Jackson County, MS Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Jackson County Zoning Ordinance § 4.01.01 requires a permit from the Board of Supervisors before construction, erection, moving of a structure, or placement of a manufactured or modular home anywhere in the unincorporated county, outside Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier and Moss Point. The permit clock differs by project type: commercial work must commence within six months of issuance and the permit stays valid two years; residential permits are valid only 180 days, though the county grants a 90-day extension when substantial improvements or construction already occurred in the initial period. A power pole or service change permit, commercial or residential, is good for 30 days, and a Mobile Home Placement Permit lasts 90 days from issuance.

Under § 4.01.01's general validity clause, any permit becomes invalid if work is not started within 180 days of issuance or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after starting. The building official can grant one or more written extensions of up to 180 days each, but the property owner must request the extension in writing and show justifiable cause.

Section 4.01.02 backs this up: no building, structure or land may be used, occupied, erected, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered except in conformance with the zoning district regulations, and no activity requiring a state or federal license can proceed in the county until that license is obtained. Applications and permits are handled through the Planning Department at 2915 Canty Street in Pascagoula.