Unincorporated Lamar County, Mississippi requires a residential construction permit before work begins on projects that meet the state's contractor-license threshold1. The county has not adopted structural codes and does not conduct structural inspections23. Zoning covers only portions of the unincorporated county, while septic permits come through the Mississippi State Department of Health456.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for covered residential work; $50 at application17
- Structural code and inspections
- No county structural code or structural inspections23
- Zoning
- Applies only in portions of unincorporated Lamar County48
- Septic permit
- Required through the Mississippi State Department of Health56
- Owner-builder
- Conditional one-house-per-year contractor-license exemption9
- Tiny home
- District-specific as an accessory dwelling; not a blanket allowance1011
- Flood permit
- Required for any structure needing a utility12
Who to call
Building permits
Lamar County Planning Department
Issues the residential construction permit required in unincorporated Lamar County under HB 1163
403 Main Street, P.O. Box 1240, Purvis, MS 39475
Zoning
Lamar County Planning Department (Zoning Ordinance)
Administers the zoning ordinance adopted for portions of unincorporated Lamar County
Floodplain permits
Lamar County Planning Department
Administers zoning, subdivision, site plan, storm water and floodplain ordinances for unincorporated Lamar County
144 Shelby Speights Drive, Purvis, MS 39475
Health department
Mississippi State Department of Health, Division of On-Site Wastewater
Statewide permitting authority for individual on-site wastewater (septic) systems; Lamar County is in the program's South Region
570 East Woodrow Wilson Drive, Jackson, MS 39216
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Lamar County, Mississippi?
Yes. Unincorporated Lamar County requires a permit before residential construction begins when the project meets Mississippi's contractor-license threshold1. The residential construction permit costs $50 and is payable with the application7. Planning staff review the form and required contractor, tax and materials information, collect the fee and sign the application; the application is not an issued permit until Planning signs it13. Lamar County has not adopted structural building codes and does not conduct structural inspections or single-family residential inspections23. The county also does not issue a certificate of occupancy, though Planning can provide a site-specific verification letter14.
Who issues building permits in Lamar County, and how do you reach them?
The Lamar County Planning Department handles residential construction permits in unincorporated Lamar County15. Reach the permit office at 601.794.1024 during normal business hours or at 403 Main Street, P.O. Box 1240, Purvis, MS 3947515. Planning staff must review and sign the completed application before it becomes an issued permit13. The Planning Department also administers zoning, subdivision, site-plan, stormwater and floodplain ordinances from 144 Shelby Speights Drive, Purvis, MS 39475, at 601-794-102416. Incorporated municipalities administer their own requirements, so use the municipal office rather than the county for property inside city limits8.
Does Lamar County have zoning?
Yes, but not countywide. Lamar County zoning applies only to portions of the unincorporated county, and municipalities administer their own rules48. The county publishes its zoning ordinance and map, but an official parcel determination requires the Planning Department17. Within the zoned area, minimum lot area, building height and dwelling-size standards depend on the district and use; the published dwelling-size minimums, for example, concern multiple-family units rather than every house181920. Subdivision development is separately regulated, with requirements depending on the applicable ordinance provisions and forms21. The Planning Commission hears rezoning, variance and conditional-use requests22.
How do septic permits work in Lamar County?
The Mississippi State Department of Health's On-Site Wastewater program handles individual septic systems, and Lamar County is in its South Region523. A new residential or commercial onsite system requires an application, supporting documents, fees and confirmation; the state soil and site evaluation produces the permit or recommendation suitable for installation and needed for a water meter623. About 50.1% of Lamar County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, but the parcel evaluation controls the actual design24. If centralized wastewater service becomes available, state rules require the onsite system to be abandoned and the property connected25. Reach the program at 601-576-7150 or its call center at 855-220-019223.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Lamar County?
Lamar County does not publish a confirmed general rule for living in an RV on private property, so ask the Planning Department about the parcel and proposed duration before relying on an RV as housing15. Tiny homes have a narrower, district-specific path: some zoning provisions allow a second accessory dwelling that may include a tiny home under 800 square feet, while some districts require sanitary-sewer approval or conditional-use approval1011. Those provisions do not create a countywide right to use a tiny home as the primary residence, and converted vehicles are not residences under the cited provisions10. Because county zoning covers only portions of unincorporated Lamar County, confirm the parcel's zoning district first417.
Building a home in Lamar County: the steps, in order
- Ask the Planning Department whether the parcel is in the county's zoned area and obtain the official district determination1722.
- Check district-specific lot, height, dwelling and accessory-unit rules, plus any subdivision or floodplain requirements1819202112.
- Arrange the state soil and site evaluation and secure the required septic permit or recommendation6.
- Submit the residential construction application, required supporting information and $50 fee; wait for Planning's signature before starting covered work1371.
- If using the owner-builder exemption, confirm which licensed professionals are mandatory for subcontracted work9.
- Obtain a state permit for a qualifying well or a new or altered driveway onto a state highway2627.
- Arrange independent quality checks because the county does not perform structural inspections3.
What to check before you buy land in Lamar County
Confirm the zoning district and municipal boundary before judging a parcel, because county zoning applies only in portions of unincorporated Lamar County and district standards vary4817. Check whether splitting or developing the tract triggers subdivision review21. Any structure needing a utility requires a county flood permit, even though Lamar County does not perform structural inspections123. Only 50.1% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the state evaluation a purchase contingency246. A qualifying water well and a new or altered driveway onto a state highway need state permits2627. Lamar County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.7%, with a median annual bill of about $1,4592829.
Watch-outs
- Lamar County's $50 residential permit is not a structural-code approval: the county has neither adopted structural codes nor implemented structural inspections723.
- A structure requiring any utility also requires a county flood permit, even if the parcel is not in the zoned portion of unincorporated Lamar County12.
- A tiny-home accessory allowance is district-specific and may require sewer or conditional-use approval; it is not a blanket right to place a tiny home anywhere in Lamar County1011.
Sources
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Inspections & Enforcement | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- On-Site Wastewater - Mississippi State Department of Health, quoted and re-checked
- On-Site Wastewater - Mississippi State Department of Health, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance of Lamar County, Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance of Lamar County, Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Inspections & Enforcement | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Construction Permit | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Lamar County Planning Department (lamarcountyms.gov)
- Lamar County Planning Department (lamarcountyms.gov)
- Zoning Ordinance | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance of Lamar County, Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance of Lamar County, Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Ordinance of Lamar County, Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Subdivision Management | Lamar County Mississippi, quoted and re-checked
- Lamar County Planning Department (Zoning Ordinance) (lamarcountyms.gov)
- Mississippi State Department of Health, Division of On-Site Wastewater (msdh.ms.gov)
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Mississippi State Department of Health Current Regulations: On-site Wastewater (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Guidelines for Securing the Services of a Water Well Driller (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Mississippi Access Management Guide (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 29, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.