Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Flowood, Mississippi

Flowood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Activities inside Flowood involving building structures or installing site improvements.

  • The listed activities include clearing and grubbing, grading, earthwork, ditching, utilities, paving, and related activities.
  • The regulations list site-development, residential site-development, commercial site-development, floodplain-development, and right-of-way permits.

  “Development Permit: Permit required anytime the activity involves the act of building structures or installing site improvements including clearing and grubbing, grading, earthwork, ditching, utilities, paving and other related activities.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings within Flowood corporate limits.

  • The ordinance says its adoption facilitates City inspection activities within its corporate limits.
  • Listed editions include the 2021 IBC, IRC, IFC, IMC, IPC, IPMC, NFPA 101; and 2014 NEC.

  “the following codes are hereby adopted by reference as if copied herein in full.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Floodplain development inside Flowood identified special-flood-hazard and community-flood-hazard areas.

  • This is a floodplain-development inspection requirement, not a finding that every construction project receives a City building inspection.

  “Perform a minimum of three inspections to ensure that all applicable ordinance and floodplain development requirements have been satisfied. The first inspection upon the establishment of the Base Flood Elevation reference mark at the development site; the second upon the establishment of the structure’s footprint prior”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Flowood city limits.

  • The City ordinance index cautions that posted ordinances may have been amended and directs reliance users to obtain a hard copy from City Hall.

  “the current zoning of property and the requirements of the zoning, the City's requirements for streets, parking lots, water and sanitary sewer infrastructure, lot sizes, setback requirements, existing utility capacities and other information pertinent to the planned subdivision or development before any construction is commenced.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Flowood city limits.

  • The City ordinance index warns that posted ordinances may have been amended and directs reliance users to obtain a hard copy from City Hall.

  “Z Zoning Regulations Zoning Map - Flowood Official Zoning Map”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in Flowood special-flood-hazard areas.

  • Manufactured homes must meet all requirements for new construction in the cited floodplain ordinance.

  “manufactured homes placed, or substantially improved”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Residences and facilities requiring a Flowood floodplain development permit.

  • A Mississippi State Health Department Notice of Intent for a sewage-system recommendation, or proof of compliance from the proper sewer and water district, must be obtained before the City may issue the floodplain development permit.

  “No floodplain development permit can be issued to any mobile, modular, or permanently constructed residence, building or facility unless the owner, lessee, or developer obtains a Notice of Intent from the Mississippi State Health Department, pursuant to the MS Individual On-Site Wastewater Disposal System Law (2009), for a recommendation of a sewage system or Proof of Compliance from the proper Sewer and Water District;”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural land divisions inside Flowood city limits.

  • The division must be for agricultural purposes, create lots of at least five acres, and create no new street.

  minimum lot size: >= 5 acres (Only where no new street is created)

  “Subdivision: The term Subdivision means the division of a parcel of land into two or more lots or parcels, for the purpose, immediate or future, of sale, lease, or building development or, if a new street is involved, any division of a parcel of land constitutes a Subdivision but, the division of land for agricultural purposes into lots of five acres or more in size where no new street is created does not constitute a subdivision.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Flowood city limits.

  • A division for agricultural purposes into lots of five acres or more where no new street is created is excluded from the subdivision definition.
  • Before construction or conveyance/lease on a street requiring street-plat approval, final recording plat or street-plat approval is required.

  “104.1 The provisions of this ordinance apply to all subdivisions as defined herein and apply to all property located within the City even if property is excluded from the definition of a subdivision.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Commercial site-plan projects inside Flowood city limits.

  • Driveway locations must meet commercial driveway spacing requirements.
  • A driveway connecting to an MDOT-maintained road requires an MDOT permit.
  • Unless the City Engineer grants an exception, minimum corner clearance is an intersection queuing analysis or 125 feet, whichever is larger.

  minimum corner clearance: >= 125 feet (Unless an exception is granted by the City Engineer; a greater intersection-queuing-analysis distance controls)

  “301.1 Driveway locations shall meet or exceed the requirements as shown in the “Commercial Driveway Spacing Requirements” (Figure 1).”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development activities in Flowood identified special-flood-hazard and community-flood-hazard areas.

  • Application must be made to the Floodplain Administrator before development activities.
  • The ordinance appoints the City's Director of Engineering as Floodplain Administrator.

  “A development permit shall be required in conformance with the provision of this ordinance prior to the commencement of any development activities in identified areas of special flood hazard and community flood hazard areas within the community.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  City permits and development review inside Flowood city limits.

  • The City publishes applications for commercial permits, residential permits, floodplain permits, site-development permits, right-of-way construction permits, and zoning applications.

  “Commercial Permit Application [...] Floodplain Permit Application [...] Residential Permit Application [...] Right Of Way Construction Permit Application [...] Site Development Permit Application - Commercial [...] Zoning Application”

Rules another office applies inside Flowood

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

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  A mobile, modular, or permanently constructed residence, building, or facility seeking a Flowood floodplain development permit.

  • The applicant may instead supply proof of compliance from the proper sewer and water district.

  “No floodplain development permit can be issued to any mobile, modular, or permanently constructed residence, building or facility unless the owner, lessee, or developer obtains a Notice of Intent from the Mississippi State Health Department, pursuant to the MS Individual On-Site Wastewater Disposal System Law (2009), for a recommendation of a sewage system or Proof of Compliance from the proper Sewer and Water District;”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Flowood or Rankin County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Flowood city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Flowood city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Flowood city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Flowood city limits.
• Setbacks — Residential development inside Flowood city limits.

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.