Lauderdale County residents planning summer projects don’t have to make a stop at the permit office as the county now offers an option to purchase permits online.
Permits are required for any type of construction, such as an addition, a new building, a shed or pole barn, or setting up a mobile home.
Cathy Lummus, director of the permit office, said the permit requirement is not intended to be punitive but instead is an effort to comply with the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance adopted by the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors in 1992.
The ordinance enables county residents to purchase flood insurance, and the only way to enforce the ordinance is through the permit process. Outside of the flood prevention ordinance, the county does not mandate construction be built to a certain code and does not perform inspections.
Permits can range in price but are reasonable. Permits for mobile homes and smaller projects start at $15, residential construction permits cost $25, commercial development at $50 and any property located within a flood zone at $75.
In addition to the permits, the permit office also participates in the Program for Public Information, which is a planning tool from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for communities in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. Under the PPI, county efforts to raise awareness and educate residents about flood hazards translate into savings on flood insurance.
Similar to a community’s fire rating, the better the rating, the less insurance costs for residents in the community. Lummus said the best level Lauderdale County can reach without implementing building codes is a Class 7, which would give residents a 15% reduction on flood insurance costs. Currently, the county is a Class 8, and residents see a 10% reduction on flood insurance.
For more information about the county’s flood plain ordinance or to purchase permits online, visit lauderdalecounty.org/county-departments/permit-office.