Baton Rouge Building Permit Office

An East Baton Rouge Parish mailing address does not automatically mean the Baton Rouge Permit & Inspection Division is the correct permitting authority. The parish contains multiple municipal jurisdictions with separate permitting operations.

Checking jurisdiction before opening an application can prevent a project from being submitted to the wrong municipality, particularly for addresses near municipal boundaries.

The City-Parish residential plan-review information identifies specific material expected with residential submissions rather than relying on a general permit application alone.

• Permit application information, including property owner and contractor information.
• PDF construction documents.
• Site plan showing property lines, setbacks, existing and proposed structures, driveway, servitudes, grading or drainage, and utilities.
• Foundation plan and floor plans for applicable projects.
• Exterior elevations and roof framing information.
• Electrical, mechanical and plumbing layouts.
• Construction details such as wall or floor sections, stairs, windows, materials, dimensions and required life-safety information.
• Engineering calculations where unusual spans, retaining walls or non-prescriptive designs require them.
• Energy compliance documentation, including applicable Manual J, S or D information.
• Truss specifications and layouts when applicable.
• Septic or sewer approval information when required by the property’s utility arrangement.
• Elevation documentation when required for the project and floodplain review.

The residential permitting page also identifies permit requirements for work such as additions, structural alterations, reroofing, window and door replacement, pools, fences, generators, solar installations, electrical work, HVAC replacement, plumbing work and driveway expansion.

Commercial submissions are routed according to the scope and location of the project. The published commercial plan-review requirements call for digital construction plans and, where applicable, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and site plans. New construction and additions may also require site information covering traffic, drainage, sewer and landscaping.

The Permits & Inspections Division reviews construction permits, while the City-Parish Planning Commission handles land-use processes that can precede or affect permit issuance. A proposed use that does not fit the property’s existing approvals may therefore need Planning Commission action before the construction permit can move forward.

• Rezoning: used when a requested land use requires a zoning change.
• Conditional Use Permit: required for uses that need conditional approval under the Unified Development Code.
• Planned developments: PUD, TND and related development-plan procedures are administered through Planning.
• Site development review: certain projects require formal site-plan approval.
• Subdivision actions: subdivision, lot combination and related land-division applications are handled through the applicable planning process.

Commercial permit requirements also identify Planning Commission review for certain planned developments, overlay districts and other qualifying projects. A building permit application does not replace these separate land-use approvals.

The City-Parish online permit system is used to manage permit and inspection information. The published Permits & Inspections FAQ states that an inspection can be scheduled for the next business day.

After-hours inspections are available only when inspection personnel are available and carry an additional $150 after-hours fee. The fee schedule also lists a separate reinspection fee when a reinspection is required.

For residential projects, the City-Parish states that all required inspections must be successfully completed before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. Commercial occupancy can involve additional fire or agency inspections depending on the use.

Baton Rouge does not use one flat building-permit charge. Residential permit fees include project-specific rates, while commercial plan-review and permit fees can be calculated from construction valuation. Trade permits and specialized permits have their own charges.

Because project valuation, square footage, trade work and supplemental approvals can alter the total, the City-Parish fee schedule and the fees displayed within the MGO project record should be used for the applicable permit.