In unincorporated Tate County, the Planning Commission office at 201 French’s Alley, Senatobia (662-562-5733) processes building permits and inspects the work of general contractors, plumbers, electricians and mechanical contractors. Applications are filed online through MGO Connect, houses are inspected under the 2018 International Residential Code, and work started without a permit is charged double the permit fee.
Who issues building permits in Tate County?
The county’s zoning ordinance governs all land in unincorporated Tate County, and no building may be erected, structurally altered or added to there until Tate County issues a building permit. The County Planner enforces the ordinance and receives applications, and the Planning office issues permits, assigns E-911 addresses and carries out inspections. Sherry Payne is the Director of Planning. The Planning Commission, with one member from each supervisor district, reviews subdivisions, rezonings, variances and conditional uses and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 201 French’s Alley, Senatobia, MS 38668 |
| Phone and hours | 662-562-5733; 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Director of Planning | Sherry Payne |
| Applications | MGO Connect (mgoconnect.org); portal help line 985-851-0760 |
| Road Manager (driveway culverts) | 662-562-4647, Road Manager extension |
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Get a free quote →Cities and towns in Tate County
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Senatobia (city, 8,473) | City of Senatobia Building & Planning Department: building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, pool, fence, sign and demolition permits, submitted by e-mail to permits@cityofsenatobiams.gov; inspections 662-562-4474 Ext. 3 |
| Coldwater (town, 1,326) | The published sources do not say; ask Coldwater City Hall, Second Street (662-622-7241) |
Trade work in unincorporated Tate County
The Planning office inspects plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors as well as general contractors. On a new house, plumbing rough-in (including fuel gas), electrical rough-in and HVAC rough-in are checked at the framing inspection, and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits must be pulled for the building before the certificate of occupancy is issued. Contractors need the Mississippi licence that state law requires for the job; the Planning page posts the state’s 2022 residential licensing changes.
Tate County permit fees
The county’s posted procedures list the manufactured home fee but no rate for a site-built house (ask the Planning office, 662-562-5733). The zoning ordinance adds these fee rules:
| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Manufactured home permit (May 2022 procedures) | $350 for the first 1,000 sq ft plus $0.30 for each additional sq ft, paid when the application is issued |
| Work started without a permit | Permit fee doubled |
| Permit not started within 6 months, or abandoned for 6 months | Void, with no refund |
| Paying a manufactured home fee by card | Bank charge added; check or cash dropped at the office also accepted |
For example, a 1,600 sq ft manufactured home costs $350 plus 600 × $0.30 = $180, or $530.
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Get a free quote →What to prepare for a Tate County permit
New house
- MGO Connect account and online application
- Site that meets the setbacks: 100 feet from the road centerline or 75 feet from the front property line, 30 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear (outside subdivisions)
- Septic and well application to the State Department of Health, with deed and survey or aerial
- Water association application, if the lot is in a water district
- Culvert size from the Road Manager for a new driveway
Manufactured home
- Deed in your name
- Survey or aerial view of the land (both available from the Tax Assessor at the courthouse)
- Proof of manufacture date and size: 5 years old or newer
- A1 zoning and 3 acres for a new home on newly surveyed land
- Site flagged for the Building Official’s site visit
Commercial and industrial projects need a site plan reviewed by the County Planner, whatever the zoning district, showing surveyed boundaries and easements, adjoining owners and zoning, the building, setbacks, parking, access, buffer yard and drainage. Larger proposals also go to the Planning Commission.
How to get a Tate County building permit: 6 steps
Make sure the parcel is outside Senatobia and Coldwater and confirm its zoning with the Planning office or the county’s online map.
Create a customer account at mgoconnect.org and submit the building permit application.
Once the site is approved and the permit application issued, the Planning office assigns an address if one is needed.
Apply to the State Department of Health for the well and septic, start the water district process early, and have the Road Manager size the culvert.
Put a readable sign by the drive with the address and permit number; masonry mailboxes are not allowed.
Request each inspection, forward the Health Department’s final approval to the Planning office, and do not occupy the home before the final inspection.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Tate County inspections under the 2018 IRC
Inspections must be called in to the office, not to an inspector’s cell phone, and are also requested through MGO Connect. The county’s sequence for a house:
- Foundation: footing ditch to firm soil, at least 12 inches deep, with (3) #4 or (2) #5 rebar and at least 8 inches of poured concrete.
- Open ditch plumbing (slabs): drain lines filled with water to at least 5 feet above the highest point and held for 15 minutes.
- Floor or slab: floor joists before the subfloor, or for a slab compacted fill, perimeter rebar, 6 x 6 10-gauge mesh or fiber concrete, termite protection, at least 3½ inches thick and sill anchors or ½-inch bolts; the county may accept an engineer’s certification instead of the slab inspection.
- Framing: with the roof on and the plumbing, gas, electrical and HVAC rough-ins and brick ties in place.
- Final: house complete with all equipment working and the principal applicant present.
The certificate of occupancy follows the final inspection and the Health Department’s approval of the water and septic system. For a manufactured home, the State Fire Marshal’s decal must be on the home, the skirting and 5 x 5-foot landings with rails in place, and the wastewater final in hand before the county stamps its final; without that final the electricity cannot be turned on.
Rather not deal with the Tate County building department?
Get a free quote →Local rules that matter in Tate County
Flood zones: land in the 100-year floodplain is zoned Flood Preservation (FP), and any structure approved there must have its finished floor 12 inches above the base flood elevation. Applications in flood-prone areas must be approved by the County Engineer and the Floodplain Administrator.
Remodeling: the zoning ordinance does not require a building permit for remodeling or improvements that do not alter a building’s basic structure.
Manufactured homes: new homes on newly divided land are allowed only in the A1 zone on at least 3 acres, placed with the front door facing the road and underpinned with concrete, stone or masonry; a home cannot be bought until the county permit is issued.
Senatobia historic districts: inside Senatobia, any exterior change to a building or sign in the Residential or Downtown historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City’s Historical Preservation Commission before work starts.
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 Tate County resources
- Tate County Planning Commission and permit downloads
- Tate County Building Permit Procedures (October 2025)
- Tate County Manufactured Home Permit Procedures (May 2022)
- Tate County Zoning Ordinance (2022, with May 2022 amendments)
- Tate County site plan review requirements
- MGO Connect permit help guide
- Tate County wastewater information
- City of Senatobia Building & Planning Department
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county and city permit requirement
- Mississippi Insurance Department: Mississippi Uniform Building Codes
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Tate County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Tate County?
The county Planning office at 201 French’s Alley, Senatobia (662-562-5733), for unincorporated land. Inside Senatobia, the City’s Building & Planning Department.
How do I apply?
Online through MGO Connect; the portal’s help line is 985-851-0760.
Which building code does Tate County use?
The county inspects houses under the 2018 International Residential Code.
How much is a manufactured home permit?
$350 for the first 1,000 sq ft plus $0.30 for each additional sq ft.
Do I need a permit to remodel?
Not if the work does not alter the basic structure. Erecting, structurally altering or adding to a building needs a permit.
How long is a permit good for?
Two years, but it becomes void if work does not begin within six months or stops for six months; the Planning Commission can grant an extension.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Tate County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.