Lincoln Parish, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Lincoln Parish you get a building permit from the parish GIS Office at 107 West Texas Avenue in Ruston (318-513-6450), across from the courthouse. Each permit carries two fees, an administration fee paid to the Lincoln Parish GIS District and an inspection fee paid to Inspections of Louisiana, LLC, so a new home costs $225 plus $800. Ruston, Grambling, Choudrant and Dubach issue their own permits.

What needs a parish permit?

Chapter 8 of the parish code adopts the state construction code for buildings outside the corporate limits of the municipalities. It is unlawful there to build, alter or repair a building, or to install or change an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, without a permit from the parish building official. Farm structures and recreational camps are excluded. The parish fee sheet lists the permits it issues:

To claim the farm or camp exemption, sign the parish’s Exempt Structure Affidavit before a notary, record it in the Lincoln Parish conveyance records and give the building official a copy. The affidavit confirms that no plan review or inspection will be done, which can limit financing and insurance. An exempt building can still be reviewed and inspected if the owner wants that record. State law (R.S. 37:3738) also bars parishes from enforcing the building code on a detached residential accessory structure with a footprint 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 Lincoln Parish?

The parish code makes the Police Jury administrator, or the administrator’s designee, the parish building official for land outside the municipalities, and lets the Police Jury contract certified third-party providers for plan review, inspections and permits. In practice the permit counter is the GIS Office, which also assigns 911 addresses, and the parish’s inspector is Inspections of Louisiana, LLC. The GIS Office is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Lincoln Parish has seven incorporated places. Their answers differ:

Lincoln Parish permit fees

The GIS Office’s fee sheet splits every permit into an administration fee and an inspection fee. Write two checks: one to the Lincoln Parish GIS District for the administration fee and one to Inspections of Louisiana, LLC for the inspection fee. Only checks and money orders are accepted.

The inspection fees assume you use Inspections of Louisiana. If you hire a different licensed inspector, arrange that inspector’s fees and payment directly with them. For a new home the two parish fees come to $1,025.

What to bring to the GIS Office

• A 911 address for the site. The GIS Office issues it: staff locate the structure by GPS and measure to the nearest intersection, which usually takes 24 to 48 hours.
• A filed legal description of the property. If you do not have one, get a copy from the Clerk of Court in the courthouse.
• Contractor Information form, listing the general contractor and the electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors with their licence numbers, and the project value.
• Self-contracting Affidavit if you will act as your own contractor on your home.
• Health department approval for the sanitary facilities and water supply; the parish code asks for this permit with the application, and the Lincoln Parish Health Unit handles sewage permits.
• An elevation certificate from a registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor if the property is in or near a flood zone.

How to get a Lincoln Parish permit

Inspections and the certificate

Inspections are done by Inspections of Louisiana, LLC (318-614-6965) unless you hire another licensed inspector; the parish’s mobile home procedure asks for that inspector’s reports to be emailed to the GIS Office. The parish code forbids using or occupying permitted work until the building official has issued a certificate of completion and compliance.

For a mobile home, call the inspector once the home is set and the plumbing and electrical connections are made. No utilities are turned on until it passes. After the passed report reaches the GIS Office, Entergy and City of Ruston customers have their power release sent automatically, Claiborne Electric customers arrange service with the co-op themselves, and the owner is called to pick up the certificate of occupancy.

Local Lincoln Parish details

Mobile homes: a permit is needed whenever a new or used mobile home is placed on a property or moved on it. Before applying, get the 911 address, the Health Unit sewage permit or approval letter (318-251-5029), and the Assessor’s mobile home form completed at the Assessor’s office, 307 North Homer Street. Tell the GIS Office which electric company will serve the home: Entergy, Claiborne Electric or the City of Ruston.

Flood zones: the parish engineer is the floodplain administrator. Under Chapter 22 of the parish code, the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home in a special flood hazard area must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer, architect or land surveyor.

Driveways: a new residential driveway or culvert in a parish road right-of-way needs a parish permit; the Parish Road Superintendent sets the location and culvert size. Driveways on state roads are permitted by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Roofing: 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, and the parish fee sheet lists a roofing permit at $25 plus $125 for inspection.

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 Lincoln Parish permit resources

• Lincoln Parish building permit fees (GIS Office)
• Lincoln Parish GIS FAQs: 911 addresses and building permits
• Lincoln Parish GIS Office contact and hours
• Lincoln Parish mobile home permit procedure
• Lincoln Parish Exempt Structure Affidavit (farm and recreational structures)
• Self-contracting affidavit (rev. June 2025)
• New construction contractor information form
• Lincoln Parish residential driveway and culvert application
• Lincoln Parish Code, Chapter 8: buildings and the parish building official
• Lincoln Parish Code, Chapter 22: flood damage prevention
• Lincoln Parish municipalities
• City of Grambling occupational licence and building permit forms
• Village of Choudrant Ordinance 95: building code and permits
• Town of Dubach building permits and fees
• Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program
• Act 881 of 2026 (HB 1186), including R.S. 37:3738 on small accessory structures

Lincoln Parish permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Lincoln Parish?

Outside the municipalities, the parish GIS Office at 107 West Texas Avenue, Ruston (318-513-6450). Inspections are done by Inspections of Louisiana, LLC.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Lincoln Parish?

$225 to the Lincoln Parish GIS District plus $800 to Inspections of Louisiana, LLC, so $1,025 in total if you use the parish’s inspector.

Can I pay in cash?

No. The GIS Office accepts checks and money orders only.

I live in Grambling or Dubach. Do I use the parish office?

No. The parish code covers land outside the municipalities. Grambling (318-247-6120) and Dubach (318-777-3321) issue their own permits, as do Ruston and Choudrant.

Do I need a permit for a barn or hunting camp?

Farm structures and recreational camps are excluded from the parish code, but you must file the notarized Exempt Structure Affidavit in the conveyance records and give the building official a copy.

What does a mobile home permit cost?

$75 to the GIS District plus $150 for inspection. The home must pass inspection before any utilities are connected.

Can I use my own inspector?

Yes. The parish code allows owners and contractors to use a certified third-party provider; arrange fees and payment with that inspector rather than paying the parish inspection fee.

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