Ocean Springs, Mississippi Building Permit Guide

Inside Ocean Springs, permits come from the city’s Building Department at 1014 Porter Avenue (228-875-6712), open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Darrell Stringfellow is the Building Official. Since July 6, 2026 permits are issued under the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, all construction must meet a 160 mph wind load, and new floors in the flood zone must sit 18 inches above the base flood elevation.

Who issues permits in Ocean Springs?

The Building Department handles construction permits, contractor records, inspections and floodplain management for the city, and also issues protected-tree permits. Each application is reviewed by the Building Official, by the Planning Department for zoning, setbacks and historic districts, and by Public Works for water and sewer taps and drainage; commercial applications also go to the City Engineer and the Fire Department. The department does not issue permits on the day of application.

For lot splits, variances, setbacks, zoning or historic property questions, the Planning Department is at 228-875-4415.

Areas annexed from Jackson County follow a split described at the Board of Aldermen’s August 4, 2026 meeting: developments started under the county continue through the county for subdivision plans and final plats, and once a plat is approved and recorded, building permits for individual lots are filed with the city, which then inspects the work.

Permit types and forms

The Building Department says a permit is needed for most construction, from a new home to a roof replacement. Its Permits & Applications page carries separate forms for:

• Residential Building Permit, covering new homes, additions, remodels, repairs, sheds, pools, fences, decks and demolition, with its submittal checklist.
• Commercial Building Permit and its checklist.
• Roof Permit Application, with the city’s re-roofing guide and a notarized inspection affidavit.
• Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing or Gas permit applications, each tied to a building permit number.
• Residential and Commercial Land Work applications for site work.
• Sign, Tree Removal or Maintenance and Storm Water Erosion Agreement forms.
• Non-Occupancy Power Affidavit, which lets power be connected before the final inspection; the residential version carries a $26 inspection fee.

Homeowners can take out building, electrical and plumbing permits for their own home, but mechanical work needs a licensed contractor, and an owner acting as general contractor signs a homeowner affidavit. The city code allows a homeowner no more than one new-residence permit in any 24 months. All commercial permits are pulled by a licensed contractor.

Ocean Springs permit fees

Fees come from the city’s Adopted Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-031, revised February 19, 2026), linked from the Permits & Applications page. A $1 filing charge is added to every permit and application fee. A resolution updating the fee schedule was on the Board of Aldermen’s October 20, 2026 agenda with the same building fees; the minutes of that meeting are not yet posted.

A $200,000 job pays $25 + 199 × $7 = $1,418 for the building permit, plus $75 for residential plan review and the $1 filing charge. Water and sewer tap fees are set by Public Works and paid at the Water Billing office in City Hall, and the Jackson County Utility Authority charges for its water and sewer certification letter.

Starting work before the permit is issued can be charged up to five times the permit fee under the adopted schedule.

Trade permits and contractor licensing

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing or gas work each need their own permit, applied for against the building permit number. The electrical form lists service size from 200 to 800 amps, circuits, temporary poles and generators; the plumbing form counts fixtures, gas appliances, water and sewer lines and grease traps, and the Fire Department signs it alongside the Building Official.

The city no longer issues its own contractor licences. To pull any permit, a contractor needs a Mississippi State Board of Contractors licence, a privilege licence from its business location, and a certificate of insurance of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate naming the City of Ocean Springs Building Department as certificate holder. There is no fee to be set up in the city’s permit system, but contractors must update their records as they expire.

Under the adopted fee schedule, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits each carry a $25 inspection fee. Electrical work adds item charges ($10–$20 for a service by size, $2–$10 per circuit, $10 for a temporary pole, $12 for a generator); mechanical permits add $15 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per additional $1,000; plumbing adds $5 per fixture or gas outlet and $10 each for water and sewer lines. Gas inspections are $15. The trades follow the 2024 International Mechanical, Plumbing and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted on June 4, 2026.

