Carencro, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

Inside Carencro, building, electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning permits come from the City’s Planning Department at City Hall, 210 East St. Peter Street. You download the City’s form, email it to planning@carencro.org or bring it in by appointment (337-896-7971), and pay online or at City Hall. A house is charged $3.50 per $1,000 of value, counted at no less than $122.46 per square foot under roof, plus a $100 plan review fee.

Who issues building permits in Carencro?

The City of Carencro permits its own territory. Its Planning Department (the forms call it the Department of Regulatory Codes & Permits) handles permits, inspections, stormwater plans and flood zone determinations. Inspections are done by the City’s third-party code and inspections office: the fee sheets and forms say re-inspection and extra inspection fees are “paid directly to BCIS” (Building Code Inspection Services). Land outside the city limits in unincorporated Lafayette Parish is permitted by Lafayette Consolidated Government.

Electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning permits in Carencro

Each trade files its own City form (electrical, plumbing, or air conditioning and heating) with the building permit number on it. Plumbing work must be done by a plumber licensed by the Louisiana State Plumbing Board, as the City’s plumbing form notes. The fee schedules effective August 2023:

Re-inspections and extra inspections on trade permits cost $75 each and are paid directly to BCIS. Work started without a permit pays double.

Carencro building permit fees

The City Council passed Resolution No. 2023-028 on August 21, 2023, and the Planning Department’s notice says the new permit costs took effect immediately; the schedules posted under “Fee Schedules (Effective August 23, 2023)” still carry a “Proposed” heading on the building fee sheet. Council minutes from January to September 2026 show no later change to building permit fees.

The building permit application still marks demolition “No Charge”, while the 2023 fee sheet charges demolition at the residential or commercial rate.

For a 2,000 sq ft house under roof, the City’s minimum value is 2,000 × $122.46 = $244,920, so the permit is $857.22 plus the $100 plan review, unless the owner declares a higher value.

Development fees (same August 2023 schedules): a land clearing permit is $200 for up to 1 acre and $200 plus $200 per acre above that; a drainage impact analysis review is $500 under 3/4 acre and $1,200 above; a culvert permit is $200; a 3/4-inch water tap is $950 plus a $150 deposit; and a development variance request is $100. These are paid before work starts.

Application documents

The building permit application covers both residential and commercial work. It asks for the owner, site, contractor licence number, type of construction, proposed use, total and living square footage, number of stories and bedrooms, construction value, and the utility company (Entergy or SLEMCO). Attach:

• A site plan.
• An approved REScheck or COMcheck energy report.
• Flood zone details and, where needed, an elevation certificate.
• For commercial work, the State Fire Marshal approval and the state health (DHH) approval.
• For commercial plan review, the sheet count used for the $10-per-sheet fee.

Planning sets the lowest required floor elevation through the City’s Freeboard Elevation form, which a surveyor, engineer or architect completes (see below). A permit expires 180 days after it is issued.

How to get a Carencro permit: 6 steps

Carencro inspections

Building Code Inspection Services (BCIS), the City’s third-party inspection office, carries out inspections on Carencro permits. Inspection-related charges beyond the permit (re-inspections, extra or partial inspections, overtime and general inspections at $75, out-of-town inspections at $150) are paid to BCIS, not to the City.

Where the freeboard form is used, the surveyor certifies on the City’s pre-slab survey that the forms are at the lowest required elevation, returns it to Planning, and Planning tells the inspectors the site is ready. The slab can be poured once that inspection passes.

Local Carencro rules that matter

Freeboard: the City’s Freeboard Elevation form adds 1 foot to the base flood elevation in flood zones A, AE and VE, and in zones X and XS it is added to the nearest base flood elevation or to the highest recorded or modeled 100-year flood level. The surveyor also adds 1 foot to the top of the nearest sewer manhole and to the street centerline, and Planning sets the lowest required elevation for the floor and equipment. A waiver is considered only when that elevation is shown to be unreasonable, through a Council waiver application at the City Clerk’s office.

Flood maps: the form uses Carencro’s NFIP community number 220103 and the flood map dated December 21, 2018. The City has been in the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984 and requires a building permit for any substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage.

Driveways and traffic: driveways and culverts have their own permits, and Ordinance No. 2026-001, adopted on February 23, 2026, added an access form and traffic impact analysis requirement to the City’s traffic chapter.

New development code: the City is drafting a Unified Development Code with its consultant to carry out the 2025 Comprehensive Plan; the current Performance Land Use Ordinance is in the Code of Ordinances on Municode.

Louisiana building code

Every Louisiana parish and municipality enforces the state’s Uniform Construction Code (R.S. 37:3737), adopted by the Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission: the 2021 International Codes with Louisiana amendments, in force since 1 January 2023, and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with the 2024 codes taking effect on 1 January 2027. A local government may set more stringent requirements only with the Commission’s approval, and the State Fire Marshal reviews plans for fire and life safety on all but one- and two-family dwellings. How the LSUCC works

Official Carencro permit resources

• Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program
• Louisiana State Fire Marshal review codes and rules
• Louisiana contractor licensing threshold statute, R.S. 37:2150.1
• Louisiana code editions and state amendments, May 20, 2026
• Carencro building permit application, residential or commercial (Word)
• Carencro notice of new permit fees, Resolution 2023-028 (PDF)
• Carencro building permit fee schedule, August 2023 (PDF)
• Carencro Planning Department: fee schedules effective August 23, 2023
• Carencro permits and applications page
• Carencro electrical fee schedule (PDF)
• Carencro plumbing fee schedule (PDF)
• Carencro A/C and heating fee schedule (PDF)
• Carencro development and review fees, page 1 (PDF)
• Carencro Freeboard Elevation and Pre-Slab Survey form (PDF)
• Carencro floodplain information
• Carencro online building permit payment

Carencro permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Carencro?

The City of Carencro Planning Department at City Hall, 210 East St. Peter Street. Call 337-896-7971 for an appointment or email planning@carencro.org.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Carencro?

$3.50 per $1,000 of value, with the value counted at no less than $122.46 per square foot under roof, plus a $100 plan review fee. A 2,000 sq ft house pays $857.22 plus $100.

Who does the inspections?

Building Code Inspection Services (BCIS), the City’s third-party inspection office. Re-inspections cost $75 and are paid directly to BCIS.

How is the required floor elevation set?

A surveyor fills in the Freeboard Elevation form, Planning sets the lowest required elevation (base flood elevation plus 1 foot, checked against the sewer manhole and street centerline plus 1 foot), and a pre-slab survey confirms the forms meet it before the slab inspection.

Does a roof replacement need a Carencro permit?

Yes. Under R.S. 37:3737(I) (Act 881 of 2026), a city that issues building permits must permit and inspect roof construction and re-roofing; file it with the Planning Department on the City’s building permit application.

How long is a Carencro permit valid?

The City’s permit forms say a permit expires 180 days after it is issued.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The City’s fee schedules charge double the permit fee.

Simplify Carencro permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Louisiana. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Carencro permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.