Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Decatur, Mississippi

Town of Decatur’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building work inside Decatur town.

  • The active-ordinance index labels Ordinance A25 as amended; the operative amendment text and exceptions were not available in the indexed page.

  “From and after the effective date of this ordinance, any person or persons desiring to build, erect, move, remodel or modify any: commercial, residential, auxiliary structures, modular home, trailer, sanitary sewer system, culvert, driveway, water or sewer tap or commercial signs in the Town of Decatur, Mississippi, shall apply for a building permit as hereafter provided.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Decatur town, Newton County, Mississippi.

  • The Town's active-ordinance index identifies the zoning ordinance as amended.

  “31* | *ZONING AS PASSED BY MAYOR AND BOARD; ZONING AMENDMENT ATTACHED - AMENDED”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Decatur town.

  • The available Town-hosted ordinance identifies a Rural Residential zone; the complete current district inventory and map require verification against the amended ordinance.

  “Rural Residential Purpose--The purpose of this zone promotes low-density residential development consistent with an urban-rural character.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Homes and places of business inside Decatur town.

  • The ordinance index supplies no availability distance, exceptions, or operative amended text.

  “24 | ORDINANCES INDEX ACTIVE ORDINANCES ALL HOMES OR PLACES OF BUSINESS MUST HAVE SEWER CONNECTION”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Decatur

Town of Decatur does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Rural Residential district inside Decatur town.

  • Every dwelling must be on one lot at least one acre with a width at the building setback line of 150 feet.
  • Where Town sewer is unavailable, the owner must contact MSDH regarding soil adequacy or adequate lot size for treatment facilities.

  minimum lot area: 43560 square feet · minimum lot width at building setback line: 150 feet

  “every dwelling shall be located on a single lot of not less than 43,560 square feet (one acre) and have a width determined at the building setback line of 150 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Rural Residential district inside Decatur town.

  • Rear yards abutting a street or road have a 30-foot rear-yard requirement.

  front setback: 40 feet · side setback: 20 feet · rear setback: 40 feet (30 feet where the rear yard abuts a street or road)

  “The front yard building set back line shall be a minimum of 40 feet [...] There shall be a minimum side yard of 20 feet on each side of any structure [...] There shall be a minimum rear yard setback of not less than 40 feet except where the rear yard abuts any street or road [...] in which case the rear yard shall be 30 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Rural Residential district inside Decatur town.

  • Includes accessory structures.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 60 percent

  “Percentage of Lot Coverage-Buildings, including accessory structures, shall not cover more than 60 percent of the area of any lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Rural Residential district inside Decatur town.

  maximum structure height: <= 45 feet

  “Building Height-No structures shall exceed 45 feet in height.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Onsite wastewater systems statewide, including systems inside Decatur town.

  • This applies to onsite systems; Decatur's municipal sewer-connection ordinance may instead govern properties served by Town sewer.

  “The On-site Wastewater program develops policy and regulations and provides technical assistance to regional environmentalists in designing and inspecting Individual On-site Wastewater Disposal Systems (IOWDS)”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of an onsite wastewater disposal system statewide, including inside Decatur town where an onsite system is applicable.

  • The permit is required for a water meter and installation of an onsite wastewater disposal system.
  • Town sewer-connection requirements may govern properties served by the municipal sewer system.

  “The Permit is required for a water meter and the installation of an on-site wastewater disposal system.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-grid wastewater disposal statewide, including inside Decatur town where municipal sewer does not apply.

  • Wastewater must be directed to a central sewer system or septic system for proper disposal.

  “Mississippi does not recognize gray water. Anything that could be considered gray water in other states is classified as wastewater in Mississippi. All wastewater is required to pipe into a central sewer system or a septic system for proper disposal. No “gray water” can be discharged on the ground, ditches, or bodies of water.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Land used for agricultural production in the Rural Residential district inside Decatur town.

  • The ordinance limits agricultural production to listed common farm products or raw materials and specified acceptable animals.
  • Animal numbers are limited by available land and accepted Mississippi State Extension Services guidelines.

  “No permits shall be required with reference to land used for the agricultural production.”

• Permit processPartial

  Application process for applicable onsite wastewater permits statewide, including inside Decatur town.

  • This is the MSDH onsite-wastewater process, not a complete process for Town building permits.

  “File a complete application. Our application forms for new onsite wastewater systems are now online. Apply online using the button below.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Decatur or Newton County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Decatur town.
• Building code adopted — Buildings inside Decatur town.
• Inspections — Building work inside Decatur town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Decatur town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Decatur town.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.