Building permits for unincorporated St. Landry Parish, and for property inside the town limits of Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto, are issued by the St. Landry Parish Permits Office in the St. Landry Parish Courthouse, 118 South Court Street, Opelousas (337-948-3688). The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and permits are by appointment only. St. Landry sits on the Acadiana prairie north of Lafayette, astride the Interstate 49 corridor — largely agricultural country with development along the highway.
This guide covers the department and how to reach it, the local conditions that shape a filing here, what permits cost and who may pull them, and how inspections are booked. Rules that apply everywhere in Louisiana are summarized in each section, with a link to the full statewide explanation.
This guide covers unincorporated St. Landry Parish and the towns of Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto, which the parish permits. Opelousas, Eunice, Sunset, Grand Coteau, Port Barre, Krotz Springs, Leonville, Washington and Cankton permit separately.
This is inland Acadiana, and the design inputs differ from the coastal parishes even though the code does not. St. Landry sits well north of the surge zone, so the wind-borne-debris and elevation conditions that dominate a Vermilion or Terrebonne project largely do not apply. What does apply is rainfall and riverine flooding on flat prairie ground with slow drainage, plus an inland design wind speed. Derive the criteria for the parcel rather than importing them from the coast — or from further north.
What requires a building permit in St. Landry Parish?
Under the LSUCC as administered by the parish, a permit is required before most construction, alteration, demolition, repair, relocation, change of occupancy and trade work begins in unincorporated territory.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions, conversions and tenant improvements
- Structural and load-bearing alterations, foundations, decks, porches and garages
- Electrical service changes, panel work, new circuits, solar and EV charging equipment
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, water heaters, gas piping and sewer connections
- HVAC installations, change-outs, ductwork and venting
- Re-roofing, siding, windows, pools, signs, demolition and change of occupancy or use
Typically exempt
- Painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting and cabinet installation
- Countertop replacement and comparable finish work
- Minor repairs replacing existing materials in kind with no structural or system change
- Detached residential accessory structures of 200 square feet or less, outside 130 mph wind regions (R.S. 37:3738), where zoning allows
Exemptions are narrow and local, and an exemption from a building permit is not an exemption from zoning, setbacks, floodplain rules, utility approval or a fire authority review. Confirm scope with the department before work starts rather than after.
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St. Landry Parish is subject to the statewide LSUCC, as is every Louisiana jurisdiction, and no local body may vary the technical standard in either direction. The construction requirements are identical to those in New Orleans or Shreveport. What is genuinely local is the fee schedule, the submittal process, drainage and zoning requirements, and the site conditions.
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
Who handles permitting in St. Landry Parish?
The parish Permits Office handles permitting for unincorporated territory and for the towns of Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto from the courthouse in Opelousas. The other municipalities, including Opelousas, Eunice, Sunset and Grand Coteau, each permit their own limits.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | St. Landry Parish Government, Permits Office |
| Office | St. Landry Parish Courthouse, 118 South Court Street, Opelousas, Louisiana 70570 (the parish page gives both Suite 118 and Suite 133) |
| Phone | 337-948-3688 |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm; permits by appointment only |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated St. Landry Parish, plus the towns of Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto |
| Municipalities inside | Permitting their own limits: Opelousas, Eunice, Sunset, Grand Coteau, Port Barre, Krotz Springs, Leonville, Washington and Cankton |
| Site conditions | Flat prairie, slow drainage, rainfall and riverine flooding |
| Code | LSUCC — statewide 2021 I-Codes with Louisiana amendments |
| Commercial plan review | Parish reviews plans after written State Fire Marshal approval and an LDH sewer permit |
St. Landry Parish is not governed by a police jury. Since January 2004 it has operated under a home rule charter, approved by voters in October 2002, with a parish president and a parish council; the council adopts local requirements and the permit function sits with the president’s administration. Because permits are by appointment only, call the Permits Office before visiting.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Rural parcels dominate outside the municipalities, and on those the usual gating items decide feasibility before the construction code becomes relevant: private water and onsite sewage where public service does not reach, access, address assignment and drainage. Resolve them before design is fixed.
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
Residential work is predominantly rural and large-lot, with subdivision development around the municipalities and along the corridor. Drainage, flood status and the rural service questions govern feasibility, and design criteria should be derived for an inland prairie site.
Commercial permits
Commercial and industrial development includes distribution and logistics along Interstate 49, agricultural processing, corridor retail and service development. Before submitting commercial plans to the parish, obtain written State Fire Marshal approval ((225) 925-4920 or 1-800-256-5452) and a sewer permit from the Louisiana Department of Health ((337) 948-0266); the parish then takes two copies of the plans, with the inspection fees, for its own review. Larger projects also bring drainage, access, traffic and utility review.
