Pearl, MS Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Pearl's Zoning Ordinance is the Official Zoning Ordinance adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen on November 3, 2020. Section 407.06 governs Accessory Buildings, Structures and Uses. Subsection (a) defines an accessory building as a subordinate building on the same lot as the main building, devoted to an accessory use. Subsection (b) requires the accessory use to be customarily incidental and subordinate to the main use, and prohibits it from dominating the principal use in area, extent, or purpose. Subsection (c) provides the controlling rule: "No accessory building may be used as living quarters." That language flatly prohibits a guest house, casita, mother-in-law suite, or detached second dwelling unit on a residential lot in Pearl. Article IV Section 401.05 sets dimensional limits for accessory buildings: no accessory building may be placed in a required front yard or side yard, accessory buildings cannot cover more than ten percent (10%) of the rear yard, and no accessory building may exceed twenty (20) feet in height. Mississippi's enabling statute for municipal zoning is Miss. Code Ann. Section 17-1-1 et seq.; the state has not enacted statewide ADU preemption legislation comparable to California's, so the local prohibition stands. The Office of Community Development at 2420 Old Brandon Road administers zoning verification, building permits, contractor licensing, and rental property registration under the City's Community Development page (Director Brad Robertson, 601-932-3526; Building Inspector 601-932-3528).