Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for property inside Pascagoula come from the city’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department at 4015 14th Street (228-938-6620), where the Building Division reviews plans and inspects the work. Building permit fees follow a valuation table in Chapter 14 of the city code, starting at $24, and every new building in a flood zone must sit at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.
Who issues building permits in Pascagoula?
The department has three divisions. Planning handles land planning, site plan review and the Unified Development Ordinance; the Building Division reviews plans, inspects buildings and checks plans against the city’s flood rules; Code Enforcement deals with property maintenance. Chad Kepner is the Building Official, and he also administers the floodplain ordinance.
The Building Division issues permits for residential, commercial, public and institutional buildings, for new work and repairs, including the plumbing, electrical and mechanical work in them. It also permits signs, fences, land disturbance and paving. Under the Unified Development Ordinance a building permit can only follow a zoning compliance permit, temporary use permit or sign permit that covers the structure.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (Building Division) |
| Address | 4015 14th Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567 |
| Phone | 228-938-6620 |
| Building Official | Chad Kepner |
| City Hall (general) | 603 Watts Avenue, P.O. Drawer 908, Pascagoula, MS 39568; 228-762-1020 |
| Online account | Citizen Self Service, Permits and Inspections module (login required) |
What needs a permit, and which form to use
Section 14-41 of the city code makes it unlawful to start work covered by Chapter 14 or its technical codes without a permit. Three things are exempt, although they must still meet code: building or repairing a private driveway or sidewalk, repairing or replacing floor covering, and minor repairs or alterations costing less than $500.
The Building Permit Application doubles as the development permit and covers new construction, additions, accessory buildings, alterations and repairs, demolition, fill placement, dredging, lot clearing, signs, fences and bulkheads or piers. Separate city forms cover trade work and licensing:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →- Application for Electrical Permit, listing service size, circuits, a temporary pole or meter loop, the power company (the form lists Mississippi Power and Singing River) and whether power has been applied for.
- Application for Plumbing Permit, counted by fixture, gas outlet, water and sewer line.
- Application for Mechanical Permit, listing the tonnage, kW or BTU of the equipment.
- General Sub-License Application for building, plumbing and mechanical contractors, and the Electrical License Application for electricians.
Pascagoula permit fees
Fees are set in section 14-42 of the city code, last revised by Ordinance 12-2018. Council minutes from July to October 2026 show no change to them. The building or development permit is priced on total valuation:
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24 for the first $500, plus $3 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000, plus $11 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000, plus $9 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,000, plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,327 for the first $5,000,000, plus $1 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
For example, a project valued at $200,000 pays $1,027 plus 100 × $7, or $1,727. Commercial buildings and developments add a plan review fee of half the building permit fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Moving a building or structure | $100 |
| Manufactured home, mobile home or RV installed in an approved park | $100 |
| Demolition | $100 for a single-family house or duplex; $150 for commercial, industrial or multifamily |
| Fill, excavation or land disturbance without a building permit | $100 up to 10,000 sq ft; $200 for 10,000–50,000 sq ft; $300 above |
| Certificate of occupancy for a new use or change of occupancy or ownership | $40 commercial or industrial; $20 residential (included in the permit for new work and repairs) |
| After-hours inspection | $35 an hour, two-hour minimum, paid on site by check or money order |
| Work started before the permit | Five times the normal fee |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →No fee is charged to rebuild a building damaged by fire, hurricane, tornado, flood or a similar disaster if the owner applies within 30 months and rebuilds on the same parcel.
Fee waiver: section 14-48 waives the section 14-42 fees for a new owner-occupied single-family home worth at least $150,000 on a vacant lot, up to $7,000, for permits issued before midnight on June 30, 2029. Construction must start within 90 days of the permit and finish within 24 months, or the waiver is lost. Mixed-use and commercial projects have their own waiver thresholds, which the City Council amended by Ordinance 05-2026 on March 17, 2026.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Pascagoula
Each trade has its own application and fee schedule in section 14-42. Contractors must show a current Mississippi State Board of Contractors licence or certificate of responsibility and a privilege tax licence from the city or county where they keep an office; a contractor based outside the city can instead pay a $25 recording fee to keep those records on file for a year. A licensed master or journeyman of the trade must be on site while the work is done.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential electrical service up to 200 A | $15 (100 A or less) or $20 (150–200 A); $5 to upgrade to 200 A |
| Residential service above 200 A | $20 plus $0.05 per amp above 200 |
| Commercial electrical service | $20 for 100 A or less, plus $0.10 per additional amp |
| Circuits | $1 (110/115 V), $2 (208/220 V), $3 (480/277 V) each |
| Electrical inspection | $20 for each required inspection; $20 power-on inspection; $15 temporary service |
| Plumbing | $20 inspection fee, plus $3 per fixture or gas item; $6 per water or sewer line |
| Mechanical | $20 initial inspection, plus $20 for the first $1,000 of project cost and $3 for each additional $1,000 |
An extra electrical trip caused by faulty work, or by calling for an inspection before the work is ready, costs $20. Journeymen are licensed by the city after passing the Mississippi Standard Examination Program test; the licence costs $15 and renews yearly for $15.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Section 14-81 lets owners do electrical, plumbing or mechanical work on their own home, though not on property meant for rent, sale or gift, once they satisfy the Building Official that they can do it to code. The Building Division’s web page, however, says electrical and mechanical permits go only to licensed contractors.
