Moss Point, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Moss Point sends building permits to the Jackson County Building Department at 2915 Canty Street in Pascagoula (228-769-3056), which takes applications online through GovPilot or on its paper Applications A to D. Zoning questions, variances, conditional uses and rezonings go to Moss Point City Hall at 4320 McInnis Avenue (228-475-0300), and the city’s own flood ordinance requires new floors at or above the base flood elevation and 1 foot above the street centerline.

Who issues building permits in Moss Point?

The city’s zoning page states that building permits are handled through the Jackson County Building Department, and its “How Do I?” page sends anyone wanting a building permit to the county department. Moss Point’s zoning cases are prepared with the Jackson County Planning Department but decided by the city’s Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen.

Which application to use

The county department asks applicants to call before filling in its forms, to confirm the right application, fees, attachments and deadlines. It takes applications online through GovPilot (“Construction Primary Permits”) or on paper:

• Application A for residential building permits
• Application B for mobile home placement
• Application C for commercial or industrial work
• Application D for other work

Moss Point’s zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to build, rebuild, convert, alter, enlarge, extend, demolish or move any building without first applying in writing to the building official and receiving a permit, and no development may take place in a special flood hazard area without one. Work that needs a variance, special exception or administrative review must have the Board of Adjustment’s written order before the permit is issued.

Permit fees

Moss Point’s Code of Ordinances leaves building, electrical and contractor licence fees at amounts “established from time to time” rather than printing a schedule. The schedule the county Building Department publishes is its Building Permit Fee Schedule for Applications A to D, and the department asks applicants to call 228-769-3056 to confirm fees before applying.

Under the city code, a contractor who lets a city licence lapse for more than 30 days pays the licence fee plus 50% on renewal and cannot get a permit until it is renewed.

Contractors and trade work

Chapter 8 of the city code requires every contractor and subcontractor working in Moss Point on a job that needs a permit to hold a city licence, renewed yearly, and to register with the building official before work starts. It also sets out a separate electrical permit and licensing system for electricians.

The city’s posted code adopts the 2012 International Building, Residential and Plumbing Codes and the 2015 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, but the Board of Aldermen approved adoption of the 2018 International Code collection and appendixes on August 21, 2018. The county’s residential application asks for construction documents that reflect the 2018 International Residential Code.

What to submit

Moss Point’s zoning ordinance requires building permit applications to include plans in triplicate, drawn to scale, showing the actual size and shape of the lot, the size and location of existing buildings, the location and size of the new building or alteration, and floodways, streams and other physical features. The building official may also ask for the existing and proposed uses of the building and land and the number of dwelling or rental units.

For a flood zone lot, the city’s flood chapter asks at application for the planned elevation of the lowest floor (and, for a non-residential building, the floodproofing elevation and an engineer’s or architect’s floodproofing certificate). Once the lowest floor is in place, the permit holder must submit a surveyor’s or engineer’s certification of its as-built elevation, and work beyond that point is at the holder’s risk until the elevation is reviewed.

How to get a building permit for a Moss Point property

Inspections

Jackson County inspections must be requested at least 48 hours in advance at 228-471-1142, and no specific time is guaranteed. In a flood zone the as-built lowest floor certification has to be reviewed before further work proceeds; the city’s flood chapter allows a stop-work order if the survey is not submitted or errors are not corrected.

Moss Point flood rules

Elevation: on February 15, 2022 the Board of Aldermen amended the city’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (No. 930) to remove its 1-foot freeboard, striking every remaining 1-foot freeboard requirement in the ordinance. As amended, new construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation or at least 1 foot above the centerline of the street, whichever is greater, unless the lot’s topography does not allow it, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment must be at or above the base flood elevation. In Coastal AE and V zones, buildings stand on pilings or columns with the lowest horizontal structural member at the base flood level.

The flood chapter in the city’s posted code (Ordinance 955, 2015) still shows a 1-foot rule for non-residential buildings; the 2022 amendment struck every remaining 1-foot freeboard requirement, but the posted code has not been updated, so confirm the elevation for a commercial project with the building department.

Substantial improvement: the posted chapter counts repairs and improvements over a ten-year period; once their cost reaches 50% of the building’s market value, the building must meet the flood standards. Utility connections are not allowed below the base flood elevation, and enclosed areas below an elevated building need flood openings and may be used only for parking, access or storage.

Coastal permits: work in coastal wetlands or waterbottoms also needs a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources permit.

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

Moss Point permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Moss Point?

The Jackson County Building Department, 2915 Canty Street, Pascagoula (228-769-3056). The city’s zoning page states that building permits are handled there.

Where do I go for zoning approval in Moss Point?

Moss Point City Hall, 4320 McInnis Avenue (228-475-0300), for variances, conditional uses and rezoning; cases go to the Planning Commission and then the Board of Aldermen.

Can I apply online?

Yes. Jackson County takes building permit applications through GovPilot, or on paper Applications A to D.

How do I book an inspection?

Call 228-471-1142 at least 48 hours ahead; no specific time is guaranteed.

How high must I build in a Moss Point flood zone?

At or above the base flood elevation, or at least 1 foot above the street centerline if that is higher. The city removed its extra 1-foot freeboard in February 2022.

Official Moss Point permit resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Mississippi State Board of Contractors
• Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi uniform building codes
• Moss Point zoning map and ordinance (building permits through Jackson County)
• Jackson County Building Department
• Jackson County GovPilot permit application
• Jackson County Application A: residential building permit
• Moss Point Code of Ordinances
• Moss Point Code, Chapter 14: Flood Damage Prevention
• Moss Point Code, Chapter 42: Zoning
• Moss Point agendas and minutes

Simplify Moss Point 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.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Moss Point permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.