Parish building permits in Webster Parish come from the Police Jury’s permit office in the Courthouse Annex, 401 Main Street, West Entrance, Minden (318-377-7564 ext. 1). The parish names IBTS of Bossier City as its building official, and IBTS takes inspection requests on 318-747-2454. Minden and Springhill run their own permits. The parish prices building permits by the square foot under beam and gives the amount by phone; since February 2024, on new construction, additions and renovations, each plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractor also buys a $50 trade permit per job.
What needs a permit in Webster Parish?
Building Code Ordinance 982-A (December 2015) requires a permit from the parish building official to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, change its occupancy, or install or change electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The parish application covers:
Permits
- New construction, additions and remodels
- Building relocation
- Detached garages, sheds and patios
- Hunting and fishing camps
- Portable and temporary-use buildings
- Changes of use or occupancy
- Manufactured and modular homes
- Swimming pools
- Electrical, plumbing and gas, and mechanical trade permits
Exempt under the parish code
- One-story detached storage sheds and playhouses without utilities, up to 500 sq ft
- Fences up to 6 feet high
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet
- Sidewalks and driveways
- Painting, flooring, cabinets and countertops
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
- Playground equipment
- Recreational and farm structures, once the state affidavit is filed with the clerk of court
- Minor electrical repairs such as replacing lamps, fuses and switches
State law adds its own limit, narrower than the parish’s 500 sq ft exemption: R.S. 37:3738 bars 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. Because the parish issues permits, R.S. 37:3737(I), re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026, also requires it to permit and inspect roofing.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Webster Parish?
The parish code creates the Webster Parish Building Department under a building official appointed by the Police Jury, who may use deputies, contract agents or third-party providers to review plans, inspect and issue permits. The current permit application names IBTS, 3470 Industrial Drive, Bossier City, as the Webster Parish Building Official. The Police Jury’s permit officer reports the permits issued at each monthly meeting, and the jury can hold a disqualification hearing for a contractor who does not follow the permit process.
| Place (2025 population) | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated parish | Police Jury permit office, Courthouse Annex, 401 Main St., West Entrance, Minden; 318-377-7564 ext. 1 |
| Minden (11,103) | City of Minden; its code creates a city inspections office and building official; 520 Broadway, 318-371-4215 |
| Springhill (4,437) | City of Springhill; apply and pay at City Hall, 101 Machen Drive (318-539-5681), with inspections by IBTS |
| Sarepta (671) | The town publishes no permit information; town hall, 24444 Highway 371, 318-847-4333 |
| Sibley (1,068) | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall, 345 N. Main Street, 318-377-0345 |
| Dixie Inn (276) | The published sources do not say; ask the village hall, 318-377-6855 |
| Cotton Valley (743), Cullen (676), Doyline (646), Dubberly (238), Heflin (204), Shongaloo (140) | The published sources do not say; ask the town or village hall |
The parish has an estimated 34,948 residents (Census 2025).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Webster Parish permit fees
The parish publishes no building permit fee table. Its permits page asks applicants to call 318-377-7564 ext. 1 for pricing, and the parish code says building permit fees are generally calculated on the square footage under beam under the parish’s agreements. The application lists a permit fee, a plan review fee and an inspection fee. Published amounts:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trade permit for each plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractor on new construction, additions and renovations | $50 per job or location |
| Parish road bore (project permit) | $10 per bore, plus a $750 bond until the project is complete |
| Violations of the building code | $300 first offense, $700 second, $1,200 third; then no parish permits for one year |
| Refund before construction starts | 100% of the cost of inspections not made; permit and plan review fees are not refunded |
Trade permits in Webster Parish
Under the February 6, 2024 amendment to Ordinance 982, every new construction, addition or renovation permit needs separate trade permits bought by the plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors, $50 each per job. The trade contractor files the application describing the work, the premises and the contractor doing it. An electrical permit cannot be transferred: if the owner changes electricians, the new contractor applies as if no permit had been issued.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What the Webster Parish application asks for
Application
- Owner, project address, subdivision and lot
- Section, township, range, parcel number and acreage
- Contractor and licence number
- Total and living square footage and construction cost
- Frame type, heating and cooling, water supply and power company
- State Fire Marshal project number for commercial work
- Manufactured home make, serial number and installer sticker
Plans and flood data
- Site or plot plan and foundation or footing layout
- Floor plan to scale, elevations and framing notes
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing notes and wall bracing details
- FIRM panel, flood zone and base flood elevation
- Elevation certificates at the plan, under-construction and finished stages in a flood zone
- An engineered no-rise certificate if the site is in a floodway
The parish brochure sets the order: a 911 address (Webster Parish 911, 303 Green Street, Minden; 318-377-9911), Health Unit approval (1200 Homer Road, Minden; 318-371-3030), a floodplain check, plan review and then the permit. The permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days.
