Building permits in West Baton Rouge Parish come from the parish Community Planning & Development permit office in the Governmental Building, 880 N. Alexander Avenue, Port Allen (225-336-2434, permits@wbrcouncil.org). It issues permits for the unincorporated parish and, with an initiation form signed by the town, for projects in Port Allen, Brusly and Addis, and it inspects across the parish. Fees follow Ordinance 13-2026 of March 26, 2026: a house is valued at $75 per square foot of living area and $30 per square foot of accessory area, then charged by valuation band.
What needs a permit in West Baton Rouge Parish?
Chapter 107 of the parish code, rewritten in March 2026, requires a permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building, changes its occupancy, or installs or replaces electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The permit office publishes separate pages for homes, commercial buildings, mobile homes, generators, pools, solar panels, signs, demolition, roofing and occupancy permits.
Permit needed
- New houses, additions, renovations and accessory buildings over 200 sq ft
- Commercial construction, of any value, by a commercial contractor
- Roof replacements and re-covers
- Mobile homes moved into the parish
- Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work
- Reconnecting power to a house that has been off for 30 days or more (occupancy permit)
Exempt under sec. 107-22
- One-story tool sheds, storage sheds and playhouses of 200 sq ft or less
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet that hold back no surcharge
- Above-ground prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpet, cabinets and countertops
- Playground equipment at one- and two-family homes
- Ordinary repairs that do not cut walls or structural members
The parish’s 200 sq ft shed exemption is in line with R.S. 37:3738, which 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. R.S. 37:3737(I), re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026, has parishes that issue permits also permit and inspect roofing.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in West Baton Rouge Parish?
The parish building official, working in the Office of Community Planning and Development, receives applications, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects. The permit office says it inspects throughout the parish and also covers the Iberville Parish villages of Rosedale and Grosse Tete. For a lot inside Port Allen, Brusly or Addis, the parish application needs an initiation form signed by the town’s designee.
| Place (2025 population) | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated parish | Parish Permit Office, 880 N. Alexander Ave., Port Allen; 225-336-2434 |
| Addis (7,679) | Parish permit, with an initiation form signed by the town; Town of Addis, 225-687-4844. Moving a new mobile home into Addis also needs a town moving permit. |
| Port Allen (5,015) | Start at City Hall, 375 Court Street (225-346-5670), which lists building, electrical and plumbing permits issued in coordination with the parish; the parish permit needs the City’s signed initiation form |
| Brusly (2,614) | Parish permit, with an initiation form signed by the town; Town of Brusly, 225-749-2909 |
The parish has an estimated 28,756 residents (Census 2025). Check the jurisdiction on the parish Assessor’s map or with the permit office before applying.
West Baton Rouge Parish permit fees
Section 107-25 of the parish code, adopted by Ordinance 13-2026 on March 26, 2026, replaced the old fee appendix that the council repealed in February 2026. Additions, renovations and accessory structures at a home are priced with the same residential valuation method; commercial jobs are valued from the latest ICC Building Valuation Data, or from the signed construction contract if the building official accepts it.
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Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Valuation up to $100,000 | $3 per $1,000 |
| Valuation $100,000.01–$500,000 | $300 plus $2 per $1,000 above $100,000 |
| Valuation above $500,000 | $1,100 plus $1.50 per $1,000 above $500,000 |
| Residential minimum / commercial minimum | $40 / $75 |
| Commercial site plan review | $75 |
| Re-inspection after a second or later rejection, per craft | $10 residential / $25 commercial |
| Demolition | $40 |
| Residential / commercial occupancy permit | $10 / $75 |
| Mobile home | $75, plus electrical and plumbing permits |
| Generator, solar panels, swimming pool | $75 each, plus electrical and plumbing permits |
| Roofing | $75 |
| Wall or free-standing sign / billboard | $75 per sign ($20 more if lit) / $500 |
| House moving | $75 plus $50 per day of travel on parish roads |
| Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) | From the code’s item tables; $20 minimum each |
| After-hours inspection | $100 |
For example, a house with 2,000 sq ft of living area and a 400 sq ft garage is valued at $150,000 plus $12,000, or $162,000, so the building permit costs $300 plus $2 for each of the 62 thousands above $100,000: $424. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are added on top.
Work started before a permit is issued now carries a fine of at least $200 and no more than $500, in addition to the permit fees; the permit office’s web pages still describe the older double-fee penalty capped at $500. Refunds are not given after plan review is complete or more than a year after issue.
Contractors and trade permits
Every general contractor and every electrical, plumbing, mechanical and roofing contractor must hold a parish registration before work starts, backed by a state licensing board licence, West Baton Rouge sales tax registration, an occupational licence and a liability insurance certificate of $300,000 naming the parish office. Plumbers licensed only by the State Plumbing Board also post a surety bond, and renewal forms are mailed each November.
