Newton County, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Construction in unincorporated Newton County needs a county permit. Ask the County Administrator (601-635-4878, P.O. Box 68, Decatur) for the county permit. The City of Newton has its own building office, which enforces the 2018 Mississippi editions of the International Codes, and Decatur takes building permit applications at Town Hall.

Who issues building permits in Newton County?

The Board of Supervisors governs the unincorporated county from Decatur, the county seat, with a County Administrator who runs its office. Since House Bill 1163 took effect in 2022, Mississippi counties have had to permit construction in their unincorporated areas and towns inside their limits; the county permit must show, in plain print, the contractor’s material purchase certificate number (or taxpayer identification number) and licence or certificate of responsibility number, so have them ready when you ask for it.

Who permits each town in Newton County?

• Newton (city): Building, Inspection and Planning at City Hall, 203 E. Church Street (601-683-6181), open 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays. The city code makes the director of public works its building official and floodplain administrator.
• Decatur: the town publishes its own application for a building permit to build, alter, add to, demolish or move a building. Town Hall is at 66 7th Street (601-635-2761).
• Union: the town straddles the Newton–Neshoba county line, and the Town of Union, not either county, handles permits inside its limits.
• Chunky and Hickory: each town handles permits inside its own limits; the published sources do not name the office, so ask the town.
• Lake: most of the town’s residents live in its Scott County part; the town, not the county, handles permits inside its limits.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians says on its own website that its Conehatta community is in Newton County. On Mississippi Choctaw Reservation trust land, building work falls under the tribe’s Choctaw Building Code (Title XVII of the Choctaw Tribal Code), which adopts the 2012 International Building and Residential Codes and has a building official appointed by the Tribal Chief.

Trade work and septic systems

In the City of Newton, Ordinance A-253 (passed December 3, 2024) requires HVAC, electrical and plumbing contractors, builders, remodelers, construction managers and residential solar contractors to hold a Mississippi State Board of Contractors licence regardless of the size of the job, and then a City of Newton licence. Each city licence costs $50 a year, runs from October 1 to September 30 and is not prorated, and the contractor must keep a $5,000 bond with the city. Violations bring a $50 fine for a first offense and up to $500 for a third, with the city licence revoked for 90 days or more from the second offense. The ordinance’s definition of a contractor excludes an owner working on a dwelling or other structure that is not for sale, lease, public use or assembly. Trade subcontractors file their own inspection forms and payments. Outside the towns, septic tanks and other onsite wastewater systems are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

Permit costs

The City of Newton charges a $25 initial application fee when you file, and the rest of the permit fee after approval, with the $25 credited. Its Construction Guidelines booklet prints the city’s fee chart:

The valuation bands do not run on from one another (each band restarts with its own base amount), so ask the city to work out the fee for your project. Water and sewer tap fees took effect April 21, 2023: a 5/8-inch water tap and connection costs $535 inside the city, a sewer tap $500 and a 5/8-inch meter deposit $175. Decatur’s building permit form also has fee lines for permit, water tap and sewer tap.

What the town permit applications ask for

How to get a permit in Newton County

Inspections in the City of Newton

The City of Newton has you schedule the inspections your permit needs as work goes on and tell the city when the project is finished. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the building official only after all final inspections are approved.

Flood zones and manufactured homes

FEMA lists Newton County, Chunky, the City of Newton and Union in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated December 17, 2010; Lake, listed under Scott County, also takes part. Decatur and Hickory are on FEMA’s list of communities that do not take part, although both have flood maps. Inside the City of Newton, new homes in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor at least 18 inches above the base flood elevation, and no floodplain permit is issued for a home or other building until the state health department has issued its notice of intent for the sewage system or the owner shows a sewer connection.

In the City of Newton, a manufactured home needs a special exception, approved after a newspaper notice and a public hearing, before the building permit. Single-wide homes must be at least 14 feet wide and double-wides 20 feet, with an approved foundation, skirting, steps and handrails.

Building codes in Newton County

The City of Newton adopted the 2018 Mississippi editions of the International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code (Ordinance A-202, May 2, 2023).

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 Newton County resources

• Mississippi Secretary of State: county officials directory (2025)
• House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city construction permits
• City of Newton departments: Building & Permits
• City of Newton forms, including the building permit application
• City of Newton Construction Guidelines
• City of Newton Code of Ordinances
• City of Newton Ordinance A-253: contractor licensing (2024)
• Town of Decatur forms and permits
• Choctaw Tribal Code
• FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
• Mississippi State Department of Health: onsite wastewater

Newton County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to build in unincorporated Newton County?

Yes. Construction outside the towns needs a county permit. Ask the County Administrator in Decatur (601-635-4878).

Who issues building permits in the City of Newton?

Building, Inspection and Planning at City Hall, 203 E. Church Street (601-683-6181).

How is a City of Newton building permit fee worked out?

New construction pays 30 cents per square foot of heated and cooled space or the valuation-chart amount, whichever is greater. A $25 initial application fee is paid when you file and credited against the permit fee.

Do contractors need a City of Newton licence?

Yes. Since December 3, 2024, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and residential solar contractors, builders, remodelers and construction managers working in the city also need a $50 annual city licence and a $5,000 bond.

Which building codes does the City of Newton use?

The 2018 Mississippi editions of the International Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code.

Where do I get a building permit in Decatur?

From the Town of Decatur, which posts its building permit application online; Town Hall is at 66 7th Street (601-635-2761).

Who permits septic systems in Newton County?

Septic and other onsite wastewater permits come from the Mississippi State Department of Health, not the county or the towns.

Simplify Newton 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.

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