For land outside St. Francisville, West Feliciana Parish’s Permits & Inspections office (225-784-3725) issues building, electrical, plumbing, roofing and manufactured housing permits: you apply with the online Apply Now form and pay once the permit is issued. Fees follow the parish’s construction fee schedule, which values a project by square footage and charges a plan review fee of $50 plus 1 cent per square foot on homes. Inside St. Francisville, the town’s own Building Official and the Board of Aldermen approve new construction.
What needs a parish permit?
Parish Code section 105-1 says no residence, building or other structure may be built, renovated, remodeled or altered, and no trailer or mobile home placed, without a permit. Utility companies may not connect temporary or permanent power to a structure until a permit signed by the building inspector has been issued.
Parish permit types
- Building
- Roofing
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Manufactured housing
- Culverts (driveway pipe)
- Telecommunication towers
No building permit (section 105-5)
- Barns or sheds built outside the parish’s flood-prone areas
- Renting trailer space in an established trailer park outside flood-prone areas
The parish’s own roofing permit reflects state law: R.S. 37:3737(I), re-enacted by Act 881 of 2026, requires parishes that issue permits to permit and inspect roofing. Under R.S. 37:3738 a parish also may not enforce the code on a detached residential accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less unless it sits in a hurricane-prone region with a design wind speed of 130 mph or more.
Who issues permits in West Feliciana Parish?
The parish government, a home rule parish with a Parish President and Parish Council, runs Permits & Inspections through Development Services. Gary Mego, CBO, CFM, is the Development Services Director and Planning & Zoning Administrator, and the parish code makes the building official its floodplain administrator.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The only incorporated place in the parish, the Town of St. Francisville (population 1,484), issues its own building permits through a town Building Official. Its code requires the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to approve every permit for new construction, substantial renovation or a moved-in building after the Building Official has checked the plans against the code and against neighboring buildings.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Parish Permits & Inspections (Development Services) | 225-784-3725; 5934 Commerce Street, P.O. Box 1921, St. Francisville, LA 70775 |
| Parish government main line and hours | 225-635-3864; Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.–noon |
| Town of St. Francisville (inside town limits) | Town Hall, 225-635-3688 |
Electrical, plumbing and roofing permits
Electrical, plumbing and roofing each have their own entry on the parish’s Apply Now page, separate from the building permit. Under the parish fee schedule the permit fee for a building includes the first inspection for each craft, and any single craft inspection is $75; the schedule’s general section also lists $50 for an extra single-trade inspection during regular hours. A temporary electrical service costs $150: a $50 inspection plus a $100 deposit refunded at the final.
Inside St. Francisville the town has its own electrical permit application, and its building permit list includes water heaters, HVAC equipment, electrical service upgrades and standby generators.
Plans for commercial buildings are reviewed by the State Fire Marshal’s office or a qualified third-party reviewer, and the applicant pays that review fee directly.
West Feliciana Parish permit fees
Parish fees come from Appendix B of the parish code, the Schedule of Construction Permit Fees adopted by the Parish Council on June 13, 2006 and amended in 2008. The project value is the average cost per square foot for the type of construction, from the Marshall Valuation Service, multiplied by the gross square footage. That value sets the permit fee, which includes the first inspection for each craft:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation band | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| $1 to $4,999 | $65 | $90 |
| $5,000 to $9,999 | $115 | $130 |
| $10,000 to $19,999 | $130 | $160 |
| $20,000 to $99,999 | $6.50 per $1,000 | $8 per $1,000 |
| $100,000 and above | $650 plus $2 per $1,000 | $800 plus $4 per $1,000 |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential plan review | $50 plus $0.01 per sq ft |
| Commercial plan review | Paid by the applicant to the State Fire Marshal or a qualified third-party reviewer |
| Any single craft inspection | $75 |
| Residential reinspections | First $0, second $100, third $150, then $150 plus $50 for each additional inspection |
| Commercial reinspections | First $75, second $125, third $175, then $175 plus $75 for each additional inspection |
| Missed inspection / after-hours or holiday inspection | $50 / $100 |
| Culvert | $25 |
| Copy of a certificate of occupancy | $50 |
The schedule’s general section also lists reinspections at $50, $100 and $150, so ask Development Services which rate applies to a residential job. Remodeling is valued using the “utilities, miscellaneous” category of the construction cost chart. Fees are paid online once the permit has been approved and issued. The Town of St. Francisville does not publish a fee table; its only posted charge is a $5 Certificate of Occupancy fee.