Each subcontractor pulls its own plumbing, electrical or mechanical permit, separate from the building permit, by emailing the parish form to permits@wbrcouncil.org once its registration is current. Minimum fees are $20 per trade permit; examples from the code’s tables are $6 per plumbing fixture (up to 100), $14 for a 200-amp electrical service, $3 per branch circuit and $40 for an air-conditioning unit up to 4 tons.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Documents for a West Baton Rouge Parish house permit
- A 911 address (E-911 office, 225-346-1577) and the residential application listing the plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors.
- A copy of the house plans: plot, floor, elevation, foundation, roofing and framing, electrical and mechanical plans and details.
- The approved plat from the Clerk of Court (225-383-0378) and a plot plan showing every setback.
- A letter or contract signed by the landowner, and the signed plan review and owner education acknowledgements.
- Sewer receipts from WBR Utilities (225-336-2406), or temporary and final permits from the Health Unit (225-342-2650) for a private system, plus the garbage can deposit receipt.
- In Flood Zone A or AE, an engineer’s elevation certificate before construction and another at completion.
- For self-contractors, the notarized West Baton Rouge self-contracting affidavit and a list of registered subcontractors.
The packet notes that residential plan review is a structural check by staff who are not certified plan reviewers, so field inspectors can still require corrections. Commercial projects use a separate packet with a site plan checklist and a grease trap acknowledgement.
How to get a West Baton Rouge Parish permit
Check the Assessor’s map; inside Port Allen, Brusly or Addis, get the town’s initiation form signed.
The general contractor and each trade must be registered with the parish before applying.
Address, plans, plat, plot plan, sewer and garbage receipts and any elevation certificate.
File with the permit office in Port Allen or by email; the permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days.
Give 24 hours’ notice on 225-336-2434 for each stage.
After the final inspection the parish approves the permanent electric connection.
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Get a free quote →West Baton Rouge Parish inspections
The residential packet lists six inspections in order: a preliminary inspection of the form elevation, setbacks and property markers set with nylon string; the electric or temporary pole; plumbing rough-in with a hydrostatic test; pre-slab footings and foundation (post-tension slabs on 18 inches or more of fill need 90% compaction results); framing together with the plumbing, electrical and mechanical top-out and a duct leakage test from the mechanical contractor; and the final, when the house is move-in ready apart from flooring and cosmetics. The temporary electric connection is approved after the temporary pole inspection and the permanent one after the final.
The residential packet charges $10 for each failed inspection; the code allows a re-inspection fee of $10 (residential) or $25 (commercial) per craft for the second and each later rejection. After-hours inspections are available for $100. Reroofs are inspected by a third-party provider licensed by the state code council, or approved from the installer’s geo-tagged photographs. For an occupancy permit, a parish inspector makes a safety inspection and sends the approval to Entergy or Pointe Coupee Electric, which may take 48 to 72 hours to connect.
Floor elevations and mobile homes in West Baton Rouge Parish
Minimum floor elevation: under section 103-7 of the parish code, a building’s floor must be 12 inches above the adjacent road, or, where the road is built up, 24 inches above the average ground within 300 feet of the building. In areas of record inundation, the floor must be the higher of 12 inches above the record inundation and the road-based level. In Poydras Country Estates the base flood elevation is 18 feet above mean sea level.
Mobile homes: a $75 permit is needed before a mobile home is moved into the parish or the three municipalities; the parish page says moving one in first brings a double fee of no more than $75. The home needs a HUD plate and proof of age, model and wind zone, a state-licensed and parish-registered electrician pulls the electrical permit, and the inspection checks the service pole, grounding, anchoring, address numbers, installation tag, connected utilities, a sewer line that is not above ground and is left uncovered for inspection, the air-conditioning unit and steps with handrails.
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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 West Baton Rouge Parish permit resources
- West Baton Rouge Parish residential building permits
- Single-family residential building permit packet (October 2025)
- Commercial building permits
- Sub-contractor permit applications
- Contractor registration
- Roofing permits
- Mobile home permits
- Residential occupancy permits
- Parish Code, chapter 107: building regulations and fees
- City of Port Allen planning, zoning and permits
- 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 →West Baton Rouge Parish permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in West Baton Rouge Parish?
The parish Community Planning & Development permit office in Port Allen (225-336-2434). Inside Port Allen, Brusly or Addis, the town also signs an initiation form.
How much is a building permit for a new house?
The house is valued at $75 per sq ft of living area and $30 per sq ft of accessory area, and the fee is $3 per $1,000 up to $100,000, then $300 plus $2 per $1,000 above that. A 2,000 sq ft house with a 400 sq ft garage pays $424, before trade permits.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Not for a one-story tool or storage shed of 200 sq ft or less. Larger accessory buildings are permitted with the house valuation rules.
Can I be my own contractor?
Yes, for your own home or accessory building, with a notarized West Baton Rouge self-contracting affidavit and a list of registered subcontractors.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 225-336-2434 at least 24 hours ahead. After-hours inspections cost $100.
Does a new roof need a permit?
Yes. A roofing permit is $75, and the reroof is inspected by a licensed third-party provider or approved from geo-tagged photos.
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More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about West Baton Rouge Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.