St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Building Permit Guide

St. Bernard Parish has one permit office for the whole parish: the Department of Community Development at the Government Complex, 8201 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette (504-278-4310), whose Safety & Permits Division issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits and schedules every inspection. Applications and payments go through the MyGovernmentOnline portal. A house pays a $250 plan review fee plus a building fee based on its value, and every new or substantially improved home must have its lowest floor 18 inches above the base flood elevation, whether or not it is in a mapped flood zone.

What needs a permit in St. Bernard Parish?

The parish building code requires a permit to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, change its occupancy, or install or change any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. The parish adds its own permit rules for fences, re-roofing, signs, pools, solar panels, mobile homes, commercial dumpsters and house raising.

The exemptions end where work cuts a wall or structural member, changes exits, or touches piping or wiring. Fences over 7 ft tall need two sets of sealed plans, which the code official may waive for open-design fences. For re-roofing, the parish asks for geotagged photos or videos of the work uploaded to its permitting system. State law goes further than the parish’s 50% re-roofing threshold: R.S. 37:3737(I), as re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026, has parishes that issue construction permits permit and inspect roof construction and re-roofing. R.S. 37:3738(B) stops a parish from enforcing the code on a detached residential accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less, but not in hurricane-prone regions where the code’s ultimate design wind speed is 130 mph or more.

Who issues building permits in St. Bernard Parish?

St. Bernard has no incorporated towns, so the parish government is the permitting authority everywhere in the parish. The parish code makes the Department of Community Development the building department; its director, Merritt Landry, is also the parish’s floodplain administrator. The Safety & Permits Division processes applications and handles code inspections and compliance, and the Planning & Zoning Division in the same department handles zoning changes, variances and subdivisions.

The government complex is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the main switchboard is 504-278-4200. Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits are filed by parish-licensed tradespeople, and the department licenses them through its Licensed Contractor Application.

St. Bernard Parish permit fees

Permit fees are set in Appendix D of the parish code, last amended by Ordinance SBPC-2559-02-24 on February 20, 2024; that schedule replaced the older fee table inside the building code chapter.

The building fee is figured on the project’s value; the schedule does not say whether each rate applies to the whole value or only to the part inside its band, so ask the department for the figure on your project. The fee covers the certificate of use and occupancy and compliance. Work started before a permit is issued costs a penalty of 200% of the permit fee on top of the fee, plus $100 a day until an application is filed; homeowners doing repairs on their own home are exempt from the penalty.

The “Building Permit Fees” sheet still posted on the Community Development page shows older figures without plan review or trade fees; the adopted Appendix D amounts above are the ones in force.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work

Trade work must be filed by a St. Bernard Parish licensed electrician, plumber, gasfitter or mechanical contractor, and inspected and approved before any final is issued. To get a parish licence, a tradesperson files the Licensed Contractor Application with the state licence number, a certificate of insurance, an occupational licence and a state tax clearance. Each residential trade permit costs $150; commercial trade permits cost 1% of the contract, from $150 to $500.

Utility meters for a new manufactured home are released only after the licensed trade work is inspected, an original flood elevation certificate is on file, the tie-down inspection has passed, and either the state health department’s final septic approval letter or a licensed plumber’s sewer hook-up inspection is complete.

Documents for a St. Bernard Parish permit

Renovations need a site plan, the building’s market value at the time of the damage or improvement, and the contractor’s estimate. Raising a house needs proof of riggers insurance, the subcontractors listed on the permit, plans showing the lifting method and anchorage to piers, and a letter that electric, gas and water are disconnected.

How to get a St. Bernard Parish permit

St. Bernard Parish inspections

All inspections are scheduled with the Department of Community Development (504-278-4310). The building code lists foundation, frame and final inspections for buildings, and underground, rough-in and final inspections for mechanical work. A same-day request, a request called in after 2:00 p.m. for the next day, or one outside the regular schedule counts as a special inspection and costs $75.

When a house is raised, the original elevation certificate must be filed after the piers are set and before the house is lowered, and the finished elevation certificate before the final building inspection. The parish code also asks for a lot grade certificate, applied for with the building permit, for any lot where a building for human occupancy will stand.

Flood, levee and site rules

Freeboard everywhere: the parish flood ordinance applies to all new construction and substantial improvement, in or out of a special flood hazard area. Homes must have the lowest floor at the base flood elevation plus 18 inches; outside special flood hazard areas, 18 inches above the nearest base flood elevation or the highest adjacent grade. The ordinance adopts the revised preliminary flood maps dated November 9, 2012.

Pilings: a parish map divides residential areas into zones where pilings are not required, are required, or may be replaced by an engineered Kelly slab; undeveloped areas need soil borings, and commercial sites need pilings unless an engineer or soil boring shows otherwise.

Levees: work that may change the subsurface within 1,500 ft of the Mississippi River levee or within 300 ft of the toe of a hurricane protection levee also needs a Lake Borgne Basin Levee District permit.

Permit life: a building permit is valid for one year, and one that lapses before work starts must be applied for again.

New businesses: a zoning compliance letter from Community Development ($100) is needed before the Sheriff’s Office issues an occupational licence.

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 St. Bernard Parish permit resources

• St. Bernard Parish Safety & Permits Division
• Community Development: permit forms and checklists
• MyGovernmentOnline permit portal
• St. Bernard Parish Code, Appendix D: fee schedule
• St. Bernard Parish Code, chapter 5: buildings and construction
• St. Bernard Parish Code, chapter 10.5: flood damage prevention
• New residential construction checklist
• Commercial construction checklist
• Elevation (house raising) permit checklist
• Manufactured home permit checklist
• Licensed contractor application (trades)

St. Bernard Parish permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in St. Bernard Parish?

The parish Department of Community Development, through its Safety & Permits Division, at 8201 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette (504-278-4310). It covers the whole parish, since there are no incorporated towns.

How much does a building permit cost?

$20 plus a rate of $3 to $6 per $1,000 of value, with a plan review fee of $250 for a house or $400 for commercial work. Each residential trade permit is $150.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

The parish code requires one, at $50, when more than half of a house’s roof covering is replaced, documented with geotagged photos or videos. State law requires parishes that issue construction permits to permit and inspect re-roofing.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, for a new, altered or replaced fence. The fee is $25, and the application needs a current boundary survey.

How high must a new house be built?

The lowest floor must be 18 inches above the base flood elevation, or 18 inches above the nearest base flood elevation or highest adjacent grade outside a mapped flood zone.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

Trade permits must be filed by a St. Bernard Parish licensed electrician, plumber, gasfitter or mechanical contractor.

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