Do You Need a Permit for a Metal Building in Mississippi?

Mississippi building codes vary a lot from place to place. Some cities and counties enforce full building codes, and many counties opted out of the state code. Here is how to find out whether you need a permit for a metal carport, garage or barn.

Last checked: November 2026. Rules change, and cities and counties set many of their own, so always confirm with your local office before install day. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

The Short Answer

• It depends on your city or county. A 2014 state law set minimum building codes, but local governments could opt out.
• Farm structures: a barn or shed on a farm, used for farming, is exempt from local building codes if you file an affidavit before you build.
• Everywhere: floodplain rules still apply, and so do HOA and deed rules.

The State Code and Opt-Outs

Mississippi law requires counties and cities to adopt minimum codes, including a recent edition of the International Residential Code and International Building Code. But a county board of supervisors or city government could opt out by resolution within 120 days after the law took effect (Miss. Code §17-2-4). Cities and counties can also adopt codes at least as strict as the state’s.

Many did opt out. Mississippi’s insurance commissioner has estimated that about two-thirds of counties opted out. Warren County, for example, voted to opt out in November 2014.

The five Gulf Coast counties (Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone and Pearl River) have separate wind and flood code rules from 2006 (Miss. Code §17-2-1).

Inside City Limits

Many Mississippi cities enforce building codes, so plan on checking for a permit in town. Call your city’s permit or building office with your building size (W×L×H) and where it will go.

Under the model residential code, a one-story detached accessory building of 200 square feet or less does not need a permit. Many cities change that number, and most carports and garages are bigger anyway. A 12×20 carport is already 240 square feet.

Outside City Limits

In the county, rules depend on whether your county adopted building codes. Start with the county board of supervisors’ office or the county planning office.

Farm Structure Exemption

Counties and cities may not enforce building codes on a farm structure: a building on a farm, other than a home or something attached to it, used on the farm, such as a barn, shed or poultry house (Miss. Code §17-2-7). To use the exemption:

• File an affidavit with the local building official before construction, stating that it is a farm structure and what it will be used for.
• The exemption does not cover public livestock areas or a farm building later converted to another use.
• Your county or city can still issue a building permit before the affidavit is filed, and floodplain rules still apply.

A separate law exempts private hunting and fishing camps in unincorporated areas, also with a sworn affidavit (Miss. Code §17-2-9).

Permits That Can Still Apply

• Floodplain permit. If any part of your site is in a FEMA flood zone, communities in the National Flood Insurance Program must require a permit for new construction there (44 CFR 60.3). Look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and call your local floodplain administrator. This applies in the county as well as in town, wherever the county takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program. The Mississippi farm and camp exemptions do not change this.
• HOA and deed restrictions. Many subdivisions limit building size, color, height or placement, even outside city limits. Get written approval before you order.
• Buried utility lines. Ground anchors go into the soil, so have lines marked before install day. Mississippi law requires notice to Mississippi 811 at least two, and no more than ten, working days before digging (Miss. Code §77-13-5).

What to Have Ready

• Building size (width × length × height) and type: open carport, partly enclosed or fully enclosed
• A simple site plan with property lines, your house, and the distance from the new building to each
• Engineered drawings for your building (we provide these)
• Your anchor type and surface: concrete, asphalt, gravel or dirt. See our anchors guide.
• Your HOA approval letter, if you have an HOA

Bring the size and location when you first call your permit office. Most offices can tell you in one call whether you need a permit and what to send.

How We Help With Permits

We provide the engineered drawings most permit offices ask for. Our 14-gauge frames are rated for winds up to 120 mph, and our 12-gauge frames up to 140 mph with certified anchors. Some areas call for a higher rating, so tell us what your permit office requires. Learn more in our wind and snow load guide.

Have a permit question? Call (903) 234-8922 and press 2 for support, scheduling and permits. When your permit is in hand, our site prep guide shows how to get ready for install day.

Who to Call

If your property is…	Start with
Inside city limits	The city’s permit or building office
In the county, outside city limits	The county board of supervisors’ office or county planning office
A farm building	Your local building official, to file the farm-structure affidavit
In a flood zone	Your local floodplain administrator

Building in another state? See our permit guides for Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, or the general permit guide.

See where we install on our Mississippi service area page.

Sources

• Miss. Code §17-2-4 (state minimum codes and opt-out)
• Miss. Code §17-2-1 (Gulf Coast wind and flood codes)
• Miss. Code §17-2-7 (farm structures)
• Miss. Code §17-2-9 (hunting and fishing camps)
• Mississippi Insurance Department: 2014 building code law
• Vicksburg Post: Warren County opts out (2014)
• Mississippi Today: building codes and the two-thirds estimate (2025)
• Miss. Code §77-13-5 (excavation notice)
• 44 CFR 60.3 (floodplain management permits)