What to submit with the application
Every development permit
- Completed Building Permit Application with the valuation and debris plan (dumpster, or self-disposal with weekly removal; nothing at the curb)
- Plot plan showing every building on the lot and the new work, with setbacks
- Construction plans that describe the work in detail
- Floor plan with windows, doors, electrical and plumbing fixtures and dimensions
- Exterior elevations showing the roof and exterior design
- Plans sealed by a Mississippi architect or engineer for Group A, E and I occupancies, buildings over two stories, buildings over 5,000 sq ft other than one- and two-family homes, and prefabricated metal buildings
Flood zone A or V
- Elevation certificate on the construction drawings, before the permit
- Elevation certificate when the lowest floor is set, before further vertical work
- Finished-construction elevation certificate before final inspection or power release
- Substantial damage or improvement record and affidavit
- V zone: superstructure and substructure design certification with the application, and breakaway wall certification within 7 days of building the walls
- Non-conversion agreement recorded with the Jackson County Chancery Clerk
- Floodproofing certificate, no-rise certification or FEMA letter of map revision where they apply
Work that needs a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources permit must have it before the city issues its development permit.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in Pascagoula
Get the zoning compliance, temporary use or sign permit the Unified Development Ordinance requires; larger projects may need site plan approval.
Find the flood zone and the elevation the Pascagoula Floodplain Management Map sets for the parcel, then design the floor at least 1 foot above it.
Make sure the general contractor and each trade contractor have their state licence and privilege tax licence on file; a contractor based outside the city can instead pay the $25 recording fee.
Submit the Building Permit Application with plans and flood documents to the Building Division, plus the electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications.
Pay the fees, then post the permit card on the front of the property, protected from the weather, before work starts.
Start within three months, call for inspections at each stage, and finish within 12 months for new construction or six months for repairs.
Inspections and certificate of occupancy
The Building Division carries out building inspections, and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical permit fees include inspection charges. When an electrical installation is finished, the person who did it must notify the building official, and no one may connect power until he authorizes it; he then notifies the power company. The permit card has to stay posted on the front of the property until the certificate of occupancy is issued.
No new building may be occupied, and no change of occupancy made, until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy after the final inspection.
Under section 14-46, as amended by Ordinance 12-2026 on August 18, 2026, an application is treated as abandoned if no permit is issued within three months (60-day extensions are possible for cause), and the building official must revoke a permit if reasonable progress stops. After a hearing on a neglected property under Mississippi Code section 21-19-11, the City Council may set shorter repair deadlines.
Local Pascagoula details that matter
Flood rules: Appendix C of the city code (Ordinance 4-2018, amended in 2018 and on August 5, 2025) sets a minimum freeboard of 1 foot. New construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, or 1 foot above the highest crown of an adjacent street in Zone X, or 1 foot above the elevation the Pascagoula Floodplain Management Map sets for the parcel, whichever is greater. The 2009 floodplain ordinance still posted on the Planning and Building page was replaced by Ordinance 4-2018 (Appendix C of the city code).
V zones: buildings must stand on pilings or columns with the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member at least 1 foot above the map elevation, and a registered engineer or architect certifies the design. Space below must be open or closed only with breakaway walls rated 10 to 20 pounds per square foot, enclosing no more than 299 sq ft and used only for parking, access or storage. Fill may not be used for structural support. Enclosed areas below an elevated building elsewhere are also limited to 299 sq ft.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Substantial improvement: work costing 50% or more of the building’s market value counts as substantial improvement and must meet the new-construction standards; the ordinance sets no cumulative period. Critical facilities in the flood zone go 2 feet above the map elevation.
Design wind speed: the city’s amendments set basic design wind speeds of 150 mph under the building code and 130 mph under the residential code.
Drainage: development needing a building permit, other than single-family houses and duplexes, is reviewed for runoff, and a site plan with retention and detention is required if peak runoff from a ten-year storm would rise by more than 10%.
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
Pascagoula permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Pascagoula?
The Building Division of the city’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department, 4015 14th Street, 228-938-6620. Chad Kepner is the Building Official.
How much is a building permit in Pascagoula?
It depends on valuation: $24 up to $500, rising through a table in section 14-42. A $200,000 project pays $1,727, and commercial projects add half that again for plan review.
Do I need a permit for small repairs?
Not for minor repairs or alterations costing less than $500, floor covering, or a private driveway or sidewalk. The work must still meet code.
How high must a new house be in a Pascagoula flood zone?
The lowest floor must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation or the parcel’s elevation on the Pascagoula Floodplain Management Map, whichever is greater. In a V zone the bottom of the lowest structural member must be at least 1 foot above it.
How long is a Pascagoula permit good for?
Work must start within three months of issue. New construction must be finished within 12 months and repairs or renovations within six, unless the building official extends the time.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What happens if I start work without a permit?
The permit fee becomes five times the normal fee.
Official Pascagoula permit 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
- Pascagoula Planning, Building and Code Enforcement
- Pascagoula Building Division
- Pascagoula forms and permits
- Pascagoula Building Permit Application
- Pascagoula Citizen Self Service (permits and inspections login)
- Pascagoula Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14: Buildings (fees, licences, codes)
- Pascagoula Code of Ordinances, Appendix C: Floodplain Management
- Pascagoula Unified Development Ordinance (September 21, 2023)
- Pascagoula City Council minutes, August 18, 2026 (Ordinance 12-2026)
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Pascagoula permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.