St. Tammany Parish, LA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Sec. 300-2(A), Required, sets the parish's baseline permitting rule: any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert, or replace any electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or gas system regulated by the UDC, must first apply to the director and obtain the permit before doing or causing the work. The rule reaches essentially every category of construction activity, not just new buildings: additions, alterations, moves, demolitions, occupancy changes, and system replacements are all captured by the same sentence.

Subsection B then narrows that rule with a specific exemption list, framed so that exemptions do not authorize work that otherwise violates the UDC or any other law. Exempt building work includes one-story detached accessory structures under 200 square feet used as tool sheds, playhouses, or similar uses; fences not over 7 feet high; finish work such as painting, papering, tiling, and cabinetry; shade-cloth agricultural structures without service systems; playground equipment for one- and two-family homes; movable partitions under 5 feet 9 inches; grade-supported water tanks of 5,000 gallons or less with a height-to-width ratio no greater than 2:1; shallow prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep at single-family homes; and small window awnings. Parallel, shorter exemption lists cover minor electrical repairs and portable mechanical equipment. Everything outside those specific carve-outs, including new dwellings, additions, garages, commercial buildings, and system installations, needs a permit application to the director along with the construction documents required under Sec. 300-3 and the fees set in Sec. 300-4 before work starts.