Hammond, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside the City of Hammond are issued by the Building Department at 219 East Robert Street (permit technician 985-277-5655, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm). Applications go through MyGovernmentOnline, and the city code charges a new single-family house $0.08 per square foot, plus a $20 certificate of occupancy and the trade permits.

The department also handles code enforcement, condemned properties and the Entergy permit application. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 2788, Hammond, LA 70404; City Hall is at 310 East Charles Street (985-277-5601).

Hammond permits work inside its city limits. Unincorporated Tangipahoa Parish is permitted by the Tangipahoa Parish Permit Office, which has a Hammond office at 15485 West Club Deluxe Road (985-542-2117) and its office at 113 North Bay Street in Amite (985-748-2024).

What requires a building permit in Hammond?

Section 9-111 of the city code makes it unlawful to build, demolish, alter, add to, repair or install machinery or air conditioning in a building without a permit, and names other work that needs one.

Which code edition applies

Section 9-2 adopts the building, residential, existing building, mechanical and fuel gas codes and the National Electrical Code as the State of Louisiana adopts and updates them, so the city follows the statewide edition without a new ordinance.

Roofs and small sheds: state law and the city code

Louisiana Act 239 of 2025 requires every parish and city that issues construction permits to permit and inspect roof construction and reroofing: one- and two-family dwellings under chapters 8 and 9 of the residential code and other buildings under chapter 15 of the building code. Act 881 of 2026 carried that rule into R.S. 37:3737(I). The same act’s R.S. 37:3738 bars parishes and municipalities from enforcing the construction code on a residential accessory structure of 200 square feet or less, not attached to the house and not in a hurricane-prone area with a design wind speed of 130 mph or more; only a municipality of more than 45,000 people at the last federal census may still enforce it. Hammond’s own code still lists “reroofing with no structural changes” and storage sheds and detached accessory buildings that “do not exceed one hundred (100) square feet” among the single-family work that needs no permit (section 9-111, Ordinance 2189 of 1990), and charges $25 for a residential portable storage shed (section 9-128). Act 239 (2025) and Act 881 (2026) were passed after these code sections; ask the Building Department how it applies them to your roof or shed.

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

Hammond building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department reviews plans, issues permits, registers contractors and inspects inside the city limits. Buildings open to the public, other than single-family homes, need a letter of recommendation from the Office of State Fire Marshal before the city can issue the permit.

Louisiana’s counties are parishes, governed by a police jury or a home rule charter government, and some large communities, such as Metairie, have no city government and are permitted by the parish. The state sets the code and licenses contractors; the local authority sets fees, submittal requirements, review times, inspections, zoning, floodplain administration and local registration. What the state and the parish each decide

Permit types

Residential permits

Section 9-111 asks for two sets of plans: a plot plan with the lot, setbacks, driveways, easements, sewer and water taps and north arrow; a scaled floor plan showing electrical, mechanical and plumbing details with a window and door schedule; a foundation plan with footing size and depth, reinforcing, slab thickness and termite protection; and a structural cross section. A lot in a flood zone designated A also needs an elevation certificate signed by a certifying professional showing the building was raised to the required elevation.

An owner who will live in the house, or use the building for his or her own business, can apply in writing to act as owner-builder and do the trade work too if qualified, with testing used to show it. Anyone else working on the job must hold the licence for that trade, and an owner-builder may take out only one permit for a new building every two calendar years.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial plans go to the Office of State Fire Marshal first; the city needs the Fire Marshal’s letter of recommendation before it issues the permit. Schools, institutional buildings, duplexes, multi-family and non-profit projects are charged at the commercial rates, and multi-family new construction adds a $50 plan review fee.

Flood elevation and wind design decide most Louisiana projects: in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, base flood elevation, flood-resistant construction and the substantial-improvement rules apply; the state code’s wind provisions include wind-borne debris requirements in wind-borne debris regions; and elevation certificates are permit documents that can delay the certificate of occupancy. Flood, elevation and wind in Louisiana

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

Hammond permit costs and fees

Hammond’s permit and licence fees are listed in section 9-128 of the city code (last amended by Ordinance 3991 in 2005). Starting a job before the permit is approved doubles the fee, and the city may also order the work removed.

Example: a new 2,000-square-foot house pays $160 for the building permit and $20 for the certificate of occupancy, plus a $50 administrative fee for each of the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and the fixture and sewer fees.

