Outside the cities, Washington County’s Planning, Zoning and Engineering Departments at the County Courthouse in Greenville handle zoning, development review, floodplain administration and road access permits; the Planning Inspector’s line is 662-334-2647. Inside Greenville, the City’s Planning Department issues building and trade permits, and the smaller towns are separate municipalities.
Who issues permits in Washington County?
The Census Bureau lists five incorporated places in Washington County: Greenville (26,530 residents in 2025), Leland (3,555), Hollandale (2,090), Metcalfe (735) and Arcola (276). Land outside them is unincorporated and falls to the Board of Supervisors and its Planning, Zoning and Engineering Departments.
| Area | Permit office |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Washington County | Planning Department, Washington County Courthouse, 900 Washington Avenue (PO Box 309), Greenville, MS 38701; Planning Inspector 662-334-2647, Planning Assistant 662-332-5021; courthouse main line 662-378-8355 |
| Greenville | City of Greenville Planning Department, City Hall, 340 Main Street; 662-378-1548 |
| Leland | City Hall, 206 North Broad Street (PO Box 271), Leland, MS 38756; 662-686-4136. The published sources do not say which office issues permits; ask City Hall. |
| Hollandale | City Hall, 200 East Avenue South, Hollandale, MS 38748; 662-827-2241. Hollandale’s permit office is not named in the published sources, so call City Hall. |
| Arcola and Metcalfe | The published sources do not say who permits in either town; ask the town clerk. |
| Septic systems where there is no sewer | Mississippi State Department of Health |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Under Miss. Code §19-5-9(11), added by House Bill 1163 of 2022, the county must require a permit for construction in its unincorporated area. Greenville’s own zoning ordinance (section 2601) leaves enforcement outside the city’s corporate limits to the Washington County Board of Supervisors.
County zoning, variances and permit fees
The county has its own zoning ordinance, with districts that include A-1 General Agricultural, R-2 Single Family Residential (Medium Lot), C-3 Heavy Commercial and I-2 Heavy Industrial. Rezonings and variances go through the Washington County Planning Commission, whose minutes and recommendations the Planning Department presents to the Board of Supervisors for a final order. Recent Board orders include a 2022 rezoning on Highway 1 South from R-2 and A-1 to C-3, a 2022 order on a request to place a mobile home on an R-2 lot in Glen Allan, and a 2024 variance for a 16 by 40 foot pre-manufactured house in an I-2 district. The county patrol officer takes zoning violations to court.
The Planning Department brings use and occupancy permit applications for utility lines in county road right-of-way to the Board for approval, and coordinates special transport and access permits.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit fees: the Planning Department charges permit fees set by Board order. The Board raised the county’s electrical re-inspection fee from $20 to $50 in October 2022 and, on May 6, 2024, approved the Planning Department’s request to adjust the fees for permits; the new amounts are not in the minutes, so ask the Planning Department for the current fee. Greenville’s City Code licenses electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors by examination through the joint Greenville–Washington County Electrical Board and Plumbing and Mechanical Board.
Steps for a project in Washington County
Check whether the parcel is inside Greenville, Leland, Hollandale, Metcalfe or Arcola, or in the unincorporated county.
Call the Planning Department (662-334-2647) to confirm the district and whether the use, a mobile home or a recreational vehicle needs a variance.
Rezonings and variances are heard by the Planning Commission and then approved or denied by the Board of Supervisors.
Ask the Planning Department, which oversees floodplain administration, whether the site is in a special flood hazard area under the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
Get the State Department of Health’s onsite wastewater approval where there is no sewer, and a county access permit for a new connection to a county road.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Local details: flood rules, towns and septic
Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance: the Board approved an update to the county’s flood ordinance on May 2, 2022, and on June 17, 2024 authorized its President and Clerk to sign a further updated ordinance presented by the county’s Flood Plain Director, ratifying the signing on August 1, 2024. FEMA lists Washington County with flood maps effective August 28, 2024, and all five municipalities in the county also take part in the National Flood Insurance Program. Ask the Planning Department for the ordinance’s elevation rules before designing in a flood zone.
Leland historic district: inside Leland’s local historic district, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Leland Historic Preservation Commission is needed before work starts or building permits are obtained. The Commission meets on the third Monday of each month except December at 6:00 p.m.
Septic systems: individual onsite wastewater systems are permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health. Its wastewater call center (1-855-220-0192) helps with applications, which can be filed online.
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
Rather not deal with the Washington County building department?
Get a free quote →Official Washington County permit resources
- Washington County Planning, Zoning & Engineering
- Washington County Courthouse contacts
- Washington County Board of Supervisors minutes
- Board minutes, October 3, 2022 (electrical re-inspection fee)
- Board minutes, May 6, 2024 (permit fee adjustment)
- Board minutes, June 17, 2024 (updated Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance)
- FEMA Community Status Book: Mississippi NFIP communities
- House Bill 1163 (2022): county permit requirement
- City of Greenville Planning Department
- Leland Historic Preservation Commission
- City of Leland City Hall
- City of Hollandale
- Mississippi State Department of Health: On-Site Wastewater
- Mississippi State Fire Marshal: fire code enforcement
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Washington County permit FAQs
Who handles permits in unincorporated Washington County?
The county Planning, Zoning and Engineering Departments at the County Courthouse, 900 Washington Avenue in Greenville. The Planning Inspector’s number is 662-334-2647.
Who issues building permits in Greenville?
The City of Greenville Planning Department at City Hall, 340 Main Street (662-378-1548).
Does Washington County have zoning?
Yes. The county zoning ordinance has agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial districts, and rezonings and variances go through the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
Can I put a mobile home or RV on my land in Washington County?
It depends on the zoning district. The Board has acted on requests to place a mobile home in an R-2 district and recreational vehicles in A-1, so ask the Planning Department first.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much are Washington County permit fees?
The Board approved adjusted permit fees on May 6, 2024 without listing the amounts in its minutes, so ask the Planning Department (662-334-2647) for the current fee before you apply.
Who approves septic systems in Washington County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health, wastewater call center 1-855-220-0192.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Washington County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.