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
St. Landry Parish permit costs and fees
St. Landry Parish permit fees are based on construction cost. For a culvert permit, where needed, call 337-407-0950 for a parish road or 337-948-0253 for a state highway; new addresses come from the Parish 911 Office (337-948-9079). The municipalities that permit their own limits maintain their own schedules.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | Valuation-based against the adopted parish fee schedule |
| Commercial building permit | Valuation-based, varying by scope, occupancy and floor area |
| Plan review | Per the adopted fee schedule; State Fire Marshal plan review applies to all but one- and two-family dwellings |
| Trade permits | Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are charged separately |
| Flood and elevation | Floodplain development review and elevation certification where applicable |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Additional fees apply for failed inspections, revisions and expired permits |
Need a real number for a specific St. Landry Parish project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the filing path, the reviews it will trigger and the fee categories that will apply.
Fee schedules are revised on each jurisdiction’s own cycle, so ask St. Landry Parish 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
Permit required
- Electrical service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, backflow, gas and sewer connections
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Fire alarm, sprinkler and suppression systems on commercial work
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Appliance repair that does not alter the gas, electrical or venting connection
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
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Get a free quote →How to apply for a St. Landry Parish building permit
The parish also permits Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto; Opelousas, Eunice and the others permit their own limits.
Coastal surge and debris assumptions do not apply here.
Flat ground with slow drainage makes this decisive.
These determine feasibility outside the towns.
These are set by the site, drive elevation and construction requirements, and cannot be retrofitted.
Classification and value thresholds decide which licence applies; residential roofing needs one at $7,500 or more.
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 St. Landry Parish 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 St. Landry Parish
Standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and final, with a certificate of occupancy required before legal occupancy or use. Rural parcels add onsite sewage verification, and site work adds drainage and erosion control inspection.
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, energy documentation, product listings, special-inspection reports and your correction responses available on site.
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
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Get a free quote →St. Landry Parish permit search and official resources
Permit records sit with the authority that issued them. In Louisiana that is usually straightforward, because the LSUCC has applied statewide since 2023 and the permitting authority for a given parcel is generally stable — but records predating the statewide code, or predating a municipal incorporation or annexation, may sit elsewhere. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, ask St. Landry Parish Government what it holds for the parcel and whether any permit was closed without a final inspection.
On flood-exposed property the record question is sharper than usual. Prior elevation certificates, floodplain determinations and any history of substantial damage or improvement all bear on what a new project will be required to do, and they are worth obtaining before design rather than during review.
The technical code is statewide; almost everything else is local. Confirm the current edition and any state amendments with the Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission — the 2021 codes have applied since 1 January 2023 (the energy code since 1 July 2023), and the 2024 codes take effect on 1 January 2027 — and confirm fees, portals, submittal requirements, review turnaround and the flood and historic layers with the local department for your filing date. One call to each settles a question that otherwise costs a correction cycle.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change, and in Louisiana a jurisdiction’s own published packet can lag a code change by months — the adopted ordinance governs, not an un-updated handout. Confirm the position for your filing date.
- St. Landry Parish Government
- Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission
- Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
Frequently asked questions
Do coastal requirements apply in St. Landry Parish?
The code is identical statewide, but design criteria follow the parcel. This is inland Acadiana prairie, so rainfall and riverine flooding and an inland design wind speed are the operative conditions rather than coastal surge.
Does the parish permit inside Opelousas or Eunice?
No. Opelousas, Eunice, Sunset, Grand Coteau, Port Barre, Krotz Springs, Leonville, Washington and Cankton each permit their own limits. The parish does, however, issue permits inside Arnaudville, Melville and Palmetto.
What most often holds up a site project here?
Drainage. Flat prairie ground drains slowly, and detention, servitudes and drainage impact frequently determine what a site can carry.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Can this jurisdiction impose stricter requirements than the state code?
Only with the state’s approval. Parishes and municipalities must enforce only the Uniform Construction Code (R.S. 37:3737), but a local government that finds the state minimum standards do not meet its needs may set more stringent requirements with the approval of the Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission (R.S. 37:3748). What does vary locally is zoning, flood and elevation requirements, historic review, fees, portals and inspection scheduling.
Who reviews my commercial drawings?
On commercial work, usually both. The Office of State Fire Marshal reviews plans for fire and life safety on every building except one- and two-family dwellings (R.S. 40:1574), and the local authority, or a reviewer it contracts with, reviews against the Uniform Construction Code. Establish both routes before you submit.
What licence does my contractor need?
A Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors credential in the right classification. A commercial licence is required at $50,000 or more, a residential licence for a new house or duplex of $50,000 or more, and a home improvement licence for residential improvement work of $7,500 to under $50,000. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors need a licence for work of $10,000 or more, residential or commercial (R.S. 37:2150.1).
Simplify St. Landry Parish permitting with Alliance Permitting
St. Landry is inland Acadiana with corridor development on slow-draining prairie. The code is portable; the drainage and the rural service questions are not, and both sit ahead of the drawings.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for St. Landry Parish because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We derive inland prairie design criteria rather than importing coastal ones.
- We treat drainage and detention approval as critical path.
- We confirm parish versus municipal jurisdiction on the parcel.
- We front-load rural water, sewage, access and address work.
- We confirm who reviews commercial plans: the State Fire Marshal and the parish or its contracted reviewer.
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.
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More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about St. Landry Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.