Jackson, MS
Jackson Building Permit Cost
Jackson requires a building permit for new construction
substantial renovation, alteration and additions — one- and two-family structures under the International Residential Code apply on the residential application, everything else on the commercial one. But the City publishes no building permit fee schedule: Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-2 says fees are 'established by the adopted schedule of fees', which the City does not post online, and the OpenGov portal's application forms open only to signed-in users. Your fee is computed from that adopted schedule during review and quoted when you're notified to pay. This page documents the process and the honest absence — no invented amount appears here.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
No published fee schedule
Jackson does not publish a fee schedule we can calculate from, so this page does not show a figure. The department contact details and requirements are on the jurisdiction page.
What is different in Jackson
Applications go through Jackson's OpenGov portal, and before approval two sets of physical plans and the specification sheet must be delivered to the Building Permit Division on the third floor of the Warren Hood Building at 200 S. President Street. An intake reviewer checks completeness, attachments and contractor qualifications, then the application routes automatically through zoning, floodplain, historic preservation and plan review. When all reviews clear, you're notified to pay — online by credit card or ACH, or by cash, check or mail — and the permit issues automatically with printable job cards.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
No fee estimate is offered on this page, so there is nothing to itemize. The figures a final Jackson permit bill may include, none of which are publicly published, are the building permit fee itself, any plan-review charge in the adopted schedule, and trade permits for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work that ride the same project. Water and sewer connection charges from the City's utility and any county or state permits sit outside the building permit entirely.
What you need before applying
- Two sets of physical plans and specificationsRequired
Before permit approvals, two sets of physical plans and a specification sheet or book must be delivered to the Building Permit Division at the Warren Hood Building, 200 S. President Street, 3rd floor. Online applications are routed through review automatically; incomplete applications are rejected.
- Intake review and multi-department routingRequired
A permitting staff member verifies application completeness, required attachments and contractor qualifications ('Intake Approval'), then routes the application through zoning, floodplain, historic preservation and construction plan review as applicable. Reviewers comment directly through the OpenGov system.
Common questions
How much does a building permit cost in Jackson, Mississippi?
The City does not publish its fee schedule. Sec. 26-2 of the Code of Ordinances defers to an 'adopted schedule of fees' that the City does not post online — not on its permit pages, not in the municipal code, and not on the OpenGov portal, whose application forms are visible only after sign-in. The Building Permit Division computes the fee from that schedule during review and quotes it when you're notified to pay. Call (601) 960-1160 or (601) 960-1167 for the amount before you apply.
Jackson Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-2; OpenGov portal process text
Why doesn't Jackson publish its permit fees like other cities?
That's simply how the City administers it: the ordinance establishes fees by reference to an adopted internal schedule rather than by publishing amounts. Nothing in the code hides them — but nothing reproduces them either, and third-party sites that quote Jackson figures (such as '$85 base plus $8 per $1,000') cite no official source and should not be relied on.
Jackson Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-2
How do I apply for a Jackson building permit?
Through the City's OpenGov portal (jacksonms.portal.opengov.com), choosing the residential application for one- and two-family work under the IRC and the commercial one for everything else. After the online application, two sets of physical plans and the specification sheet or book must be delivered to the Building Permit Division, Warren Hood Building, 200 S. President Street, 3rd floor, before approvals.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal
What happens after I submit a Jackson permit application?
A staff member performs 'Intake Approval' — verifying completeness, required attachments and contractor qualifications — and you're notified when it's done. The application then routes automatically through zoning, floodplain, historic preservation and construction plan review as applicable, with reviewers commenting to you through the system. When all reviews are complete you receive notification to pay the permit fee.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal
When do I pay for a Jackson building permit?
After all reviews are complete, not at submission. The portal notifies you that your permit is ready to pay; you can pay online by credit card or ACH check draft, drop off cash, or mail a check. Once payment is complete the permit issues automatically and can be printed online.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal
Who can pull a building permit in Jackson?
Permits are issued only to master technicians who are bonded contractors. Any contractor performing construction work in the City must have a bond on file in the office as required by ordinance, and it is unlawful to advertise as licensed without the proper City of Jackson Mechanical Board license for the trade.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal, permit conditions
Does Jackson require separate permits for electrical and plumbing work?
Yes for stand-alone trade work. The OpenGov catalogue lists single-issue Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and Mechanical permits for projects not associated with a building permit — meter change-outs, outlets and fixtures, panel repairs, sewer line replacements and similar. If the trade work is part of a larger project, the general contractor includes it in the residential or commercial building application.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal
What if my project address isn't in Jackson's system?
Contact staff to have the missing address added or the address assigned — you can also apply with the parcel number and comment to the intake reviewer that the address needs to be added. For support, call the division at (601) 960-1160.
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Permit portalCityPrimary source
City of Jackson Building Permitting portal (OpenGov)
The application channel. Lists Residential Building, Commercial Building, Demolition/Moving, Electrical, Fence, Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, POD, generator and related permit types with their scope descriptions (quoted on the pages). Every 'Apply Online' action routes to the Viewpoint Cloud sign-in, so fees are visible only after authentication; the payment step happens after review ('you will receive notification to pay your permit fee').
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Jackson Code of Ordinances, Ch. 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), Sec. 26-2 — Permit, fee
Sec. 26-2: 'The permit fee for work requiring a permit shall be established by the adopted schedule of fees. The adopted schedule of fees shall govern.' (Ord. No. 2019-30(9), eff. 2019-03-05.) The code defers to the adopted schedule without reproducing it, and no appendix of the Municode consolidation publishes one.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.