State law requires the Tippah County Board of Supervisors to require a permit for construction in the unincorporated county; the Board, the County Administrator and the Chancery Clerk work from 101 E. Spring Street in Ripley (Supervisors 662-837-3655). Inside Ripley, any job over $500 needs a city permit bought online through GovWell, and a new house costs $2 for the first $1,000 of value plus $1 for each additional $1,000.
Who issues permits in Tippah County?
| Area | Who handles building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Tippah County | Board of Supervisors, 101 E. Spring Street, Ripley, MS 38663; Supervisors 662-837-3655, County Administrator 662-837-1026, Chancery Clerk 662-837-7374 |
| Ripley (5,377) | City of Ripley Building Inspector, 662-882-9817, or the City Clerk, 662-837-8578; permits purchased online through GovWell |
| Blue Mountain (897), Walnut (680), Dumas (453) and Falkner (441) | The published sources do not say who issues permits in these towns; ask each town clerk |
| Septic systems where there is no sewer | Mississippi State Department of Health; Wastewater Call Center 1-855-220-0192 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →No county building department, county code adoption or county permit form is published, so the county offices above are the place to ask what the Board requires for a site outside the towns. Since 2022 a county construction permit must show the contractor’s material purchase certificate number or federal taxpayer number and the contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number.
Ripley building permits and fees
The City of Ripley sells electrical, plumbing, siding, building and roofing permits online through GovWell. Give the Building Inspector the total value, the address and the contractor so the permit can be approved, then buy it in GovWell. Any work over $500 needs a permit, and the city states that no verbal permits are given.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential | $2 for the first $1,000 of total value, then $1 for each additional $1,000 |
| Commercial | $4 for the first $1,000 of total value, then $2 for each additional $1,000 |
| Homeowner gas-meter plumbing permit (owner-occupied home only) | $2 |
| Zoning variance application | $50 |
For example, a house valued at $200,000 pays $2 plus 199 × $1, or $201.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Who can pull a permit: contractors must be licensed and bonded with the City of Ripley, and plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors on jobs under $50,000 need at least a $5,000 surety bond. Only a licensed electrician can buy an electrical permit. A homeowner may pull permits for work on his or her own residence and may act as general contractor on a new home for personal use once a year. The city publishes a Homeowner Affidavit in which the owner affirms that he or she will do the work personally. The owner of a commercial property can pull a permit only for work under $10,000; above that a residential or commercial contractor licence is required, and over $50,000 a commercial licence.
Ripley historic district, utilities and flood rules
Historic district: exterior work on a property in Ripley’s National Register historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before the city issues the building permit.
Development review: commercial and multi-tenant development follows the city’s Subdivision Ordinance, and the Zoning Commission meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at City Hall. Development questions go to the Mayor’s office (662-837-0130) or the City Engineer (662-837-8545).
Utility connections: for property inside the city or up to 1 mile outside, Ripley’s connection fees are $200 for gas, $450 for water and $400 for sewer.
Floodplain: Ripley’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, adopted May 4, 2010 on the June 18, 2010 flood maps, makes the City Engineer the Floodplain Administrator and requires the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home to be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Flood insurance program: FEMA lists Tippah County, Ripley and Walnut as participants; new maps for the county and Ripley take effect on January 8, 2027. Blue Mountain withdrew from the program in 2016, and Dumas and Falkner are not in it.
Getting a permit in Tippah County
Check whether the land is inside Ripley, Blue Mountain, Walnut, Dumas or Falkner, or in the unincorporated county.
If the address is in the district, get the Historic Preservation Commission’s Certificate of Appropriateness first.
Give Ripley’s Building Inspector the project value, address and contractor, then buy the permit through GovWell.
Ask the Board of Supervisors’ office what the county permit requires, with the contractor’s licence and tax numbers ready.
Apply to the State Department of Health for a septic system where there is no sewer, and check the FEMA flood map before you build.
Rather not deal with the Tippah County building department?
Get a free quote →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
Official Tippah County permit resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State: county officials directory (2025)
- City of Ripley: building inspector, permits and utility fees
- City of Ripley GovWell permit portal
- City of Ripley Homeowner Affidavit
- City of Ripley development page
- City of Ripley Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (2010)
- City of Ripley Zoning Commission
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Tippah County permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a house in Ripley?
$2 for the first $1,000 of value and $1 for each additional $1,000, so $201 for a $200,000 house.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Ripley?
Yes, for work on his or her own residence, and as general contractor on a new home for personal use once a year.
Do small jobs in Ripley need a permit?
Any work over $500 needs one, including roofing and siding.
Who do I contact about building outside the towns in Tippah County?
The Board of Supervisors at 101 E. Spring Street, Ripley, 662-837-3655, or the County Administrator at 662-837-1026.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Is Tippah County in the flood insurance program?
Yes, with Ripley and Walnut; new flood maps for the county and Ripley take effect on January 8, 2027.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Tippah County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.