Planning & zoning · City Hall · 601.736.8201
What your land can be.
What your property can be used for — and who to ask before you commit.
Two different documents
The zoning map and the zoning ordinance are not the same thing.
People use "zoning" for both, and then talk past each other. They answer different questions:
The zoning map tells you WHICH district your property is in. R-100, B-2, M-1 and so on — a colour on a map, tied to a location. That is all it does.
The zoning ordinance tells you WHAT THAT DISTRICT ALLOWS. Setbacks, heights, signs, parking, permitted and conditional uses. It is text, not geography, and it is where the actual answer to "can I do this?" lives.
You almost always need both: find your district on the map, then read that district's rules in the ordinance. Knowing your zone without reading the ordinance tells you very little — and reading the ordinance without knowing your zone tells you nothing at all.
New
See the map for yourself.
Before you ask, you can now look: the interactive zoning map lets you pan and zoom the official city map, tap your street, and see which district your property is in — with a plain-English explanation of what that means.
The one rule
Ask before you act.
Zoning decides what a piece of land can be used for — a house, a shop, a duplex, a workshop. Most zoning heartbreak comes from finding out after the lease is signed or the lumber's bought.
In Columbia the fix is refreshingly simple: call City Hall at 601.736.8201 with the address, and get your answer before you commit. Every question below ends the same way on purpose.
Common questions
The zoning FAQ
How do I find out how a property is zoned?
Call City Hall at 601.736.8201 with the street address — the clerk's office will look up the zoning for you. Buying or leasing? Do this first; it takes minutes and can save you a contract's worth of regret.
When do I need a variance?
A variance is permission to do something the zoning rules for your lot don't allow as-of-right — building closer to a property line than the setback allows, for example. If your plan doesn't quite fit the rules, the city will walk you through whether a variance applies and how the request is heard. Start with a call to 601.736.8201.
I'm buying property in Columbia — should I check zoning first?
Yes, before you close — especially if you plan to run a business, add a structure, or change how the property is used. One call to City Hall with the address settles what's allowed there today.
Do I need a permit for a fence, shed, or addition?
Structural and building work inside city limits generally runs through a permit — and the answer for small projects varies by project, so call before you build. See Permits & Licenses for how applications work.
Can I run a business from my home?
It depends on the property's zoning and the kind of business. Call City Hall to check the address, and remember every business in city limits also carries a privilege license. Zoning and business licenses are handled by different staff members, so say which one you need when you call.
Who do I talk to, and where?
City Hall, 201 Second Street, Columbia, MS 39429 · 601.736.8201. Zoning lookups, variance questions, permits and licenses are all handled there.
Before you sign anything