DeSoto County requires a grading permit for earthwork exceeding 50 cubic yards or disturbing 1 acre. Drainage cannot be redirected to harm neighboring properties — Mississippi follows the modified civil-law (reasonable use) rule for surface water.
The DeSoto County Planning and Zoning Ordinance and the municipal subdivision regulations require grading permits for earthwork above roughly 50 cubic yards or any land disturbance of 1 acre or more (which also triggers MDEQ SWPPP coverage). Site grading plans must show proposed contours, drainage patterns, retaining walls, and tie-in to existing storm infrastructure. Retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing require engineered design and a separate building permit. Mississippi applies the modified civil-law reasonable-use rule for surface water: an upper landowner may discharge diffuse surface water onto a lower parcel only in a reasonable manner, and cannot concentrate, divert, or accelerate flow to injure the lower owner (see Hall v. Wood, 443 So. 2d 834). Compaction testing is required for structural fill. Final as-built grade must match approved plans; drainage facilities on private lots are owner-maintained.
Unpermitted grading over threshold: stop-work order and fines $250 to $2,500. Diverting drainage to neighbors: injunctive relief plus civil damages under Mississippi reasonable-use doctrine. Slope failure from improper grading: liability and remediation costs. Retaining wall over 4 ft without permit: removal order or engineered retrofit.
Southaven, MS
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Southaven, MS
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Southaven, MS
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Southaven, MS
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Southaven, MS
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Southaven, MS
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See how Southaven's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
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