How to get a Webster Parish building permit
Inside Minden or Springhill, apply to the city; elsewhere, start with the parish permit office.
The 911 office assigns the address, and the Health Unit approves the sewage system.
Download the fillable form from the Police Jury permits page and add the plans and flood information.
Return it to the permits office by mail (P.O. Box 389, Minden, LA 71058), by email or in person, and call ext. 1 for the fee.
The plans are reviewed before the permit is issued; trade contractors buy their own $50 permits.
Call IBTS as the work reaches each stage; the certificate of occupancy follows the final inspection.
Rather not deal with the Webster Parish building department?
Get a free quote →Webster Parish inspections
Inspections are requested from IBTS on its 24-hour line, 318-747-2454, with the permit type and number, the address, the inspection needed, whether it is a re-inspection and the preferred date and time. Requests are taken all day but scheduled once a day; ask for a morning or afternoon visit and IBTS will try to fit it in. Call the inspector when dirt work starts, keep the permit placard posted and the approved plans on site, and do not cover work before it is inspected.
The parish inspection bulletin lists a base flood elevation check certified by a design professional where the site is in a flood zone, the temporary pole, pre-pour mechanical, electrical and plumbing, pre-pour footings and foundation, framing and sheathing nailing before felt or house wrap goes on, rough-ins before insulation, insulation, and a final that includes final grade, ditches and culverts. A certificate of occupancy is issued once all inspections and plan review comments are satisfied.
Flood rules and other Police Jury permits
Flood zones: the parish flood damage prevention ordinance requires a development permit with the building permit in a flood hazard area. The parish brochure sums up the rules: the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, no living space below it, mechanical and electrical systems above it, flood-resistant materials below it, and enclosed areas below used only for storage or a garage with flood vents.
Roads and other permits: the same Police Jury permits office issues road use, logging, location and project (road bore) permits, and the jury approves large solar farm permits; in November 2025 it approved the Earl solar farm on the recommendation of the parish engineer.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Webster Parish permit resources
- Webster Parish Police Jury permits page and forms
- Webster Parish building permit application (Word form)
- Webster Parish inspection requirements bulletin
- Webster Parish building code brochure
- Building Code Ordinance 982 amendment, February 6, 2024
- Webster Parish compiled ordinances, chapter 6 1/2
- City of Springhill building permits and inspections
- City of Minden Code of Ordinances
- Act 881 of 2026 (HB 1186): R.S. 37:3737 and 37:3738
- Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Council
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Webster Parish permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Webster Parish?
The Police Jury’s permit office in the Courthouse Annex, Minden (318-377-7564 ext. 1), with IBTS as the parish building official. Minden and Springhill issue permits inside their limits.
How much does a building permit cost?
The parish prices permits by the square foot under beam and quotes the amount by phone. Each trade contractor adds a $50 permit per job.
Do I need a permit for a storage shed?
Not for a one-story detached shed or playhouse without utilities of up to 500 sq ft, which the parish code exempts. A larger shed, or one with power or plumbing, needs a permit.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the IBTS 24-hour line at 318-747-2454 with your permit number, address and the inspection needed.
What happens if I build without a permit?
The 2024 ordinance amendment sets fines of $300 for a first offense, $700 for a second and $1,200 for a third, after which the violator cannot get a parish permit for a year.
Does a fence need a permit?
Not if it is 6 feet high or less.
Simplify Webster 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.
Ready to break ground in Webster Parish sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Webster Parish permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Webster Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.