The Washington Parish Department of Building & Permitting at 203 11th Avenue, Suite 1, Franklinton (985-839-5456, fax 985-839-5453) permits construction in the rural parish and inside Bogalusa; the Town of Franklinton issues its own building permits. Applications go through MyGovernmentOnline or the office, and the parish fee sheet, last revised by Ordinance 22-705 in February 2022, charges $0.55 per square foot under beam for a new house, plan review included.
What needs a permit in Washington Parish?
The parish flood damage prevention ordinance (No. 09-507, November 24, 2009) asks owners to get a permit before any construction, reconstruction or other development, including major remodeling, placing a manufactured home or repairing flood damage. The permit office publishes separate requirements for:
Parish permits
- New houses, additions and renovations
- Commercial buildings, additions, improvements and towers
- Mobile homes and campers
- Detached sheds, carports and portable buildings
- Swimming pools, generators and roof-top solar
- Water well electrical service
- Roofing, electrical and commercial trade work
- Demolition, house moving and electric signs
No parish fee
- Owner or occupant jobs of 200 sq ft or less (non-commercial)
- Fences up to 7 feet tall
- Painting, wallpaper, tile, carpet and countertops
- Playground equipment
- Agricultural buildings, with IRS Schedule F or an affidavit
Two state rules apply as well: R.S. 37:3737(I), as re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026, has parishes that issue permits also permit and inspect roofing (the parish posts a roofing application), and R.S. 37:3738 keeps a parish from enforcing the construction code on a detached residential accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less unless it is in a hurricane-prone region with a design wind speed of 130 mph or more.
Who issues building permits in Washington Parish?
The parish Department of Building & Permitting takes applications, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects the work. The parish development ordinance applies to the unincorporated parish, but the City of Bogalusa sends all building permits to the parish office as well, so the department is the place to start for a Bogalusa address.
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Get a free quote →| Place (2025 population) | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated parish | Parish Department of Building & Permitting, 203 11th Avenue, Suite 1, Franklinton; 985-839-5456 |
| Bogalusa (10,321) | The parish department; the City’s Public Works only checks zoning and the flood zone and issues fence permits (985-732-6213) |
| Franklinton (3,576) | Town of Franklinton; its code says the town issues building permits after its building official checks the plat and staked layout; Town Hall 985-839-3560 |
| Varnado (317) | The published sources do not say; ask the village hall |
| Angie (246) | The published sources do not say; ask the village hall, 985-986-2444 |
The parish has an estimated 44,937 residents (Census 2025).
Washington Parish permit fees
The fee sheet’s administrative fee covers the application, scheduling and plan review, and every required inspection comes with one inspector visit; each additional visit costs $50. A new 2,000 sq ft house under beam therefore pays $1,100 in parish permit fees. Separate requirement sheets list $30 for a camper permit and $30 for water well electrical service, and the pool sheet uses the $0.40 per sq ft addition rate. Starting work without a permit, or after a stop work order, costs $200 for 201–1,500 sq ft and $400 above that, charged per violation, per day or per incident. The building-code ordinance the Council adopted on March 23, 2026 (No. 26-784, for the unincorporated parish) adds that work begun without a permit pays double the permit fee and that violations are misdemeanors fined $100 to $500, each day counting as a separate offense.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New house | $0.55 per sq ft under beam (includes a $0.25 per sq ft administrative fee) |
| Residential addition or renovation, including garages, covered porches, decks and pool areas | $0.40 per sq ft |
| Detached shed, carport or portable building over 200 sq ft | $0.20 per sq ft |
| New mobile home / used mobile home | $0.30 per sq ft / $100 |
| House moving within the parish | $0.30 per sq ft |
| Residential solar / generator | $250 / $150 |
| New commercial building | $0.75 per sq ft under beam (includes the administrative fee) |
| Commercial addition / improvement | $0.60 per sq ft / $100 plus 1% of the contract value |
| Commercial trade permit | $50 per specialty |
| Demolition, up to 1,000 sq ft / larger | $75 / $150 |
| Tower / co-location | $3,000 / $1,500 per unit |
| Electric sign | $50 or 1% of the contract, whichever is greater |
| Each extra inspection visit | $50 |
| Meter release or connection | $30 per unit |
| Fence taller than 7 ft | $50 per lot |
| Home roofing work worth $7,500 or more (not new construction) | 1% of the contract value |
| Commercial roofing work of any value (not new construction) | $100 plus 1% of the contract value |
| Contractor or tradesman registration | $50 per year |
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Get a free quote →Trades, contractors and power
Every building contractor and tradesman working in the parish registers with the department for the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) for $50, with copies of the state licence and the liability and workers’ compensation certificates. Commercial electrical, HVAC and plumbing work uses the trade permit application at $50 per specialty, and the department also posts an electrical application for reconnections, service upgrades, campers and water wells.
Generators must be installed by a licensed contractor and roof-top solar needs an engineer’s letter that the roof can carry the panels. For both, the power company will not reconnect service until the parish has inspected, and the department asks for 24 hours’ notice. A camper pole is limited to a 125-amp disconnect.
