Building permits in Monroe County come from the town you build in: Aberdeen, Amory, Nettleton and Smithville all publish their own permit offices or forms. In the unincorporated county, the Board of Supervisors (662-646-0895) governs, and the county’s E911 and Emergency Management office issues 911 addresses and floodplain permits.
Who issues permits in Monroe County?
The Census Bureau lists six incorporated places in Monroe County: Amory (6,386 residents in 2025), Aberdeen (4,799), the Monroe County part of Nettleton (1,058), Smithville (502), Hatley (483) and Gattman (85). Everything else is unincorporated county land.
| Area | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | City of Aberdeen: building, moving and demolition permits on the City’s application form; City Hall, 125 West Commerce Street, Aberdeen, MS 39730; 662-369-4165 |
| Amory | City of Amory Planning & Zoning (Building Inspector and Planning and Zoning Administrator): building permits, building inspections, floodplain development and zoning; 662-256-3517 |
| Nettleton (Monroe and Lee county parts) | City of Nettleton, City Hall, 124 Short Avenue, Nettleton, MS 38858; 662-963-3060; the Mayor is the building official under the City’s building code |
| Smithville | Town of Smithville Code Official: building permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy, zoning and floodplain management; Town Hall, 63443 Highway 25 North; 662-651-4411 |
| Hatley and Gattman | The published sources do not say who permits in these two towns; ask the town clerk |
| Unincorporated Monroe County | Board of Supervisors and County Administrator, 662-646-0895; floodplain permits and addresses from the E911 & EMA office, 50058 Airport Road, Aberdeen, 662-369-3683 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Miss. Code §19-5-9(11), from House Bill 1163 of 2022, requires every county to require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area. Monroe County publishes no county building permit form, fee or building code, so call the County Administrator’s office before building outside the towns.
Permits and fees in the Monroe County towns
Aberdeen: one application covers building, moving and demolition permits, and the form states that the City enforces the building codes of the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI). The fee schedule printed on the form is based on the job’s value:
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $100 or less | No fee, unless an inspection is needed: then $15 per inspection |
| $101 to $1,000 | $5 |
| $1,001 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000 plus $4 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $500,000 | $1,660 for the first $500,000 plus $2 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Moving a building | $100 |
| Demolition | $50 for up to 100,000 cubic feet; $0.50 per 1,000 cubic feet for 100,000 cubic feet and over |
For example, a $150,000 house in Aberdeen has a building permit fee of $460 plus 50 × $3, or $610. When the job is worth more than $1,000 and plans are required, a plan-checking fee of half the building permit fee is added: $305 for the same house. Fees are doubled when work starts before the permit is issued.
Nettleton: fees on the City’s building permit application are by floor area.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| House or other residential building under 1,000 sq ft | $150 |
| Residential building over 1,000 sq ft | $0.15 per sq ft |
| Non-residential building under 1,000 sq ft | $250 (site plan approval first) |
| Non-residential, 1,000 to 10,000 sq ft | $0.25 per sq ft, plus $0.13 per sq ft over 10,000 |
| Accessory structure, fence, addition or alteration under 400 sq ft | $60 |
| Accessory structure, addition or alteration over 400 sq ft | $0.15 per sq ft |
| Sign | $12 under 100 sq ft; $0.12 per sq ft over 100 |
| New electrical, plumbing, gas or sewer work; new HVAC system | $50 each |
| Manufactured or modular building | $200 |
| Temporary structure | $125 |
| Demolition | No fee |
The two Nettleton documents give different deadlines. The permit form says a permit stays valid for the whole project if work starts within 180 days of issue and does not stop for more than 180 days. The City’s building code provisions (section 105.5) say a permit becomes invalid unless work starts within 30 days, or if work stops for 90 days, with written extensions of up to 90 days each from the building official, so confirm the deadline when the permit is issued. Starting work before getting a permit carries a penalty equal to 100% of the permit fee, up to $1,000, on top of the fee (section 107.3). The City’s building code ordinance applies the International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, and its zoning ordinance was adopted on July 3, 2018.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Amory and Smithville: Amory’s Planning & Zoning office issues building permits, carries out building inspections, handles floodplain development and assigns 911 street addresses inside the city. In Smithville the Town’s Code Official reviews plans, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy, inspects work and manages the floodplain.
Steps for a project in Monroe County
Check whether the parcel is inside Aberdeen, Amory, Nettleton, Smithville, Hatley or Gattman; the first four publish their own permit offices or forms.
Ask the County Administrator’s office (662-646-0895) about the county construction permit required by state law.
The E911 & EMA office (662-369-3683) assigns addresses and issues floodplain permits for unincorporated land.
Where there is no sewer, the Mississippi State Department of Health permits the onsite wastewater system.
Questions about county roads go to the Road Department (662-304-0019).
Flood rules and other local details
Flood maps: FEMA lists Monroe County, Aberdeen, Amory and Smithville in the National Flood Insurance Program with flood maps effective November 28, 2025, and Nettleton with maps dated February 3, 2010. The Village of Gattman is listed among communities not in the program, and Hatley does not appear in FEMA’s Mississippi list.
Aberdeen flood ordinance: the Board of Aldermen adopted a new Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance on November 18, 2025, effective November 28, 2025. New and substantially improved homes must have the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and non-residential buildings are elevated 2 feet above it. The City’s appointed Flood Plain Administrator runs the permits.
Rather not deal with the Monroe County building department?
Get a free quote →Aberdeen historic districts: the City posts its Historic Preservation Ordinance, and a historic preservation guide on its ordinances page, and an Application for Certificate of Appropriateness on its forms page.
Board of Supervisors: the Board meets at 9:00 a.m. on the first Monday of each month and the following Friday at the Chancery Building on Commerce Street in Aberdeen, usually with a third meeting near the end of the month.
Septic systems: the Mississippi State Department of Health takes onsite wastewater applications online, by fax, by mail or by e-mail; its call center is 1-855-220-0192.
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 →Official Monroe County permit resources
- Monroe County Board of Supervisors
- Monroe County E911 and Emergency Management
- Monroe County 2025 accomplishments (floodplain permits and addressing)
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi NFIP communities
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- City of Aberdeen forms, permits and applications
- City of Aberdeen building, moving or demolition permit application
- City of Aberdeen Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (2025)
- City of Aberdeen ordinances
- City of Amory Planning & Zoning
- City of Nettleton ordinances and forms
- City of Nettleton building permit application
- City of Nettleton building code administrative provisions
- Town of Smithville Building, Zoning & Floodplain
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Monroe County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Amory?
The City of Amory’s Planning & Zoning office, led by its Building Inspector and Planning and Zoning Administrator (662-256-3517).
How much is a building permit in Aberdeen?
It depends on value: $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000, so a $150,000 job pays $610, plus a plan-checking fee of half that amount when plans are required.
How much is a building permit for a house in Nettleton?
$150 for a house under 1,000 square feet and $0.15 per square foot for a larger one; a 2,000 square foot house pays $300.
Who issues floodplain permits in unincorporated Monroe County?
The county’s E911 and Emergency Management office at 50058 Airport Road, Aberdeen (662-369-3683), which also assigns 911 addresses.
How high must a new house be in an Aberdeen flood zone?
At least 2 feet above the base flood elevation under the City’s November 2025 flood ordinance.
Who approves septic systems in Monroe County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health.
Simplify Monroe County permitting with Alliance Permitting
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.
Ready to break ground in Monroe County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Monroe County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Monroe County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.