Building permits, zoning and land rules in DeSoto County, Mississippi

At a glance

Building permit

Required before changes to a building; confirm other project types¹

Building codes

County lists adopted electrical and international construction codes⁴

Zoning

County zoning and subdivision review apply in the unincorporated jurisdiction; the county publishes a district map³⁷⁸

Septic permit

Apply to MSDH online for a new system; permit/recommendation also needed for a water meter⁹⁶

Private well

Groundwater withdrawal permit needed for wells with casing 6 inches or wider; ask MDEQ¹⁰¹¹

Permit filing

Use the county portal or submit trade applications by mail or in person¹²

Owner-builder

Own-residence licensing exemption has use and annual limits; building permits and inspections still apply¹³¹⁴

RV or tiny home

Occupancy rules were not confirmed; ask Planning & Building²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in DeSoto County, Mississippi?

In unincorporated DeSoto County, the Building Occupancy Checklist requires a building permit before any building change begins¹. We could not confirm the full new-construction rule or exemptions; describe the project to Planning & Building². Inside Southaven, the city handles building permits for renovations, alterations, additions and listed accessory structures; MSDH remains the septic authority⁵¹⁵. DeSoto County lists footing, slab, framing, plumbing rough-in, sewer and final inspections, and operates under the 2017 electrical code and 2018 international construction codes¹⁶⁴. Mississippi's own-residence licensing exemption does not waive local building permits or inspections¹⁴. Owner-supervised construction for the owner's use has sale, rental and public-use restrictions; more than 1 single-residence permit application or constructed residence within a year creates a rebuttable presumption of intent to sell, lease or rent¹³.

Who is the DeSoto County building department, and how do you reach it?

DeSoto County Planning & Building processes building permits and inspections for unincorporated county projects². Reach the office at 365 Losher Street, Suite 200, Hernando, MS 38632, or call 662-469-8023². Planning staff evaluate rezonings and review subdivisions and site plans, while building staff process building permits, inspect construction and maintain county contractor licensing². DeSoto County’s Citizen Self Service Portal accepts documents and lets applicants track activity; electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications can also be mailed with the appropriate fee or delivered to the office for payment, and staff review every application before issuance¹². Ask the office which forms, plans, inspections and fee apply to the exact scope before work begins¹¹⁷.

Does DeSoto County have zoning?

DeSoto County maintains zoning and an adopted district map for its unincorporated planning jurisdiction, with subdivision and site-plan review³⁷⁸. Inside Southaven, Olive Branch and Horn Lake, city zoning applies; MSDH remains responsible for onsite wastewater systems^18192021. DeSoto County's A Agricultural District requires cannabis cultivation and processing facilities to have at least 3 acres and a 100-foot side-property-line setback; those use-specific standards do not establish the dimensions for an ordinary home²²²³. We could not confirm general residential setbacks, lot area, minimum dwelling size, lot coverage, height limits or an agricultural-building exemption; ask Planning & Building for the parcel's district standards and proposed-use requirements².

How do septic permits work in DeSoto County?

The Mississippi State Department of Health requires a permit to install an onsite wastewater system in DeSoto County where no sewer option is available⁶. For a new DeSoto County onsite wastewater system, file MSDH’s complete online application, then pay through the online payment link, which adds a small processing fee⁹. The local MSDH office has closed, so call the Wastewater Call Center at 855-220-0192 for permit or inspection requests and inspector dispatch²⁴. For a new individual system, the certified installer must contact MSDH 24 hours before construction to schedule the inspection²⁵. A soil and site evaluation produces the permit or recommendation needed to obtain a water meter²⁶. In a subdivision, individual septic is allowed only where central sewage is unavailable and written health approval is obtained²⁷. Only about 8.6% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so evaluate the site before fixing a house location or budget²⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in DeSoto County?

We could not confirm a DeSoto County rule that answers long-term RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land. Unincorporated parcels remain subject to county zoning, subdivision and site-plan review where applicable²⁹⁸. Before buying or placing a unit, ask Planning & Building whether the parcel's district permits the proposed use, whether a tiny home is treated as a dwelling or another structure, and what foundation, utility and occupancy approvals apply². A change to an existing building requires a permit before work starts¹. Where no sewer option is available, installing an onsite wastewater system requires an MSDH permit; subdivision septic also requires written health approval⁶²⁷. A manufactured home sited anywhere in Mississippi on or after July 1, 2009 must pass a State Fire Marshal's Office installation inspection before anyone occupies it, and all state or local permits must be obtained before installation³⁰.