Roofing is covered by Ordinance 25-774, which was on the Council’s November 3, 2025 agenda for adoption and is cited as the source of the roofing fees in the parish’s 2026 fee proposal. It requires a parish permit for residential roofing work worth $7,500 or more and for all commercial roofing, excluding new construction, with inspections when the decking or structural work is complete and when the roof is finished. From January 1, 2026 the ordinance also requires a residential roofing or residential construction licence for home roofing jobs of $7,500 or more.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Documents for a Washington Parish permit
Single-family house
- Completed permit application
- 911 address from the 911 Office, 54100 Dollar Road, Franklinton (985-839-5625 ext. 3)
- Septic or sanitation letter from the Health Unit, 1104 Bene Street (985-839-2685 ext. 3)
- Two sets of plans, at least 11x17, with site, foundation, floor, roof and elevation plans
- Proof of ownership
- Elevation certificate in a flood zone
- REScheck energy report to the 2021 IECC
Commercial
- Licensed commercial contractor and a copy of the contract
- State Fire Marshal approval letter and plans (800-256-5452)
- Health department approval and sanitation letter
- Application and 911 address
- Two sets of plans including the site plan
- Proof of ownership and, in a flood zone, an elevation certificate
The site plan must show every property line and each structure’s distance to it, and the reviewer may ask for more. A homeowner who builds without a contractor files the state licensing board’s affidavit claiming exemption from licensure (revised June 2025), and land that is not in the applicant’s name needs the owner’s notarized permission letter.
How to get a Washington Parish permit
Rural parish and Bogalusa addresses go to the parish; Franklinton addresses go to the town.
Both come before the building permit for a new house or business.
Builders and trades register with the department each calendar year.
Submit through MyGovernmentOnline or at 203 11th Avenue with the plans and documents for your project type.
The parish forms void a permit if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days.
Keep the approved set of plans on the job and give the office notice before each inspection.
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Get a free quote →Washington Parish inspections
The parish residential inspection bulletin runs in this order: a base flood elevation check of a marked story pole certified by a design professional where the site is in a flood zone, the temporary pole, pre-pour plumbing with a 10-foot stack pressure test, pre-pour footings and foundation, brick ties on the sheathing before masonry, the combined rough-in of framing and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, insulation, and a final that includes final grading, ditches and culverts. Minimum insulation is R-13 in walls and floors, R-38 in ceilings and R-8 on ducts.
The approved plans must be on site for inspections, and the parish posts blower door and duct leakage verification forms for energy-code testing. Sheds, carports and portable buildings must be anchored before the electrical inspection, portable buildings at least every 10 feet and shipping containers at all four corners.
Mobile homes and flood rules in Washington Parish
Mobile homes: the permit must be in hand before the home is moved (Ordinance 21-696). The home must be rated Wind Zone 2 or 3, be moved and set up by a licensed mover whose installation sticker the inspector can find, and sit at least 30 feet from every property line. The permit sheet allows two homes per parcel and one per acre, but Ordinance 25-778 says the Development Ordinance allows only one per parcel without a Planning Commission waiver, so ask the permit office before placing a second home. Homes older than 30 years may not be moved in the parish without a Planning Commission waiver (Council Secretary, 985-839-7825). The application needs the deed, the bill of sale or title with the make, model, serial and HUD numbers, the data plate, and an aerial parcel map showing where the home will sit. Under Ordinance 25-778, adopted December 15, 2025 for the unincorporated parish, the transporter must check the permit before moving the home, the permit must ride on the home in a weather-resistant sleeve facing the road until the parish has inspected it (or be posted at the lot entrance if it cannot be seen from the road), and violations are fined $100, $250 and then $500.
Flood zones: no new construction, substantial improvement or fill is allowed in an AE floodway. A FEMA elevation certificate from a licensed engineer, architect or surveyor is needed for building in a special flood hazard area or rebuilding a flooded home, and a mobile home in a flood zone also needs a base flood elevation letter.
Land use: the parish development ordinance governs subdivisions, conditional uses, towers and logging and mining permits in the unincorporated parish; new towers may need a conditional use permit depending on location.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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 Washington Parish permit resources
- Washington Parish building permits page and forms
- Washington Parish permit fee sheet (Ordinance 22-705)
- Permitting procedure for a single-family residence
- Permitting procedure for commercial buildings
- Permitting a mobile home
- Detached sheds, carports and portable buildings
- Roofing permit application
- Contractor and tradesman registration form
- Washington Parish Development Ordinance
- MyGovernmentOnline permit portal
- Washington Parish Council agendas and minutes (CivicClerk)
- Town of Franklinton Code of Ordinances
- Act 881 of 2026 (HB 1186): R.S. 37:3737 and 37:3738
- Louisiana construction code editions
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Washington Parish permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Washington Parish?
The parish Department of Building & Permitting in Franklinton (985-839-5456) for the rural parish and Bogalusa. The Town of Franklinton issues its own.
What does a parish permit cost for a new house?
$0.55 per square foot under beam, which includes the administrative and plan review fee; a 2,000 sq ft house pays $1,100.
Can I apply online?
Yes, through MyGovernmentOnline, or in person at 203 11th Avenue.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
A homeowner job of 200 sq ft or less carries no parish fee. Detached sheds, carports and portable buildings over 200 sq ft cost $0.20 per sq ft and must be anchored.
Can I move an older mobile home in Washington Parish?
Not if it is more than 30 years old, unless the Planning Commission grants a waiver. Any move needs the permit first and a licensed mover.
Do contractors have to register?
Yes. Building contractors and tradesmen register each calendar year for $50 with their state licence and insurance certificates; pending Ordinance 26-795 would raise this to $100 from 2027.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof?
Yes for home roofing work of $7,500 or more (1% of the contract value) and for any commercial roofing ($100 plus 1%), under Ordinance 25-774.
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More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Washington Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.