Fee schedules are revised on each jurisdiction’s own cycle, so ask Hammond for the schedule in force on your filing date, and ask separately about plan review, trade, re-inspection and revision charges. How Louisiana permit fees work

Trade permits and who may pull them

Hammond registers contractors by classification: building construction, electrical, plumbing (master plumber), mechanical (heating and air) and specialty work such as pools, fences and signs. Each classification is a separate registration and fee; contractors holding a valid Louisiana licence need no city licence except in electrical, plumbing and mechanical work (sec. 9-112), and a contractor in a state-licensed trade must show that licence before any permit is issued.

Work under a general contractor’s supervision needs no separate city licence except electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, which must be done by licensed contractors in those trades.

The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors requires a commercial licence for projects of $50,000 or more, a residential licence for a new house or duplex of $50,000 or more, a home improvement licence for residential improvement work of $7,500 to under $50,000, and a licence for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work of $10,000 or more. Since 1 January 2026 residential roofing of $7,500 or more needs a roofing or residential licence, and plumbers are also licensed by the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana until its duties pass to the contractor board on 1 January 2027. Contractor licensing in Louisiana

How to apply for a Hammond building permit

In Louisiana the approvals that sit ahead of the building permit, such as historic or design review, zoning and subdivision, most often decide timing. Before filing, ask Hammond for the current review turnaround, which bodies review commercial plans (the State Fire Marshal and the local authority or its contracted reviewer), and which approvals must be in hand first. Approvals and corrections in Louisiana

Inspections in Hammond

The Building Department inspects the work under each permit, with the trades inspected on their own permits. Re-inspections and weekend inspections cost $50 each. A certificate of occupancy ($20 for a home, $100 for commercial) is issued once the finals pass.

Keep the permit placard posted on the site for the whole job, as section 9-111 requires, and have the approved plans and any elevation certificate available for the inspector.

Plan framing, sheathing and roofing inspections so that wind-resistive connections and opening protection can be seen before they are covered, have elevation verified at the required stages, and keep product approvals and elevation documentation on site. Inspections in Louisiana

Hammond permit search and official resources

• Hammond Building Department: contacts and applications
• MyGovernmentOnline: Hammond building permit application
• Hammond contractor registration application
• Hammond Code of Ordinances, Chapter 9 (permits, fees, contractors)
• Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission
• Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors

Frequently asked questions

Does Tangipahoa Parish issue permits in Hammond?

No. Hammond permits its own limits. The Tangipahoa Parish Permit Office permits unincorporated territory from its offices at 15485 West Club Deluxe Road in Hammond and 113 North Bay Street in Amite.

How much is a building permit in Hammond?

Under section 9-128 of the city code, a new single-family house is $0.08 per square foot and new commercial construction $0.15 per square foot. Renovations start at $30 for homes and $50 for commercial work, plus $5 per $1,000 above $10,000.

How do I apply for a building permit in Hammond?

Online through MyGovernmentOnline, with two sets of plans and, in an A flood zone, an elevation certificate.

Do contractors need to register with Hammond?

Yes. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors must hold a city licence, and so must other contractors without a Louisiana licence (city code secs. 9-112 and 9-116). Registration is $150 per classification, $75 a year to renew, and $35 extra after March 1.

Can a homeowner build his or her own house in Hammond?

Yes, as an owner-builder for a home the owner will live in, with one owner-builder permit for a new building every two calendar years.

Do I need a permit to re-roof in Hammond?

Louisiana Act 239 of 2025 requires parishes and cities that issue construction permits to permit and inspect roof construction and reroofing. Hammond’s older code text still lists non-structural reroofing of a single-family home as exempt, so ask the Building Department before starting.

Who reviews commercial plans in Hammond?

The Office of State Fire Marshal reviews public buildings first, and the city needs its letter of recommendation before issuing the permit.

Simplify Hammond permitting with Alliance Permitting

Hammond has a city Building Department and a parish Permit Office in the same town, asks for two plan sets, and needs a State Fire Marshal letter before it permits a public building. We confirm which office holds the parcel and assemble the submittal to match.

Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.

Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Hammond because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:

• We confirm city versus unincorporated parish before anyone travels.
• We assemble the two plan sets and the elevation certificate the city code lists into the submittal.
• We file commercial plans with the State Fire Marshal first and bring the letter of recommendation to the city.
• We check each contractor’s city registration and state licence before filing.
• We establish flood position for the specific parcel.

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Louisiana. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the building department 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 Hammond permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.