Building a home in DeSoto County: the steps, in order

1. Ask Planning & Building to confirm county jurisdiction, the zoning district and any subdivision or site-plan review²⁹⁸².
2. Confirm access before closing; private-driveway access for a subdivision lot or tract without public-road frontage needs Board of Supervisors approval before recording³¹.
3. Where no sewer option is available, apply to MSDH for the required onsite wastewater installation permit, and obtain written health approval if a subdivision will use septic⁶²⁷.
4. Ask MDEQ about the well: a groundwater withdrawal permit is required for wells with surface casing 6 inches or wider, with some exclusions, and a landowner may drill without a contractor license for a single-family permanent residence if construction standards are followed¹⁰.
5. Submit plans and permit documents through the county portal or approved mail or in-person process, then wait for staff issuance before covered work begins¹²¹.
6. Schedule the building inspections assigned to the project, and have the certified septic installer give MSDH 24 hours' notice before beginning a new individual system¹⁶²⁵.

What should you check before buying land in DeSoto County?

Start with jurisdiction and zoning because county rules govern the unincorporated planning area, while municipal rules may apply inside city limits²⁹. Ask whether subdivision or site-plan review affects the parcel or project⁸. If your driveway will meet a state highway, a state permit is required for new driveways and alterations to existing ones³². Verify road frontage because private-driveway access for a subdivision lot or tract without public-road frontage needs Board of Supervisors approval before recording³¹. For land in a floodplain, a subdivision containing at least 5 acres or at least 50 lots requires a flood development permit and impact statement with the application³³. Do not assume a well-and-septic plan will qualify: groundwater withdrawal permits apply to wells with surface casing 6 inches or wider, subject to exclusions, and subdivision septic needs written health approval where central sewage is unavailable¹⁰²⁷. Only about 8.6% of county soils rate free of severe conventional-drain-field limits, making an early site evaluation useful²⁸.

Watch-outs

• DeSoto County's local MSDH office is closed; onsite wastewater permit and inspection requests now go through the Wastewater Call Center at 855-220-0192²⁴.
• A certified installer must contact MSDH 24 hours before starting construction of a new individual onsite wastewater system to schedule its inspection²⁵.
• Mississippi requires a groundwater withdrawal permit for wells with surface casing 6 inches or wider, with some exclusions, so confirm with MDEQ whether a proposed residential well needs one¹⁰.
• A floodplain subdivision meeting the 5-acre or 50-lot threshold needs a flood development permit and impact statement with its application³³.

Sources

1. Building Occupancy Checklist, quoted and re-checked
2. DeSoto County Planning & Building (desotocountyms.gov)
3. Planning & Building, quoted and re-checked
4. Building Codes, quoted and re-checked
5. Southaven: Acquiring A Residential Building Permit (DeSoto County), quoted and re-checked
6. WasteWater FAQs and Answers, quoted and re-checked
7. Planning & Building | DeSoto County, MS - Official Website, quoted and re-checked
8. Planning & Building, quoted and re-checked
9. On-Site Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
10. Guidelines for Securing the Services of a Water Well Driller (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. MSDH/BPWS Design Criteria, quoted and re-checked
12. Permits, quoted and re-checked
13. Residential Laws and Rules Revised 2022, quoted and re-checked
14. Mississippi Senate Journal, March 9, 2022 (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Southaven: On-Site Wastewater - Mississippi State Department of Health (DeSoto County), quoted and re-checked
16. Building Inspections, quoted and re-checked
17. Permits, quoted and re-checked
18. Southaven: Sec. 13-12(c). Residential districts (DeSoto County), quoted and re-checked
19. Olive Branch: Planning & Development (DeSoto County), quoted and re-checked
20. Horn Lake: Code of Ordinances, Appendix A—Zoning, Article XII—Use Chart (DeSoto County), quoted and re-checked
21. On-Site Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
22. Zoning Text Amendment Medical Cannabis, quoted and re-checked
23. Zoning Text Amendment Medical Cannabis, quoted and re-checked
24. Mississippi Department of Health - Wastewater Call Center (serving DeSoto County) (desotocountyms.gov)
25. Notice of Intent: New Individual On-site Wastewater Disposal System, quoted and re-checked
26. On-Site Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
27. Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
28. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
29. Planning & Building, quoted and re-checked
30. MH-5 Uniform Standards Code for Factory-Built Homes Law (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
31. Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
32. Mississippi Access Management Guide (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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.