Concordia Parish, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Concordia Parish, building permits come from the Police Jury office at 4001 Carter Street, Room 1, Vidalia (318-336-7151), and the inspection firm IBTS reviews plans and inspects the work for the parish. The parish charges $0.085 per square foot under roof for a new building, and IBTS adds its own plan review and inspection fees, which the parish posts with its permit forms.

What needs a parish building permit?

Chapter 7 of the parish code requires a permit from the Police Jury office to erect, build, enlarge, alter, improve or move any building or structure, and the 2021 rewrite of its building code article extends the requirement to electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems, demolition and changes of occupancy. Placing or relocating a mobile home or camper trailer also needs a permit, and no utility company may connect power to new construction without a copy of it.

The parish’s fee sheet still lists a charge for barns and sheds, so a shed with utilities or over 500 sq ft needs a permit. State law (R.S. 37:3737(I), as re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026) requires a parish that issues permits to permit and inspect roof construction and reroofing; IBTS lists an $85 roofing inspection. State law (R.S. 37:3738) separately bars parishes from enforcing the building code on a detached residential accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less unless it stands in a hurricane-prone region with a design wind speed of 130 mph or more.

Who issues building permits in Concordia Parish?

The Police Jury governs the parish outside its four towns and issues the permit from its Vidalia office (fax 318-336-9915). Its permits page states that IBTS handles all inspections for the parish; the IBTS office number is 318-747-2454. The code also lets the parish building official appoint deputies, inspectors and contract agents and accept inspection reports from state-certified third-party providers.

Some projects need the Police Jury itself to vote first. Multifamily housing, jails, hospitals and clinics, convalescent facilities and any business employing more than 10 people need the Police Jury’s prior approval after an advertised public hearing, and no building permit is issued for them until the State Fire Marshal has approved the plans. The Police Jury meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 6:00 p.m. at 4001 Carter Street.

Towns in Concordia Parish

• Vidalia: the town code requires a permit for all new construction and for repairs costing $100 or more. Applications go to the town clerk with plans or sketches, a three-member building committee approves or rejects them within 10 days, and the permit, signed by the mayor, is valid for 90 days unless work has started. Swimming pools need a permit from the town building inspector. The town’s current permit application, posted on its Codes page, is brought to City Hall with copies of contractor licences and any Fire Marshal approval, and it voids a permit if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days; the town code still says 90 days, so ask the clerk which applies. Town offices: 200 Vernon Stevens Boulevard, 318-336-5206.
• Ferriday, Ridgecrest and Clayton: the published sources do not say who issues building permits; ask the town or village clerk. The parish permit does not cover land inside these towns.

Concordia Parish permit fees

Two sets of fees apply. The parish permit fee is set in section 7-18 of the parish code, last amended in 2009:

The parish’s cost sheet prints the new construction rate as “8.5% per square foot”; the code sets it at 8.5 cents. For mobile homes, campers and pre-built sheds the parish asks for the bill of sale, and for used items it uses the current value. Pay by cashier’s or personal check, money order, or debit or credit card.

IBTS then charges its own plan review and inspection fees. The rate sheet the parish posts as its fee schedule is filed as IBTS’s 2019 rates; ask IBTS for the current figures before you budget.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft new house would pay the parish $170 (2,000 × $0.085), plus $200 for IBTS plan review, $775 for IBTS inspections and the sheet’s $150 TPP CBO fee at the posted rates, $1,295 in total. If construction has not started and you surrender the permit, the code refunds 100% of the inspection fees for inspections not done, but not permit or plan review fees.

Application documents

• The Police Jury building permit application, completed in full and signed under penalty of perjury.
• For a new home, the contractor’s estimate of building cost, and a copy of the contractor’s licence; owners building their own home sign the state form for acting as their own contractor.
• A plot plan for any construction or addition, showing existing and new buildings, parking, driveways and all lot and yard dimensions; the parish’s site plan sheet also asks for the water well and lines, drainage path and sewer system.
• The sanitarian’s approval for the sewer system.
• In a flood zone, an elevation certificate for a home, a trailer or a metal building.
• For any non-residential building, plans made available to the State Fire Marshal.

An application expires 180 days after it is filed unless it is being pursued, and a permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days; the building official can grant written extensions.

How to get a Concordia Parish permit

Inspections

The permit holder must tell the building official when work is ready, keep it uncovered until approved and not go past each stage without approval. For a house the code lists a foundation inspection before concrete, rough plumbing, mechanical, gas and electrical inspections before framing, a frame and masonry inspection, and a final inspection before occupancy. For a mobile home, the parish’s inspection sheet lists the minimum electrical service, grounding and plumbing connection standards that must be inspected before the electrical connection is approved.

IBTS’s posted rates charge nothing for the first re-inspection, $85 for the second and $100 for the third.

Local Concordia Parish details

Sewer first: you cannot move into a home, camp or trailer until a working sewer system is installed or the property is connected to public sewer. A septic field line, oxidation pond or mechanical treatment plant needs the parish health office’s certificate of approval, which must accompany the application.

Flood zones: the Police Jury is the parish floodplain administrator. The parish flood ordinance requires the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home in a special flood hazard area to be at or above the base flood elevation, and the building permit is issued only once the site is found reasonably safe from flooding or the design meets the flood standards.

Water and sewer from a town: where a multifamily or institutional project will get water and sewer from a municipality or sewer district, a certified resolution from that body approving the connection must accompany the permit application.

Building without a permit: the Police Jury sends a letter giving 10 days to comply; after that the fine is $125 to $1,000 per violation.

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 Concordia Parish permit resources

• Concordia Parish Police Jury permits page (IBTS inspections)
• Concordia Parish building permit application
• Concordia Parish building permit and general permit costs
• IBTS plan review and inspection rates posted by the parish
• Parish requirements for electrical service (911, plat, sewer approval)
• Concordia Parish site plan drawing sheet
• Concordia Parish Code, Chapter 7: buildings and building permits
• Concordia Parish Code, Chapter 9: drainage and flood control
• Concordia Parish Police Jury: office, meetings and agendas
• Town of Vidalia Code, Chapter 8: building permits
• Town of Vidalia codes page and permit application
• Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program
• Act 881 of 2026 (HB 1186), including R.S. 37:3738 on small accessory structures

Concordia Parish permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Concordia Parish?

The Concordia Parish Police Jury, 4001 Carter Street, Room 1, Vidalia (318-336-7151), for land outside Vidalia, Ferriday, Ridgecrest and Clayton. IBTS does the parish’s inspections.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

The parish charges $0.085 per square foot under roof, so $170 for 2,000 sq ft. IBTS’s posted rates add $200 for plan review, $775 for inspections and a $150 TPP CBO fee at that size.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Concordia Parish?

Not for a one-story detached shed without utilities of 500 sq ft or less, under the parish code. Larger sheds or sheds with utilities need a permit: a pre-built shed is charged $0.25 per $100 of cost ($25 minimum), and a shed built on site is new construction at $0.085 per sq ft ($25 minimum).

What does a mobile home permit cost?

$25 for a home costing up to $10,000, and $0.25 per $100 of cost for a home costing $10,000.01 to $150,000, plus IBTS’s $150 inspection fee and $85 TPP CBO fee. Bring the bill of sale for a new home.

How long is a permit valid?

Work must start within 180 days of issue and must not stop for 180 days, unless the building official grants an extension in writing.

I live in Vidalia. Where do I apply?

At Vidalia City Hall. Under the town code the building committee reviews the application within 10 days and the permit is valid for 90 days, while the town’s current application form prints a 180-day limit, so ask the clerk.

Simplify Concordia Parish 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 Concordia Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.