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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for residential construction, alterations, repairs and improvements in unincorporated Panola County¹

Zoning

County land-use and zoning controls apply in unincorporated areas; confirm the parcel's district with Land Development⁶⁷²

Septic

New systems need Mississippi State Department of Health approval; specified existing systems also need inspection⁸⁹

RV living

Temporary only, with a county permit, sanitary disposal and a maximum of 156 days per year¹⁰

Tiny home

Allowed as a permanent residence if county size, foundation, inspection, wastewater and occupancy requirements are met¹¹

Owner-builder

State licensing exemption is available for work on your own residence, but the county permit still applies¹²¹³

Minimum home size

Residential structures in unincorporated areas must have at least 500 heated square feet¹⁴

Minimum lot

New-home sites require 1 legal acre with public water or 1.5 acres with well water¹⁵

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

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

Yes. Residential construction, alteration, repair and improvement in unincorporated Panola County require a Land Development Office permit; starting without one can bring a stop-work order and penalties¹. The application requires the property deed and a floor plan showing layout and dimensions¹. New site-built homes must pass phased inspections before work is concealed, and the county identifies the 2012 International Residential Building Code as its current adopted residential code¹⁶¹⁷. The residential fee is $0.30 per heated square foot with a $250 minimum¹⁸. Remodeling also requires a permit when total cost exceeds $10,000¹. Mississippi's owner-builder licensing exemption can cover work on a person's own residence, but it does not remove county permit or inspection duties¹²¹¹⁶.

Who issues building permits and zoning approval in Panola County, and how do you reach them?

The Panola County Land Development Office serves as the construction-permit and zoning office². The office is at 245 Eureka Street, Batesville, MS 38606, and the main phone number is 662-563-6313². Contact Land Development before finalizing a plan so staff can identify the zoning district, required documents, applicable code and inspection sequence²⁷¹⁶. Planning applications require ownership proof, a project description, operating details and technical drawings; they must reach Land Development at least 3 weeks before the scheduled Planning Commission meeting¹⁹. A new home cannot be legally occupied until final inspection is approved, permit requirements are satisfied and the county issues a Certificate of Occupancy⁴. Permanent electrical service also waits for that certificate, and the sewer system must be installed and connected⁵.

Does Panola County have zoning?

The Panola County Planning Commission administers land-use and zoning controls in unincorporated Panola County, including subdivisions, zoning reclassifications, variances and specified land-use permits⁶. Municipal rules may differ inside incorporated places, but those cities do not take over septic permits, which stay with the Mississippi State Department of Health²⁰³. The county publishes a Land Use Ordinance and zoning map, so ask the Land Development Office to confirm the parcel's district and the standards for the proposed use²¹². New-home sites need at least 1 legal acre and 150 feet of road frontage with public water, or at least 1.5 acres with well water¹⁵. Residential structures in unincorporated areas must contain at least 500 heated square feet¹⁴. The confirmed 50-foot front, 15-foot side and 20-foot rear setbacks apply to new nonresidential shops; ask Land Development for the setbacks governing a different structure²²². General accessory-dwelling, building-height and lot-coverage rules could not be confirmed; ask Land Development before designing around any of them².

Who issues septic permits in Panola County, and how do they work?

The Mississippi State Department of Health evaluates and approves new on-site wastewater systems in Panola County, while specified existing systems for manufactured homes and tiny homes also require a county or MSDH compliance inspection⁸⁹. The MSDH soil and site evaluation leads to a permit or recommendation that is required to obtain a water meter²³²⁴. Applications are online, and the wastewater call center is 1-855-220-0192²⁴. Only about 2.6% of Panola County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain the evaluation before fixing the house location or assuming a conventional system will work²⁵. Mississippi has a Notice of Intent exemption path for sites larger than 2 acres, but MSDH does not inspect installation under that exemption and the owner remains responsible for keeping wastewater on the property and out of watercourses²⁶. Gray water or sewage from tiny homes and RVs cannot be discharged onto the ground or into a ditch²⁷.

