Mississippi

Mississippi Permit Guide for Metal Carports, Garages and Barns

Do you need a permit for a carport in Mississippi? It depends on your county or city, because Mississippi does not have one building code that every county enforces. A 2014 state law told counties and cities to adopt a set of minimum codes, but it let each one opt out by a vote recorded in its minutes. So whether you need a building permit for a metal carport or garage depends on your county board of supervisors, or your city if you live inside town limits. Some counties permit everything over a set size, and others have no building permit at all. The first step is always a call to the local office where your building will sit.

Building code in effect

Mississippi is a local option state. Senate Bill 2378 (2014), effective August 1, 2014, says counties and cities must adopt one of the last three editions of the International Building Code or International Residential Code, with the appendices the Mississippi Building Codes Council adopts, plus electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire and fuel gas codes. The same law let a county board of supervisors or city governing body opt out within 120 days by a resolution entered in its minutes. The Mississippi Insurance Department sums it up this way: all counties and municipalities must enact uniform building codes unless they opted out before Nov. 30, 2014. Local governments can also adopt codes that are stricter than the state minimum. On the Gulf Coast, a 2006 law passed after Hurricane Katrina (House Bill 1406) required Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River counties and their towns to enforce the wind and flood rules of the 2003 IRC and IBC until they adopted the latest editions, with a short 60-day window to opt out. Because each place picked its own edition, ask your local building official which code year they use.

Who issues permits

Building permits come from the county for land outside city limits and from the city or town inside them. A county's building code applies only to unincorporated areas. Zoning is often handled by a separate planning or zoning office, and it can apply even where there is no building code, so ask about setbacks and lot coverage too. The State Fire Marshal (part of the Mississippi Insurance Department) enforces the state fire code on state-owned buildings, public assembly buildings and buildings 75 feet or taller, but it does not issue permits for a home carport or garage.

County permit guides

County guides are coming soon.

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When you need a permit

No statewide size exemption: Since each county and city picks its own code edition (or opted out), there is no single square-foot number that applies across Mississippi. Your local office sets the threshold.
A real example: Stone County says any structure over 200 square feet requires a permit, no matter what it is used for, and that includes prefabricated buildings you buy and set on your land. It also says permit fees are doubled if work begins before the permit is approved.
Carports and garages: Where a county or city enforces a code, a metal garage is treated as an accessory building and usually needs a permit once it passes the local size limit. Open carports are often handled the same way, so ask before you assume a carport is exempt.
Enclosing a carport: Adding walls or doors later can turn a carport into a garage in the eyes of the building office. Ask whether enclosing it needs a new or revised permit.
Commercial property: Commercial buildings go under the International Building Code where the county or city has adopted it. If the building will be used for public assembly, the State Fire Marshal's fire code rules may also apply, so mention the use when you call.

Farm buildings

Mississippi Code Section 17-2-7 (as amended by Senate Bill 2378 in 2014) says a county or city may not enforce the building code on a farm structure, meaning a structure built on a farm other than a residence or a structure attached to it, such as a barn, shed or poultry house. The exemption only applies if the owner files an affidavit with the local building code official before building, stating that it is a farm structure and what it will be used for. If the building is later converted to another use, the exemption ends. Floodplain management rules needed for the National Flood Insurance Program still apply, and zoning setbacks may still apply, so file the affidavit and ask what else your county checks.

Wind and snow

Mississippi's Gulf Coast counties face hurricane winds and storm surge, which is why the state required wind and flood rules there after Katrina. Inland, strong storms and tornadoes hit the whole state, and much of the land along rivers sits in mapped flood zones. Snow is rare in most of the state. Your county sets the wind speed and snow load your building has to meet, so ask for those numbers when you call. Our partnered manufacturers offer certified buildings rated for 140 MPH wind and 35 PSF snow load, and higher ratings can be quoted where required.

Before you order

Call the county building or planning office (or the city if you are inside town limits) and ask two things: does it enforce a building code, and does your building need a permit at its size.
In Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone or Pearl River County, ask about the required wind speed and whether your lot is in a flood zone before you order.
If the building is for farm use, file the farm structure affidavit with the local building official before work starts, and keep a copy.
Check your deed, HOA rules and setbacks, and have a level, cleared pad ready on the spot where the permit says the building goes.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Mississippi?
It depends on your county or city. Mississippi lets each local government decide whether to enforce building codes, so some require a permit for any structure over a set size and others have no building permit at all. Stone County, for example, requires a permit for any structure over 200 square feet. Call your local office before you order.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage in Mississippi?
In counties and cities that enforce a building code, a metal garage usually needs a building permit once it passes the local size limit, and zoning setbacks apply too. In places that opted out of the state codes, you may still need a zoning or flood permit. Ask the office where the building will sit.

Are farm buildings exempt?
Yes, in most cases. Under Mississippi Code Section 17-2-7, a county or city may not enforce the building code on a farm structure (not a home or anything attached to one) if the owner files an affidavit with the local building official before building. Flood plain rules still apply, and the exemption ends if the building is later used for something else.

Sources

Permit rules change. Always confirm with your local permit office before you build.

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