What to submit

In a Special Flood Hazard Area add three elevation certificates (construction drawings, under construction and final), a flood venting affidavit, and in VE zones a recorded non-conversion agreement and breakaway wall certification; a V zone building design and performance certification is required in VE and Coastal AE zones. A project in a historic district first needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Section 7-130 of the code also sends plans for commercial work over $5,000 to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, on the Building Official’s recommendation, before the permit is issued.

How to get a permit in Ocean Springs

Inspections

Inspection requests need 24 hours’ notice, and there are no same-day inspections. The code lists a foundation inspection once trenches are dug and forms set, a frame inspection once the roof, framing, fire-blocking and bracing are in place and pipes and vents are complete, and a final inspection before the certificate of occupancy. Work may not continue past a required inspection until it is approved, and each re-inspection costs $25.

Every residential and commercial building needs a final inspection. Roof decking repairs need a nailing inspection, and the permit card must be visible from the street. A permit lapses if work has not started within six months or stops for a year, although the Building Official can grant 90-day extensions in writing.

Wind, roofing and flood rules in Ocean Springs

Wind: the whole city is treated as a high wind area, and homes are designed for 160 mph (3-second gust). The roofing guide, updated in July 2026, requires shingles tested to ASTM D3161 Class H with at least six nails each, metal roofing of at least 26 gauge, and engineer documents with a Mississippi stamp for any metal roof application. Only one layer of roof covering is allowed, new construction uses 5/8-inch decking, decking thinner than 7/16 inch must be replaced, and decking is nailed 4 inches on edges and 6 inches in the field. Repairs of 100 sq ft of covering or less are maintenance and need no permit.

Flood: the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Ordinance 2020-06, with variance procedures amended on March 3, 2026) sets an 18-inch freeboard. The lowest floor of new and substantially improved homes and commercial buildings must be 18 inches above the base flood elevation, and the lowest floor of every new or substantially improved building must also be at least 18 inches above the centerline of the street unless the lot’s topography prevents it. Mechanical and electrical equipment goes 18 inches above the base flood elevation.

VE and Coastal AE: the area between the limit of moderate wave action and the V zone is regulated as a VE zone. There, buildings sit on pilings or columns with the lowest horizontal structural member 18 inches above the base flood level, walls below must break away under 10 to 20 pounds per square foot, enclosures are capped at 299 sq ft, and structural fill is prohibited.

Substantial improvement: improvements are added up over 10 years, including additions, and once they reach 50% of the building’s current market value the whole building must meet 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

Ocean Springs permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Ocean Springs?

The city Building Department, 1014 Porter Avenue, 228-875-6712, open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Darrell Stringfellow is the Building Official.

Which building codes does Ocean Springs use?

Permits issued from July 6, 2026 follow the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, which the Board of Aldermen adopted in May and June 2026, with a 160 mph wind design.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Ocean Springs?

Yes. Only repairs of one square (100 sq ft) of covering or less are exempt, and any decking repair needs a permit and a nailing inspection.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, for building, electrical and plumbing work on a home, but mechanical work needs a licensed contractor and commercial permits must be pulled by one.

How much is a building permit in Ocean Springs?

Under the adopted fee schedule, $25 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $7 per additional $1,000, plus $75 residential plan review and the $1 filing charge. A $200,000 house pays $1,418 plus $75 plus $1.

How high must a new house be in the flood zone?

The lowest floor must be 18 inches above the base flood elevation and at least 18 inches above the street centerline.

How soon can I get an inspection?

Give 24 hours’ notice; the department does not do same-day inspections.

Official Ocean Springs permitting resources

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

• Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi uniform building codes
• Ocean Springs Building Department
• Ocean Springs permits and applications
• Ocean Springs Adopted Fee Schedule (revised February 19, 2026)
• Ocean Springs Residential Building Permit and checklist
• Ocean Springs Commercial Building Permit checklist
• Ocean Springs Roof Permit Application and re-roofing guide (July 2026)
• Ocean Springs contractor licence requirements
• Ocean Springs Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7, Article IV: Permits and Inspections
• Ocean Springs Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance

Simplify Ocean Springs 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 Ocean Springs permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.