Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

Plaquemines Parish has no incorporated towns, so the parish government’s permit office issues building, electrical, mechanical, gas and RV permits everywhere, from its main office at 333 F. Edward Hebert Boulevard, Building 300, Belle Chasse (504-934-6195) and a lower-parish office in Port Sulphur (504-934-3610). Apply online through PPG Geaux or in person. Fees follow the parish’s 2019 schedule, raised each January by the consumer price index, and most jobs need a flood elevation certificate or benchmark.

What needs a permit in Plaquemines Parish?

The permit office handles residential renovations and repairs, new homes and commercial buildings, electrical, mechanical and gas work, recreational vehicles and temporary RV parks. Its published answers and the parish code add these local rules:

Flood elevation certificates or benchmarks are needed for almost every project, including houses, sheds, new trailers, renovations, repairs and foundation shoring. On top of the parish rules, R.S. 37:3737(I) (re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026) obliges any parish that issues construction permits to permit and inspect new roofs and re-roofs. R.S. 37:3738(B) bars parish code enforcement on a detached home accessory structure of up to 200 sq ft except in hurricane-prone regions with an ultimate design wind speed of 130 mph or more, so ask the permit office whether your site falls in such a region before skipping a shed permit.

Who issues building permits in Plaquemines Parish?

The parish government’s permit office is the only building permit authority; Plaquemines has no incorporated municipalities. The permits page lists a certified building official and floodplain manager as the office’s contact (504-934-6195). Planning & Zoning, in the same Belle Chasse building (504-934-6130), handles zoning, subdivisions and business occupancy certificates.

Owners can act as their own contractor on a new house that will be their primary residence by filing the state’s notarized affidavit with the building permit. The parish code also exempts owners doing construction, renovation or repairs on their own home (with no more than one new-home permit in 12 months) from its local contractor licence; anyone else doing $2,500 or more of work on a one- or two-family home needs a parish residential home improvement contractor licence unless they hold a state residential or building contractor licence, work for a licensed contractor, or are a certified tradesperson working in their own trade. General contractors must also post a performance bond of at least $2,000, up to 10% of the cost, in favor of the owner.

Plaquemines Parish permit fees

The fee schedule in section 7-6 of the parish code was adopted by Ordinance 19-113 on September 26, 2019, and every amount rises on January 1 each year by the increase in the consumer price index, starting in 2021. The figures below are the base amounts written in the code, so the fee you pay today will be higher; the permit office gives the current amount.

Coastal-type construction permits, such as for dredging, bulkheads and wharves, have their own base rates of $8 per $1,000 of estimated cost for residential work and $18 per $1,000 for commercial work, and these permits are listed for Parish Council approval at its meetings. Pay by check or money order in person, or by debit or credit card when you apply online.

A building permit application expires one year after it is approved if no action is taken. It can be renewed no more than twice, each time for 30% of the original permit fee adjusted by the consumer price index.

Electrical, mechanical and gas permits

Electrical, mechanical and gas permits come from the same office. To restore power or gas to an existing trailer or house, hire a state-licensed electrician or gas contractor and give them proof of ownership or a lease plus your contract or letter of hire; they file the vacancy permit and call for the inspection, and once it passes the parish releases the job to Entergy or Atmos for connection.

Plumbing permits are priced per fixture in the same fee schedule, and the code also prices sewer and water connections, water heaters and backflow preventers. For roofing, the permit office posts the state licensing board’s August 2025 notice about the residential roofing licence.

What to prepare

• A check of the lot’s zoning district and flood elevation before you design the house.
• The permit office’s document checklist for your project, requested by email from permits@ppgov.net.
• A flood elevation certificate or benchmark.
• In a flood zone, an engineer’s foundation drawing when elevating a new or existing trailer or house.
• For a fence: a property survey, proof of ownership and a site plan showing the fence location and dimensions.
• For an owner-builder: the state’s notarized affidavit.
• For a vacancy permit: proof of ownership or a lease, and the contract or letter of hire for the licensed contractor.

A new business also needs a zoning review: after the sales tax clearance and occupational licence application, Planning & Zoning asks for a business occupancy certificate, the lease or ownership papers and a site plan, with a fee of $50 for a new business or $20 for a change of occupancy.

How to get a Plaquemines Parish permit

Inspections and utility release

Contractors call the permit office for inspections once their permits are issued. The parish releases connections to the power and gas companies only after the work passes inspection. Under the parish code, new construction must have a portable toilet on site before work starts and must keep the public right of way clear of construction debris every week; if the right of way is not cleared within 7 days of completion, the final inspection release to the utilities is held back. New homes and renovations in Council Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 also need a waste container of at least 20 yards.

Every building that needs a permit must have a driveway from the road with a drainage culvert, sized by the parish building inspector, in place before construction starts. A special re-inspection has a base fee of $30.

Flood, levee and RV rules

Flood maps: the parish floodplain article adopts the FEMA flood insurance study and rate maps dated January 15, 2021. New and substantially improved homes in special flood hazard areas need the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, and buildings in V zones must stand on anchored pilings or columns.

Levee district permits: subsurface work such as borings, wells, pile driving, deep excavation or foundations within 1,500 ft of the Mississippi River levee centerline or 300 ft of the hurricane protection levee needs a levee permit. Send a letter with drawings to the parish levee district through the Coastal Resources and Protection Department, with copies to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Corps of Engineers; review can take from two days to several months.

RV moratorium: Ordinance 26-111, adopted July 23, 2026, stops new permanent and temporary RV and RV park permits in Council District 7 for one year while the parish studies the issue. Renewals and applications that already had written conditional approval can still be issued, and Ironton applicants are exempt when the owner or immediate family will live in the RV.

Trailers and containers: removing or dismantling a trailer or mobile home needs a $10 permit, and the unit may only be moved to private property. Temporary storage containers such as PODS also need a permit.

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 Plaquemines Parish permit resources

• Plaquemines Parish Government permits page and offices
• Plaquemines Parish permit FAQs
• PPG Geaux online permit portal (MGO Connect)
• Plaquemines Parish Code, chapter 7: buildings, fees and contractor rules
• Plaquemines Parish Code, chapter 9: floodplain management
• Levee district permit requirements
• Plaquemines Parish Planning & Zoning
• Newly opened businesses: zoning review and occupancy certificate
• Temporary RV park documents and ordinance
• Parish Council minutes, July 23, 2026 (Ordinance 26-111, RV moratorium)

Plaquemines Parish permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Plaquemines Parish?

Plaquemines Parish Government’s permit office, at 333 F. Edward Hebert Boulevard, Building 300, Belle Chasse (504-934-6195), or its Port Sulphur office (504-934-3610). There are no incorporated towns in the parish.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

The code values a house at $54 per sq ft and charges $6 per $1,000 of value up to $100,000, then $600 plus $4 per $1,000 above that, with a $72 minimum. Those 2019 base rates rise each January with the consumer price index, so the permit office gives the current figure.

Can I be my own contractor?

Yes, for a new house that will be your primary residence, by filing the state’s notarized affidavit with the permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, for a new or replacement fence, with a survey, proof of ownership and a site plan.

Do I need an elevation certificate?

Almost always: the parish asks for a flood elevation certificate or benchmark for houses, sheds, new trailers, renovations, repairs and foundation shoring.

How do I get the power turned back on?

To restore power or gas to an existing trailer or house, a state-licensed electrician or gas contractor files a vacancy permit and calls for the inspection, and the parish then releases the connection to Entergy or Atmos. A simple change of the account name needs no permit unless the power has been off for more than six months.

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