Southaven building department

The Southaven Department of Building handles permits, plan examination, and construction inspections from 8710 Northwest Drive, which also houses Planning and Development and, on the second floor, the Fire Department’s Inspections and Investigations division. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since October 29, 2024, permits, plans, inspections, and invoices have run through the city’s Tyler EnerGov Civic Access self-service portal.

Getting into Civic Access

Open the portal, choose Create An Account, and verify your email address. Then complete every required registration field (personal information, address, and signature) before you submit anything. Once you are logged in, the Dashboard shows the permits, plans, inspections, and invoices tied to your account. Contractors also have to be licensed with the city before they can pull permits (see below).

Adopted codes

Southaven adopted the 2024 International Code set effective January 1, 2026. The city’s license application cites the 2024 International Building, Plumbing, and Mechanical Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, and the residential guide calls for plans showing compliance with the 2024 IRC. (The Building page’s general overview still mentions the 2018 codes; the newer adoption notice controls.)

One local amendment to know: houses with 6,500 square feet or more under roof must have an NFPA 13D fire sprinkler system under Section 5-76 of the Code of Ordinances.

New residential construction

Plans are reviewed digitally. Submit a stamped design set in PDF format, or a designer’s letter confirming the address when you have bought a multi-use plan license. The set must include:

• Front, rear, and side elevations, and foundation/slab plans with details
• A foundation/slab survey showing setbacks, drainage, sidewalks, finished floor elevation, erosion and siltation control, and accessory features such as fences and pools
• A floor plan with door and window schedule, plus an electrical plan and schedule
• A rafter and joist span table and an HVAC layout
• A gutter detail for zero-lot-line homes
• Wind and seismic bracing provisions with spec sheets for engineered components
• HOA approval where subdivision covenants require it
• Bedroom and bathroom counts, heated square footage, and construction cost (excluding the lot)

Fees are due when the application is submitted, and plan review is not scheduled until they are paid. Renovations, additions, and accessory structures also need permits, including prefabricated “ready-to-install” sheds delivered to the site.

Contractor licensing with the city

Southaven issues its own contractor and trade licenses: general, pool, fence, and “other” (low voltage, solar, roofing, racking), plus apprentice, journeyman, and master electrical, plumbing, and mechanical licenses. Building licenses carry no city fee. Trade licenses cost $20 (apprentice), $50 (journeyman), or $100 (master). General and master applicants provide:

• A $10,000 general surety bond in favor of the City of Southaven
• An active Mississippi State Board of Contractors license
• A certificate of liability insurance and the company EIN
• The qualifier’s driver’s license or other government ID

Out-of-state contractors without an MSBOC license need a letter of good standing from their home jurisdiction. They cannot take residential jobs or commercial jobs valued over $50,000.

Fees

Building permit fees start from a valuation figured by square footage. New residential construction, additions, and renovations use $50 per square foot, enclosures and accessory buildings use $38, and commercial work uses $75. That valuation is then priced on the city’s Schedule of Permit Fees:

Valuation	Fee
$1,000-$50,000	$15 for the first $1,000 + $5 per additional $1,000
$50,001-$100,000	$260 for the first $50,000 + $4 per additional $1,000
$100,001-$500,000	$460 for the first $100,000 + $3 per additional $1,000
$500,001-$1,000,000	$1,660 for the first $500,000 + $2 per additional $1,000
$1,000,001-$5,000,000	$2,660 for the first $1,000,000 + $1.50 per additional $1,000
Over $5,000,000	$8,660 for the first $5,000,000 + $1 per additional $1,000

Roofing and solar jobs are priced as renovations. Detached garages, sheds, covered decks, patios, pool houses, and gazebos are priced as accessory buildings. Flat fees include:

• Residential fence $45
• Private pool $125
• Residential demolition $375 per structure
• Moving a building $250
• Use and occupancy permit $35
• Brick-tie inspection $35

Commercial projects pay half the building permit fee for building plan review and another half for fire plan review. Work started before permitting pays double the permit fee.

Inspections

Request every inspection through Civic Access. The city emails a confirmation with the assigned date, which is set by availability, not the requested day. A $125 fee applies to any inspection after a second failure, to an inspection that isn’t ready when the inspector arrives, and to removing a stop-work order. The residential sequence covers:

• Setback and site: erosion control must be in place first
• Plumbing: rough-in, top-out, gas, water heater, and water meter boxes, which must be in before the final
• Foundation/slab: the city does not inspect this itself and requires a third-party engineer’s letter
• Framing: including wind and seismic bracing, plus an optional brick-tie inspection
• Electrical: rough-in, slab/wall, ceiling, ditch, and final
• Mechanical: rough-in, ceiling, furnace and A/C, and final
• Drainage: final grading checked against the approved plot plan
• Final: occupying a building before the final inspection and certificate of occupancy is a misdemeanor

Sewer and water taps are coordinated with the Southaven Utilities Division at (662) 393-7353. The permit must be posted on site, and the address and lot number must be legible for inspectors.

Commercial occupancy and fire review

To open a business, submit the Business Occupancy Checklist to Planning and Development for zoning approval. Then apply for a use and occupancy permit with the Building Department. The building inspector, and sometimes the fire marshal, inspects the space. The final inspection form goes to the City Clerk, who issues the business license. The Fire Department’s Inspections and Investigations division ((662) 393-7466) reviews fire and life-safety plans before construction and performs annual inspections of schools, institutions, assembly occupancies, and businesses. It has announced online fire permit applications and payments starting November 2, 2026.