed:
- Electrical (services, feeders, sub-panels, circuits, appliances, temporary poles, pools)
- Plumbing (fixtures, water and sewer connections, grease traps, sprinklers, pools)
- Gas and Mechanical/HVAC
- Site and other permits: fence, sign, tree removal, drainage modification and excavating, digging or trenching
- Land use: variance, zone change, community development review, re-subdivision and plat approvals
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Every trade form asks for the contractor’s Long Beach licence number.
Long Beach permit fees
Permit fees come from Exhibit A of Ordinance 589, adopted March 20, 2012 and still the schedule cited in section 8-56 of the city code. Half of every permit fee is due, and non-refundable, when the application is submitted; the rest is paid when the permit is issued.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | No fee unless an inspection is needed, then $15 per inspection |
| $1,000 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,000 to $500,000 | $260 for the first $50,000, plus $4 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $500,000 | $2,060 for the first $500,000, plus $3.20 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Moving a building, structure or mobile home | $100 |
| Demolition | $50 up to 100,000 cubic feet; $0.51 per 1,000 cubic feet above that |
A $200,000 project pays $260 plus 150 × $4, or $860, of which $430 is due at filing. Starting work before getting the permit doubles the fee. Since Ordinance 644 (2019), large projects that need outside plan reviewers or inspectors also pay the actual cost of that third-party work, and the Board of Aldermen may waive fees for public and tax-exempt nonprofit projects.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical inspection fee | $15, plus items such as service ($10–$20 by size), branch circuits ($2 each) and appliances ($4 each) |
| Temporary service or pole | $10 |
| Plumbing permit issuing fee | $15, plus $4–$5 per fixture and $10 per water or sewer connection |
| Septic tank or sewer treatment; sprinkler system | $50 each |
| Swimming pool (electrical and plumbing) | $50 each |
| Electrical or plumbing re-inspection | $20 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Trade work and contractor licences
Under the city’s inspection rules a homeowner may pull the building permit, but all other permits, including electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical, must be pulled by a state-licensed contractor. The city code (section 8-121) does not stop owners from doing work on their own residence, and it bars subcontractor permits to owners only for property that is not their residence, so ask the Building Department before planning to do your own trade work. An owner who acts as general contractor signs a Homeowners Certification of Compliance stating the house is or will be the owner’s principal residence and that the owner will do the work.
Contractors are licensed by the Building Department for $50 a year (a $25 late fee applies after expiration). The application asks for a Mississippi contractor’s licence, a privilege tax licence from the city where the business is based, and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Long Beach as holder, at $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence with completed products coverage. Under the city code, a contractor without a state licence or a certified letter from another Mississippi city must pass an ICC exam and supply three work references.
What to submit
New construction
- Two sets of 24×36 drawings meeting the 2024 IBC or IRC and the 2023 NEC, or one set plus a PDF by email
- Two surveys showing the footprint, contours, finished floor elevation, setbacks and existing buildings
- Recorded deed
- In a flood zone, elevation certificates with four on-site photos each, at pre-construction, under construction and finished stages
- V zone design certificate by an engineer or architect
- Receipt for any sewer and water taps paid to the Water Department
- Non-conversion agreement and/or floodplain venting affidavit in a V zone
Other work
- Additions and sheds: plot plan with distances to all lot lines, a foundation-to-roof cross section and the recorded deed
- Alterations, repairs, demolition and moving a building: the recorded deed and a detailed description of the work
- All applications: total contract or valuation, contractor licence number and engineer, architect or surveyor details
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Before a certificate of occupancy or completion, the department needs the original sealed elevation certificate with four color photos, proof that any V zone non-conversion agreement has been recorded with the Harrison County Chancery Clerk in Gulfport, the flood vent certification, and an elevation certificate for every detached structure.
How to get a permit in Long Beach
Ask the Building Department for the parcel’s flood zone and base flood elevation, and pick the X zone or VE/AE zone application.
Each contractor files the city licence application with the state licence, privilege licence and insurance certificate.
For new buildings, pay the sewer and water taps at the Water Department and keep the receipt.