What to have ready
The parish takes building permit applications through its online Apply Now form. Before you start:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →- Know whether the lot is in a flood-prone area: the building official reviews every application for flood safety, and a home in a special flood hazard area must have its lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer, architect or land surveyor.
- Plan the driveway: the parish does not allow the front roadside ditch to be enclosed, and the driveway pipe must be approved by Public Works before it is installed. Culverts have their own permit, and the Road Superintendent inspects the site to set the pipe size.
- Plan erosion control: silt fencing is required to keep disturbed soil out of ditches and roads.
- For a commercial building, arrange the State Fire Marshal or third-party plan review.
Inside St. Francisville, the town asks for two copies of the plans (three for commercial work) and a plot plan or site plan to scale. An agent applying for the owner needs a letter of authorization, and zoning, wetlands, historic district, health, sewer, engineering or fire marshal approvals may also be needed.
How to apply in West Feliciana Parish
Inside St. Francisville town limits, apply to the town; everywhere else, apply to the parish.
Development Services also administers parish planning and zoning, and its building official is the floodplain administrator.
File the culvert permit so Public Works can size and approve the pipe before installation.
Choose the permit type on the parish Apply Now page: building, roofing, electrical, plumbing or manufactured housing.
Fees are paid online once the application is approved and the permit issued.
Power can be connected only after a permit signed by the building inspector exists; then complete the inspections for each craft.
Rather not deal with the West Feliciana Parish building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
The parish fee schedule lists the residential inspection stages: 911 address and temporary electric pole, rough-in plumbing, base foundation, rough-in electric, preliminary framing, HVAC, top-out plumbing, final inspection and certificate of occupancy. The permit fee covers the first visit for each craft; extra visits, missed inspections and after-hours calls are charged at the rates above.
In St. Francisville the town’s Building Official may take up to 30 days under state law to review an application but usually issues most permits within a week once the file is complete. New construction, substantial renovations and moved-in buildings in the town must have their exterior finished within 12 months of the permit, with no extensions.
Local West Feliciana details
Flood rules: West Feliciana’s flood ordinance, updated by Ordinance 2024-05-13-01, sets the lowest floor of new or substantially improved homes at or above the base flood elevation; it does not add freeboard. St. Francisville’s own flood ordinance adopts the FEMA maps dated May 10, 2022.
Towers: telecommunication towers follow parish ordinance 135-128 and may only be permitted in S-1 zoning districts.
Septic: individual sewage systems are permitted by the Louisiana Department of Health’s sanitarian program, not by the parish permit office.
St. Francisville design control: the town requires new buildings to be comparable in size, materials, colors and style with the buildings next to them, and will not permit a building to be moved in if it is dilapidated or would cost more than half its value to restore.
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 West Feliciana permit resources
- West Feliciana Parish Permits & Inspections
- Parish Apply Now page (building, roofing, electrical, plumbing, culvert)
- Parish Code Appendix B, Schedule of Construction Permit Fees
- Parish Code chapter 105, building permits
- Parish flood damage prevention standards (section 110-92)
- Town of St. Francisville departments: Building Official and permit FAQs
- Town of St. Francisville Code chapter 5, buildings
- Louisiana Department of Health onsite wastewater program
- HB 1186 enrolled (Act 881 of 2026): R.S. 37:3737 and 37:3738
West Feliciana Parish permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in West Feliciana Parish?
Parish Permits & Inspections (225-784-3725) for all land outside St. Francisville. Inside the town, apply to the Town of St. Francisville (225-635-3688).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How are parish permit fees worked out?
The parish values the project by square footage using Marshall Valuation Service costs, then applies the banded schedule in Appendix B of its code, for example $6.50 per $1,000 of value for a home valued from $20,000 to $99,999. Residential plan review adds $50 plus 1 cent per square foot.
Can I apply online?
Yes. Use the Apply Now form on the parish website and pay online once the permit is issued.
Do I need a permit for a barn or shed?
Parish code exempts barns and sheds built outside flood-prone areas. State law (R.S. 37:3738) also keeps the parish and St. Francisville from enforcing the building code on a detached residential accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less, unless the site is in a hurricane-prone region with a design wind speed of 130 mph or more. Larger sheds in a flood-prone area need a parish permit, and St. Francisville lists sheds among the jobs that need a town permit.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof?
Yes. The parish has a roofing permit, and St. Francisville lists roof replacements among the jobs that need a town permit.
How long does a St. Francisville permit take?
The town says most permits are issued within one week once the application is complete; new construction also needs Board of Aldermen approval.
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More Louisiana permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about West Feliciana Parish permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.