For building outside the towns, ask the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk, who keeps the Board of Supervisors’ records, which county permit applies: the Water Valley office is on 662-473-2091 and the Coffeeville office on 662-675-2716. Inside Water Valley, apply online to the City’s Building & Permits department.
Who issues building permits in Yalobusha County?
The Board of Supervisors governs the unincorporated county, and the Chancery Clerk, who serves both county seats, keeps its minutes and orders. State law since 2022 (House Bill 1163) has required every Mississippi county to make construction outside its towns conditional on a permit, so ask the Chancery Clerk’s office for the county application and fee before starting work.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Chancery Clerk, Second Judicial District | PO Box 664, Water Valley, MS 38965; 662-473-2091 |
| Chancery Clerk, First Judicial District | PO Box 260, Coffeeville, MS 38922; 662-675-2716 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who permits each town in Yalobusha County?
- Water Valley: the City’s Building & Permits department oversees all construction inside the city limits and requires a permit before most construction, renovation and demolition, including electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fence work. Apply online; the building inspector reviews the application and may visit the site before issuing the permit, and you call the inspector to schedule inspections (662-506-9116, City Hall, 101 Blackmur Drive, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- Coffeeville and Oakland: ask the Coffeeville or Oakland town clerk about building permits inside town limits.
Septic systems and trade work
Where no sewer is available, a septic tank or other onsite system needs a Mississippi State Department of Health permit. Outside the towns, ask the Chancery Clerk’s office whether electrical, plumbing or mechanical work needs a separate county permit. Water Valley permits electrical, plumbing and mechanical work through the same online application as building work.
Starting a project in unincorporated Yalobusha County
Water Valley, Coffeeville and Oakland govern their own land.
Call the Water Valley (662-473-2091) or Coffeeville (662-675-2716) office for the county permit application and fee.
Lots without sewer need an onsite system permitted by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
State law (§19-5-9(11)) makes a county permit carry your contractor’s licence or certificate of responsibility number, plus a material purchase certificate number or, instead, a taxpayer ID.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Yalobusha County details worth knowing
Water Valley applications: have the project address, the parcel ID from Yalobusha County, the zoning district, the estimated cost and start date, and the contractor’s licence number and expiry date ready. A site or plot plan is strongly recommended, and a lot in a FEMA flood zone also needs the flood zone, FIRM panel and proposed floor elevations.
Water Valley permit fees: the City’s building permit fee ordinance, adopted February 3, 2009, sets these fees, and doubles them when work starts before the permit is issued:
| Project | Fee |
|---|
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Water Valley flood rule: the City’s flood damage prevention ordinance of July 12, 2010 makes its Zoning Administrator the floodplain administrator and requires the lowest floor of new and substantially improved homes and other buildings to be at least 18 inches above the base flood elevation.
Water Valley historic district: exterior changes to buildings, land or signs in the Main Street Historic District, demolitions and changes to parking or landscaping need the Historic Preservation Commission’s approval before work begins; changing the paint color on surfaces other than brick is exempt. The Certificate of Appropriateness form is free at City Hall.
Flood insurance program: FEMA lists Yalobusha County, Water Valley, Coffeeville and Oakland as taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with new flood maps for Yalobusha County and Water Valley taking effect on December 23, 2026.
Building code in Yalobusha County
Ask the Chancery Clerk’s office which code edition, if any, the Board of Supervisors applies to county permits, and ask Water Valley’s building inspector for the codes enforced inside the city.
Rather not deal with the Yalobusha County building department?
Get a free quote →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 Yalobusha County resources
- Mississippi Secretary of State county government directory, 2024–2028 (Yalobusha County officials)
- City of Water Valley Building & Permits (city permits)
- City of Water Valley document library: permit fees, flood and zoning ordinances
- Water Valley building permit fee ordinance (February 3, 2009)
- Water Valley flood damage prevention ordinance (July 12, 2010)
- Water Valley Historic Preservation Commission
- Mississippi State Department of Health: on-site wastewater
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Yalobusha County permit FAQs
Who handles county permits outside the Yalobusha County towns?
The Chancery Clerk’s office, which keeps the Board of Supervisors’ records: 662-473-2091 in Water Valley or 662-675-2716 in Coffeeville.
How do I get a building permit in Water Valley?
Fill in the City’s online application. The building inspector reviews it, may ask questions or visit the site, and then issues the permit; work cannot start before that. Call the inspector to schedule inspections.
Does Water Valley need extra information for flood zones?
Yes. A property in a FEMA-designated floodplain needs the flood zone, FIRM panel and proposed floor elevations with the application.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues septic permits?
Septic permits come from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
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More Mississippi permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Yalobusha County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.