File the application with drawings, surveys and deed, and pay half the permit fee at submittal.
Pay the balance at issuance and file the trade permits.
Request each inspection at 228-863-1554 and keep the site clean of trash and debris.
Required inspections
The Building Official’s inspection sheet for new construction, repairs, alterations and additions lists:
- Foundation: a plumbing inspection before the slab is poured.
- Pilings, piers or chain wall: a check of the first living floor’s elevation, when the second elevation certificate is due for a new home.
- Framing: framing, electrical, HVAC, gas and plumbing rough-ins before the walls are closed, and a sheathing and nail-pattern inspection before house wrap or felt.
- Trades: plumbing and mechanical rough-in, stack-out and final; electrical temporary pole, rough-in, 30-day temporary power and final; a gas inspection before the gas company turns on service.
- Final: on all completed work, before the certificate of occupancy.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Full power is not released until the home is complete, and a temporary pole must pass inspection before temporary service; the owner opens the account with Mississippi Power or Coast Electric. All three elevation certificates are required before a new home receives its certificate of occupancy. Inspectors will not inspect a site that is not clean of trash and debris.
Codes and flood rules in Long Beach
Building codes: Ordinance 675, adopted February 4, 2025 and effective March 10, 2025, adopts the 2024 International Residential, Existing Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation and Fire Codes, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the ICC 600 high-wind standard; its list keeps the 2018 International Building Code, while the building permit application asks for drawings meeting the 2024 IBC or IRC. Local amendments require at least 850 sq ft of heated living space for each dwelling in the R-1 district, delete the residential fire sprinkler requirement and raise townhouse separations to 2 hours.
Flood elevation: the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance as amended by Ordinance 652 (August 5, 2020) requires the lowest floor of new and substantially improved homes and commercial buildings in A zones to be 2 feet above the base flood elevation, with mechanical and electrical equipment also 2 feet above it. Every new or substantially improved building, in or out of the flood zone, must have its lowest floor at least 1 foot above the centerline of the street unless the lot’s topography prevents it.
VE and Coastal AE: land between the limit of moderate wave action and the V zone is regulated as VE. There, the lowest horizontal structural member must be 2 feet above the base flood level on pilings or columns, breakaway walls must have a design safe loading resistance of 10 to 20 pounds per square foot, enclosures are limited to 299 sq ft, and fill may not support the building. Owners sign a flood venting affidavit and record a non-conversion agreement with the deed.
Substantial improvement: improvements are counted together over a ten-year period; when they reach 50% of the building’s current market value the building must be brought up to the flood standards.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Long Beach permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Long Beach?
The city Building Department at City Hall, 201 Jeff Davis Avenue (228-863-1554). Mike Gundlach is the Building Official and Floodplain Manager.
How much is a building permit in Long Beach?
$15 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per $1,000 to $50,000, then $4 per $1,000 to $500,000. A $200,000 job pays $860, half of it at filing.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Long Beach?
A homeowner can pull the building permit for a home that is or will be the owner’s principal residence. The department’s inspection sheet says electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits must be pulled by a state-licensed contractor, while section 8-121 of the city code lets owners work on their own residence.
How high must a new house be in a Long Beach flood zone?
The lowest floor must be 2 feet above the base flood elevation and at least 1 foot above the street centerline. In VE and Coastal AE zones the lowest horizontal structural member must be 2 feet above the base flood level.
Do contractors need a city licence?
Yes. The Building Department licenses contractors for $50 a year, with proof of a state licence, a privilege licence and liability insurance.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the Building Official’s office at 228-863-1554. The site must be clean of trash and debris or the inspection will not take place.
Official Long Beach permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi uniform building codes
- Long Beach Building Department and forms
- Long Beach Building Permit Application, X flood zone
- Long Beach Building Permit Application, VE and AE flood zones
- Long Beach contractor licensing requirements and application
- Long Beach Ordinance 589: schedule of permit fees (2012)
- Long Beach Ordinance 675: 2024 building codes (2025)
- Long Beach adopted ordinances
- Long Beach Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8: Buildings
- Long Beach Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Appendix 3)
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Long Beach permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.