Anyone building or placing a structure inside Morgan City applies to the City’s Planning and Zoning Department at 509 Second Street (985-380-4716) for a building permit. The forms are posted in the MGO Connect portal, but completed applications go to the department, not through the portal. A new house or addition is charged $0.25 per square foot, which includes plan review and inspections.
What needs a permit in Morgan City?
The City code requires a building permit from Planning and Zoning for any residential or commercial structure, mobile home or structure of any kind built or placed on a lot in the city. The City’s fee schedule also lists separate permits for:
Residential
- New houses, additions and alterations
- Accessory buildings (a flat fee under 500 sq ft)
- Roofing and re-roofing
- Window replacement
- House raising and house moving
- Demolition
- Carports, patio covers, decks and swimming pools
- Brick, masonry, commercial wrought iron and sheet metal fences
- Plumbing, electrical and HVAC work
Commercial and other
- New buildings, additions and alterations
- Accessory buildings
- Roof replacement and roof alterations
- Plumbing, gas, electrical and HVAC work
- Building moving and demolition
- Manufactured homes in a park or on a private lot
- Telecommunication towers
The City’s floodplain page adds that any substantial improvement of a building, or repair of substantial damage, needs a building permit.
Who issues building permits in Morgan City?
The City of Morgan City Planning and Zoning Department issues building permits inside the city limits and also handles zoning, subdivisions and floodplain management. Anthony Governale is the Planning and Zoning Director and Floodplain Administrator. Under the code, the City’s building inspector issues the permit placard that must be displayed on the job, and no utility may connect temporary or permanent service without the permit and placard. Land outside the city falls under St. Mary Parish Government, whose Planning & Zoning Department in the Franklin courthouse takes parish permit applications (337-828-4100, ext. 5280; permits@stmaryparishla.gov).
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Get a free quote →| Office | Details |
|---|---|
| Planning and Zoning | 509 Second Street, Morgan City, LA 70380 |
| Phone | 985-380-4716 |
| Director and Floodplain Administrator | Anthony Governale |
| Forms | MGO Connect customer portal (account sign-in) |
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC permits in Morgan City
Trade permits are issued under the same City fee schedule (Code Sec. 22-35):
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential plumbing | $0.07 per sq ft, $30 minimum (tap fees extra) |
| Residential electrical/HVAC general fee | $30 |
| Residential new service or upgrade, by living area | $50 under 500 sq ft; $100 for 501–2,000; $125 for 2,001–3,000; $150 for 3,001–4,000; $175 over 4,000 |
| Temporary power pole | $30 |
| HVAC system, residential | $20 each |
| Commercial plumbing | Construction cost × 0.0005, $30 minimum |
| Commercial gas openings | $15 each for the first 2, $5 each after that |
| Commercial electrical service | $40 under 1,000 A up to $80 over 4,000 A, plus $2 per circuit and a $30 general fee |
| Commercial HVAC | $30 general fee, plus $30 up to 3 tons, $50 for 4–10 tons, $5 per ton over 10 tons |
| Trade re-inspection or extra inspection | $20 each |
Water, gas and sewer tap fees and meter pan fees are not part of these permit fees.
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Get a free quote →Morgan City building permit fees
Building permit fees are written into Section 22-35 of the City code (Ordinance No. 10-08, April 2010); the online code, current to April 2026, still shows these amounts, and council minutes from November 2025 to September 2026 show no fee change.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential new construction, addition, alteration or accessory building of 500 sq ft or more | $0.25 per sq ft (includes plan review and inspections) |
| Residential accessory building under 500 sq ft | $25, plus $10 for each electric, water, gas or sewer entrance |
| Residential roofing or re-roof; window replacement; house raising | $25 each |
| Residential carports, patio covers, decks, pools and similar | $25 each |
| Residential demolition / house moving | $25 / $50 |
| Fences of brick, masonry, commercial wrought iron or sheet metal | $35 |
| Manufactured home permit (includes electrical, plumbing and tie-down inspections) | $75 |
| Commercial new construction, addition or alteration | $3 per $1,000 of project value, $100 minimum, plus $7.50 per plan sheet |
| Commercial roof replacement / roof alteration | $50 / $100 |
| Commercial accessory building / moving / demolition | $35 / $50 / $50 |
| Re-inspection or extra inspection | $20 each |
| Board of adjustment application / planning commission request | $150 / $300 |
A new 2,000 sq ft house pays 2,000 × $0.25 = $500 for the building permit, with plumbing, electrical and HVAC permits charged separately.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Forms and documents
The City posts its permit applications in the MGO Connect customer portal, which requires an account. Download the form for your work there, prepare the documents it asks for, and submit the completed application to Planning and Zoning at 509 Second Street.