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

An RV or camper on private property in Panola County may be used only for temporary habitation for no more than 156 days per year¹⁰. The property owner must obtain a county permit, pay the $151 fee and connect the unit to sanitary disposal; the RV cannot be a permanent residence, rental or accessory-storage unit¹⁰. Panola County allows a tiny house or shed-to-home conversion as a permanent residence when it has at least 500 heated square feet, a qualifying permanent foundation and anchoring, licensed trade contractors, required inspections and approved wastewater¹¹. The tiny-home lot must contain at least 1 acre with public water or 1.5 acres with well water¹¹. Occupancy and permanent power wait for wastewater approval and the Certificate of Occupancy¹¹. A manufactured home is also allowed conditionally, but placement begins with a county setup permit and ends with final inspection and a Certificate of Occupancy²⁸. State installation inspection requirements also apply before a manufactured home is occupied²⁹.

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

1. Ask the Panola County Land Development Office to confirm the parcel's zoning district, lot eligibility, setbacks and permit path²⁷¹⁵.

1. Apply to MSDH for the soil and site evaluation and wastewater permit or recommendation before fixing the house location³⁰²⁴.

1. Submit the deed, dimensioned floor plan and county permit application, then pay the applicable fee before work begins¹¹⁸.

1. Arrange each required inspection and do not conceal work before approval¹⁶.

1. Obtain a county right-of-way permit before installing a driveway approach or culvert on a county road, or an MDOT permit for a new or altered state-highway driveway³¹³².

1. Complete the wastewater connection and final inspection, then receive the Certificate of Occupancy before moving in or requesting permanent electrical service⁴⁵.

What should you check before buying land in Panola County?

Start with septic feasibility because only about 2.6% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field²⁵. Panola County averages about 56.2 inches of precipitation annually, so inspect drainage and confirm buildable and septic areas on the parcel³³. About 70.5% of the county has a slope of 15% or less, and about 56.1% is wooded; an individual tract can differ from those countywide measures³⁴³⁵. Farmland value averages about $3,142 per acre, while the effective property-tax rate is about 0.8% and the median annual property-tax bill is about $935³⁶³⁷³⁸. Ask the Floodplain Manager whether the site lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area because development there requires a county permit before work starts³⁹. Before subdividing, contact Land Development for county review and required Planning Commission approvals⁴⁰. Confirm legal access and any county-road culvert or state-highway driveway permit before closing³¹³².

Watch-outs

• A new Panola County home cannot be legally occupied, and permanent electrical service cannot be authorized, until final approval and a Certificate of Occupancy⁴⁵.
• Temporary RV habitation requires a county permit and lawful sanitary disposal and is capped at 156 days per year¹⁰.
• All development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs approval from the Panola County Floodplain Manager before work begins³⁹.
• A driveway approach or culvert connecting to a county road requires a county right-of-way permit, while access to a state highway requires an MDOT permit³¹³².

Sources

1. Residential Construction Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
2. Panola County Land Development Office (panolacoms.com)
3. Manufactured Homes – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
4. New Home Construction – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
5. New Home Construction – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
6. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
7. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
8. On-Site Wastewater - Mississippi State Department of Health, quoted and re-checked
9. Manufactured Homes – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
10. RV & Campers – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
11. Tiny Houses – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
12. Mississippi Senate Journal, March 9, 2022 (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. New Home Construction – Panola County (2026 county census)
14. Residential Construction Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
15. Tiny Houses – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
16. New Home Construction – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
17. New Home Construction – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
18. New Home Construction – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
19. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
20. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
21. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
22. Shops and Non-Residential – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
23. On-Site Wastewater – Mississippi State Department of Health, quoted and re-checked
24. Mississippi State Department of Health, Division of On-Site Wastewater (msdh.ms.gov)
25. 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
26. Notice of Intent + Final Approval, quoted and re-checked
27. Tiny Houses – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
28. Manufactured Homes – Panola County, quoted and re-checked
29. MH-5 Uniform Standards Code for Factory-Built Homes Law (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. panolacoms.com, quoted and re-checked
31. Panola County Road Department (panolacoms.com)
32. Mississippi Access Management Guide (Mississippi statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
34. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
35. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
36. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
37. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
38. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
39. Panola County Floodplain Manager (panolacoms.com)
40. Planning and Zoning – Panola County, quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 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.