Ensuring safe, quality development
Building plans must be submitted and approved for all construction and major reconstruction of existing buildings within the City of Jackson. Permits are not required for portable storage buildings of 80 square feet or less, except where a permanent foundation, electrical, plumbing, or gas work is included. Permits must be obtained before any work is begun.
If the site is zoned to allow the desired land use and the land has been previously platted, a four step process is involved to comply with the legal requirements to build a new structure, add an addition, and undertake a major remodeling project:
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Building Codes
Construction must conform to codes formulated by the International Building Code of 2003, the 2002 National Electric Code, and all other local ordinances and regulations. To begin the process, submit the following:
Permit Applications to include the following: project name, street address, tax map and parcel number; name, address, and phone number of owner, contractor, and designer; description of proposed work, and other information indicated on the application form. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
Two (2) complete sets of Construction Plans plus one (1) set of drawings involving site work. Drawings must have sufficient detail for the reviewer to determine if all code requirements have been met. All drawings must be drawn to scale.
If working with a third-party firm or contractor, confirm the contractor is on the city-approved list. Contractors performing work in the City of Jackson must have a bond. Electrical, gas, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning work may be performed only by craftsmen who have been licensed by municipal examining boards.
Non-Residential Construction exceeding $10,000 costs. State law requires that any contractor making application for a permit for any non-residential construction activity with costs exceeding $10,000 must provide proof to the City Building Official that a Mississippi Material Purchase Certificate has been obtained from the State Tax Commission.
Building Plans must include the following information:
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Types of Permits
When building construction plans have been approved, permits are issued. Types of permits are as follows:
1. Building Permits
New construction: A new building or adding square footage to an existing building.
Remodeling or finishing out a building: Improvements to an existing building without adding square footage.
2. Trade Permits
Electrical Permits: Required for installing new wiring, adding or making changes to existing wiring, establishing new main service or doing electrical work that increases the power to an existing facility. Electrical permits may be issued only to a licensed electrician.
Gas, Plumbing, and Mechanical Permits: Water, gas, and sewer plumbing systems must be properly installed to safeguard citizens' health. All new or replacement water, gas, and sewer service as well as additions require a permit. Permits can only be issued to a licensed plumber. All heating and air conditioning work from replacing existing units to installing a new system requires a permit.
3. Other Permits
Demolition Permits: Required to remove an existing structure from a site. Applications for building permits and demolition permits are submitted to the Building Permit Division located on the third floor of the Warren Hood Building, 200 South President Street, Jackson, MS 39201. In addition the alteration, renovation, or demolition of existing buildings require a Demolition/Renovation Notification Form to be filed with the Office of Pollution Control, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, 2380 Highway 80 West, P.O. Box 10385, Jackson, MS 39389-0385. This is a state and federal regulation
Asbestos Permits: The Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) requires pre-demolition and pre-renovation inspections to be done to determine presence and required treatment of materials containing asbestos. Certified personnel must do the inspections and certain asbestos abatement activities. A Demolition/Renovation Notification Form must be filed with the MDEQ ten (10) working days prior to work beginning on demolitions and on any renovation involving disturbance of more than 160 square feet, 206 linear feet, or 35 cubic feet of regulated asbestos containing materials.
Contact reference: Office of Pollution Control, MS Department of Environmental Quality, 2380 Highway 80 West, P.O. Box 10385, Jackson, MS 39289-0385, or at (601) 961-5171.
Moving Permits: Required to move any building, structure, and mobile home. The owner or contractor is responsible for arranging to have all utilities cut off prior to applying for a moving permit. Only a bonded moving contractor may obtain a moving permit. Other permits are also required if the new location is inside the City of Jackson.
Floodplain Permits: Buildings or structures that are to be located in the floodplain must have a floodplain permit.
Portable Storage Containers (PODS) Permits: Portable storage containers are permitted on the property of any lot zoned R-1 single-family dwelling or R-2 single-family dwelling or where a two family duplex has been constructed. The portable storage unit must be placed on a concrete or asphalt surface in front of the dwelling but no closer than ten feet from the front property line and shall also meet a required side yard setback of five feet.
The maximum allowable size of a portable storage container in a residential district is 130 square feet with a maximum length of said unit not to exceed 16 feet.
Portable storage containers are expressly prohibited in the following residential districts: R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and R-7.
Portable storage containers may be utilized for a period not to exceed 30 days. If major remodeling or other circumstances exist that require a portable storage container to remain past 30 days, a permit from the Building Code Office is required. Additional information may be obtained by reading Chapter 83 of the Code of Ordinances.
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Inspections
Work covered by a permit must commence within six (6) months after the permit is issued or the permit automatically becomes void. The permit card issued with the permit must be placed on the front of the building where it can be seen from the street and must be available for inspectors to sign when making inspections.
A minimum of three (3) inspections is required, and the permit holder is responsible for notifying the Office of Code Services when the work is ready for inspection. Building inspections are required when foundations are formed but before any concrete is poured, when the framing is complete but before any finish materials are installed, and when all work is complete. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing inspections are also required at similar stages of work.
When all inspections have been made and a final inspection has been completed, then a Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.) can be issued and the structure may be occupied.
Certificates of Occupancy (C.O.) are issued to a party/business at a particular location. A Code of Compliance Permit must be obtained when the use of the building changes. When the use of the property changes, compliance with off-street parking, landscaping, and buffering requirements must be addressed.
Code of Compliance Permits are required when moving a building or moving into an existing building, even if there is no construction work, and are required to determine that a structure is safe to occupy.
For general information about Building Permits
Phone: 601-960-1159 or 1167
200 S. President
3rd Floor Jackson, MS
Monday - Friday:
8am-5pm
To order an Inspection
Phone: 601-960-1157 or 1155
200 S. President
3rd Floor Jackson, MS
Monday - Friday:
8am-5pm