- Flood information: for a lot in a special flood hazard area, Planning and Zoning helps identify the flood zone, and the office keeps elevation certificates for properties in special flood hazard areas on file, with copies available on request.
- Commercial plans: plan review on commercial work is charged at $7.50 per plan sheet.
- Bars and lounges: the City Council must review and tentatively approve the liquor licence before a building permit is issued for a new or remodeled bar or lounge.
How to get a Morgan City permit: 5 steps
Make sure the lot is inside Morgan City, and book a floodplain consultation with Planning and Zoning if it is in a flood zone.
Sign in to MGO Connect and download the current application for your type of work.
File the completed form and documents with the department at 509 Second Street; the portal does not accept the submission.
Pay the fee from the City schedule and collect the permit and placard; the contractor may not start until shown both.
Keep the placard displayed until the work is finished; utilities are connected once the final permit is issued.
Morgan City inspections
The City’s building inspector, or a designated representative, issues the placard, and the placard must stay prominently displayed until all permitted work is complete. Once all local, state and federal requirements are met, the City issues a final permit that allows the utility companies to install service; no utility, including the electric company, may connect without the permit and placard.
Rather not deal with the Morgan City building department?
Get a free quote →The residential building fee includes plan review and inspections. Each re-inspection or extra partial inspection costs $20 for building, plumbing and electrical permits.
Local Morgan City details
Flood insurance discount: Morgan City has been in FEMA’s Community Rating System since October 1991 and is the only CRS community in St. Mary Parish, which gives residents a 5–10% reduction on flood insurance policies. The Floodplain Administrator offers flood protection help by phone, in the office or on site.
Floor elevation: the City’s flood ordinance (Sec. 46-82) requires a new or substantially improved home in a special flood hazard area to have its lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, and in Zones B, C, D and X at least 1 foot above the crown of the street, with a certification from a registered engineer, architect or licensed land surveyor. Flood zones come from the FIRM dated April 19, 2017, and the Planning and Zoning Director is the floodplain administrator.
Fire limits: inside the City’s fire limits, the code requires outer walls of brick, stone, cement or other incombustible material and fireproof roofing on new buildings and additions.
Sheds: the City charges a flat $25 for a residential accessory building under 500 sq ft. Under R.S. 37:3738, a city with no more than 45,000 people may not apply the building code to a detached accessory structure of a home that is 200 sq ft or smaller, except where it stands in a hurricane-prone region whose design wind speed reaches 130 mph.
Zoning: variances go to the board of adjustment ($150 application) and other land use requests to the planning commission ($300).
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
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Get a free quote →Official Morgan City 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
- Morgan City floodplain management
- Morgan City offices directory
- Morgan City permits and applications page (MGO Connect forms)
- Morgan City Planning & Zoning Department
- Morgan City Code, Chapter 22 Buildings, incl. fee schedule Sec. 22-35 (Municode)
- Morgan City department heads
- St. Mary Parish Planning & Zoning Department
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Morgan City permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Morgan City?
The City of Morgan City Planning and Zoning Department, 509 Second Street, 985-380-4716. Land outside the city is handled by St. Mary Parish Government’s Planning & Zoning Department in Franklin.
How much is a building permit for a house in Morgan City?
$0.25 per square foot, including plan review and inspections; a 2,000 sq ft house pays $500. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC permits are added.
Can I apply online?
Not fully. The forms are downloaded from MGO Connect, but completed applications are submitted to Planning and Zoning.
Do I need a permit for a new roof or new windows?
Yes. The City fee schedule charges $25 each for a residential re-roof and for window replacement, and $50 for a commercial roof replacement.
Will the power company connect my new building without a permit?
No. City code bars any utility from connecting temporary or permanent service until the building permit and placard have been issued.
Does Morgan City get a flood insurance discount?
Yes. As a Community Rating System member since 1991, the City says residents get a 5–10% reduction on flood insurance policies.
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More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Morgan City permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.